If you think regular mashed potatoes are delicious, wait until you try these Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, also known as Pommes Aligot! This classic French potato dish takes creamy mashed potatoes to a whole new level with generous amounts of melted cheese, butter, and cream. The result is an incredibly smooth, rich, and stretchy potato dish that’s pure comfort food!
Looking for more comforting sides to make this fall? Then check these out: Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Bake, Roasted Fall Vegetables and Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.
Pommes Aligot, commonly called aligot in France, is a traditional French dish made from mashed potatoes blended with butter, cream, garlic, and plenty of cheese. It originated in the Aubrac region of southern France and is especially associated with the Aveyron, Cantal, and Lozère areas.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Absolutely delicious
- An elegant potato dish
- Incredibly cheesy
- Perfect for company
- A gorgeous potato to go with beef, chicken, pork, sausage or roasted vegetables
Helpful Items For This Recipe
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Fine Mesh Strainer for Kitchen, Stainless Steel Colander
Stainless Steel Potato Ricer and Masher, Heavy Duty Commercial
Wooden Spoons for Cooking, Natural Premium Teak Wood Corner Spoon
Ingredients to make Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Recipe Ingredients
Yukon Gold potatoes – Their buttery texture mashes up smooth and creamy.
Kosher salt – You’ll use it in the cooking water and the mashed potatoes to adjust if needed.
Heavy cream – Adds richness and helps the cheese melt evenly.
Garlic cloves – Add a mellow, savory flavor. Substitute: ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
Unsalted butter – Makes the mash rich and velvety. If you’d like to use salted butter, just use less salt.
Whole-milk mozzarella – This is what gives aligot its stretch. Use low-moisture mozzarella, not fresh.
Gruyere – Adds nutty, savory flavor. Substitute: Comté, Emmental, or white cheddar.
White pepper – Adds gentle heat without dark specks.
How to make Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Starting them in cold water lets them cook evenly instead of turning to mush on the outside.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook 18 to 22 minutes, until a knife slides into a chunk with no resistance.
While they cook, warm the cream with the smashed garlic in a small saucepan over low heat until it steams. Turn off the heat and let it sit and infuse for 10 minutes, then strain the garlic out of the cream.
In the meantime, grate both cheeses on the large holes of a box grater and have them ready in a bowl. Once you start, this dish moves fast, and you won’t have a free hand.
Drain the potatoes well. Excess water makes a loose aligot that never comes together. Use a fine-mesh sieve or ricer to mash potatoes into the warm pot. Do not use a food processor or blender. High-speed blades rupture the starch cells and turn the potatoes into glue, which is a different and much worse kind of stretchy.
Set the pot over low heat. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, stirring with a sturdy wooden spoon until each addition disappears into the purée.
Finishing the Potatoes
Add the cream gradually, stirring until the purée is smooth and loose. Season with the teaspoon of salt and some white pepper.
Now add the cheese by the handful, stirring after each one until it melts before adding the next. Keep the heat low the entire time. If the mixture simmers or bubbles, the cheese proteins tighten, and it turns oily and rubbery instead of smooth.
Once all the cheese is in, start stirring vigorously in wide figure eights, lifting the mass up and folding it over on itself. Do this for several minutes. At first it will look like lumpy mashed potatoes, then it becomes glossy and elastic, and finally it pulls into long ribbons when you lift the spoon high. That stretch is the whole point, and it only comes from the work.
Taste and adjust the salt. Serve immediately, straight from the pot, lifting it high onto the plate so people can see the pull.
Recipe Pro Tips
Pro Tips for Perfect Pommes Aligot
- Use the right potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes create a creamy, buttery base that works beautifully with melted cheese.
- Choose good melting cheeses: Low-moisture mozzarella provides stretch, while Gruyère adds depth and flavor.
- Grate your own cheese: Freshly grated cheese generally melts more smoothly than pre-shredded varieties containing anti-caking agents.
- Use a potato ricer: A ricer, sieve or food mill produces a smooth texture without overworking the potatoes.
- Warm the cream: Adding warm dairy helps maintain the temperature of the potatoes and encourages smooth melting.
- Keep the heat low: High heat can cause the cheese to separate and become oily.
- Add cheese gradually: Stir in small handfuls to ensure even melting and a silky consistency.
- Stir continuously: The signature stretchy texture develops as the melted cheese is incorporated into the potatoes.
- Serve right away: Pommes Aligot is best enjoyed immediately while the cheese is warm and elastic.
What goes with Cheesy Mashed Potatoes?
They pair best with simple, savory mains like roast chicken, steak, pork chops, sausages, or meatloaf. Add something fresh on the side, like a green salad, roasted green beans, or sautéed spinach, to balance the richness.
Can you freeze Cheesy Mashed Potatoes?
You can, but they won’t be quite the same. The cheese loses some of its stretch, and the texture can turn a bit grainy after thawing. For best results, store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat them on the stove with a splash of cream or milk, stirring until smooth.
Which cheese for mashed potatoes?
For a stretchy mash, low-moisture mozzarella is the key. Pair it with a flavorful cheese like Gruyère, Comté, or white cheddar for depth. If you can, avoid pre-shredded cheese, since the anti-caking coating keeps it from melting smoothly.
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Cheesy Mashed Potatoes – Pommes Aligot Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tbsp kosher salt for the cooking water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 12 oz low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella shredded
- 4 oz gruyere shredded
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- White pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Starting them in cold water lets them cook evenly instead of turning to mush on the outside.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook 18 to 22 minutes, until a knife slides into a chunk with no resistance.
- While they cook, warm the cream with the smashed garlic in a small saucepan over low heat until it steams. Turn off the heat and let it sit and infuse for 10 minutes, then strain the garlic out of the cream.
- In the meantime, grate both cheeses on the large holes of a box grater and have them ready in a bowl. Once you start, this dish moves fast, and you won't have a free hand.
- Drain the potatoes well. Excess water makes a loose aligot that never comes together. Use a fine-mesh sieve or ricer to mash potatoes into the warm pot. Do not use a food processor or blender. High-speed blades rupture the starch cells and turn the potatoes into glue, which is a different and much worse kind of stretchy.
- Set the pot over low heat. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, stirring with a sturdy wooden spoon until each addition disappears into the purée.
- Add the cream gradually, stirring until the purée is smooth and loose. Season with the teaspoon of salt and some white pepper.
- Now add the cheese by the handful, stirring after each one until it melts before adding the next. Keep the heat low the entire time. If the mixture simmers or bubbles, the cheese proteins tighten, and it turns oily and rubbery instead of smooth.
- Once all the cheese is in, start stirring vigorously in wide figure eights, lifting the mass up and folding it over on itself. Do this for several minutes. At first it will look like lumpy mashed potatoes, then it becomes glossy and elastic, and finally it pulls into long ribbons when you lift the spoon high. That stretch is the whole point, and it only comes from the work.
- Taste and adjust the salt. Serve immediately, straight from the pot, lifting it high onto the plate so people can see the pull.
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