Brown Butter Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
This Brown Butter Rosemary Mashed Potatoes recipe is a beautiful way to elevate your classic mashed potatoes. The browned butter pairs well with the subtle rosemary for a delicious side to any meal!
When I made these brown butter mashed potatoes with rosemary, my husband took a bite and said they taste like Christmas. That’s high praise! He’s right, though. Brown butter has a rich, caramel- or toffee-like flavor. Add that with the rosemary, and these mashed potatoes really will knock the socks off your family and friends!
The nice thing about this mashed potatoes recipe is that it doesn’t need gravy! I mean, you can definitely load up on gravy, for sure. But, it’s completely delicious on its own! So if you don’t like packaged gravy or you don’t want the hassle of making gravy from your meat drippings, this rosemary brown butter mashed potatoes recipe is your ticket.
You don’t need much to make this delicious recipe! Only a few ingredients and this recipe comes together quickly, too.
If you love rosemary, then you’ll enjoy my other rosemary dishes such as my rosemary dinner rolls and my rosemary roasted cashews!
Ingredients
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Butter
- Half and half
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Fresh rosemary
How to Make Rosemary Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
- Boil the potatoes.
In a large pot full of cold water, add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain the water from the potatoes. - Brown the butter.
While the potatoes are cooking, brown the butter. In a small saucepan or skillet, set over medium low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, stir in the rosemary. Cook the butter until browned. Once you see some golden-colored specks at the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat to low and stir frequently to ensure the butter doesn’t burn. The butter will smell nutty and turn an amber color. Amber/brown-colored specks will appear at the bottom of the pan. - Add the half & half.
Stir in the half and half and heat until warmed. Remove from heat. - Mash the potatoes.
Pour some of the butter/milk mixture into the pot of potatoes. Using a potato masher, begin mashing the potatoes. Continue adding the milk/butter mixture and mashing the potatoes until the potatoes are fully mashed and smooth and the brown butter mixture has been fully incorporated into the potatoes. - Season and garnish.
Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional chopped rosemary if you’d like. Serve!
Tools Used For This Recipe
Potato Masher – I use this potato masher and really like it.
Skillet – a white interior makes it easier to see the butter changing color.
Potato ricer – rather than use a potato masher, you can use a potato ricer. Either works great!
Recipe Tips
Because of the brown butter, these mashed potatoes won’t be perfectly white. That’s normal!
Adding the rosemary to the butter as it cooks helps infuse the butter with the rosemary, which provides an even distribution of that beautiful, subtle rosemary flavor!
If you don’t have half and half, whole milk or 2% milk works fine. You can also do part cream, part milk to create half and half at home. 🙂
For an in-depth look at how to brown butter, along with tips and FAQS, check out my How to Brown Butter post!
FAQs
Why cook potatoes in cold water?
While I’m sure there’s a very scientific answer to this question, the simple explanation is that it helps the potatoes cook more evenly! There’s nothing worse than having chunks in your mashed potatoes from sections that didn’t get cooked as much. Putting the potatoes in cold water first helps prevent this 🙂 You can read more about it from the Kitchn.
How do you brown butter?
To make browned butter, melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet on medium low heat. Cook the butter until you see some golden-colored specks at the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat to low and stir frequently to ensure the butter doesn’t burn. The butter will smell nutty and turn an amber color. Amber/brown-colored specks will appear at the bottom of the pan. That’s how you make browned butter! It tastes delicious in so many things, including my famous brown butter chocolate chip cookies!
Can you mash potatoes with a hand mixer?
Certainly! You can use a potato masher, hand mixer, or potato ricer. Whatever you have or prefer.
More Delicious Recipes
Brown Butter Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes - peeled and chopped
- 16 tablespoons butter - salted or unsalted is fine
- 1 1/4 cups half and half
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary - chopped
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large pot full of cold water, add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain the water from the potatoes.
- While the potatoes are cooking brown the butter. In a small saucepan or skillet, set over medium low heat melt the butter. Once melted stir in the rosemary. Cook the butter until browned. Once you see some golden colored specks at the bottom of the pan reduce heat to low and stir frequently to ensure the butter doesn’t burn. The butter will smell nutty and turn amber colored. Amber brown colored specks will appear at the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the half and half and heat until warmed. Remove from heat.
- Pour some of the butter/milk mixture into the pot of potatoes. Using a potato masher, begin mashing the potatoes. Continue adding the milk/butter mixture and mashing the potatoes until the potatoes are fully mashed and smooth and the brown butter mixture has been fully incorporated into the potatoes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional chopped rosemary if you’d like.
- Serve warm.
- If you like this recipe, I would love for you to leave a rating and review on saltandbaker.com. Thank you!
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