There is no dish that is more quintessential to American cooking than mashed potatoes. Think: creamy, cheesy, smooth potatoes often topped with chives, fresh herbs, and a whole lot of butter. My version of mashed potatoes isn’t your typical recipe – after all, they aren’t called the Best Ever Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes for nothing! These potatoes are loaded with herbs, topped with buttery caramelized onions, and are perfect for serving on your Thanksgiving dinner table.

Friends, if there is one dish that is required at every Thanksgiving dinner table (aside from the turkey, of course), it’s mashed potatoes. Creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes are a staple at Thanksgiving for me, and are truly a crowd pleaser. After all, who doesn’t loved mashed potatoes?!

But these aren’t your grandma’s mashed potatoes – although I’m sure that those are delicious too! These mashed potatoes are kicked up a notch, thanks to the addition of creamy, buttery, melt-in-your mouth caramelized onions. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love caramelized onions. But as delicious as they are, part of what drives people away from making caramelized onions is that they take a while to make. And while I wish that I could say that there’s a hack for that… unfortunately, there’s not. Some good things just take time!

Don’t let that stop you from making this recipe, though. The caramelized onions are an (easy) labor of love, and truly take these mashed potatoes to the next level!

And if you’re looking for another vegetarian-friendly side dish to serve at your Thanksgiving dinner table this year, I highly recommend pairing these mashed potatoes with my Smashed Brussels Sprouts and my Spiced Roasted Carrots with Lemony Whipped Feta. My mouth is already watering just thinking about it!

To make these mashed potatoes, you will need olive oil, yellow onion, yukon gold potatoes, salted butter, half & half, kosher salt, parmesan cheese, and garnishes.

The 7 Ingredients Needed to Make These Potatoes

Olive Oil: Olive oil is full of healthy fats and adds a delicious flavor to these carrots!
Yellow Onions: Yellow onions are my favorite to use for caramelized onions! They brown beautifully and add a rich, delicious flavor to these mashed potatoes.
Yukon Gold Potatoes: Yukon Gold Potatoes are my favorite potatoes to use for mashed potatoes. Why? Because they are smaller, which means they cook much quicker!
Salted Butter: Both dairy and non-dairy salted butter work well, in this recipe.
Half & Half or Full-Fat Coconut Milk or Non-Dairy Milk: Any of the above work well for this recipe!
Kosher Salt: A pinch of kosher salt adds just the right amount of salt to these potatoes without making them too salty.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese adds a delicious, subtly cheesy flavor to these potatoes.
Garnishes: These are optional, but I love garnishing these mashed potatoes with chopped chives, chopped thyme, chopped sage, and extra melted butter. Yum!

To prepare the caramelized onions, thinly slice them and add them to a skillet with olive oil. Allow them to cook on medium heat for 40-50 minutes, or until they’re soft and caramelized.

How to Make The Best Ever Creamy Mashed Potatoes

To make these mashed potatoes, start by preparing the onions. Peel the skin from the onions and thinly slice them. It will look like a lot of onions, but that is okay! Once the onions are done, set them aside. Then, heat a skillet, on the stove, over medium heat, and add in the olive oil.

Once the oil is hot, add in the onions and stir them occasionally, until the onions are browned, caramelized, and have shrunken down. This will take approximately 40-50 minutes. While the onions are cooking, prepare the potatoes. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and chop them into small pieces. You don’t need to peel the skin, unless you’d like to! I prefer to leave the skin on for texture and extra fiber.

Once the potatoes are done, drain the water from the pot and mash them. Then, add in the butter, kosher salt, and half & half (or full-fat coconut milk or non-dairy milk, if using) and mash the potatoes again, until all of the ingredients are fully combined and the potatoes are smooth.

Next, heat a pot of water on the stove. Once it reaches a rolling boil, add in the chopped potatoes and allow them to cook for 20 minutes, until they’re fork tender. Once the potatoes are done, drain the water from the pot and mash them. Then, add in the butter, kosher salt, and half & half (or full-fat coconut milk or non-dairy milk, if using) and mash the potatoes again, until all of the ingredients are fully combined and the potatoes are smooth.

Once the onions have fully caramelized, remove them from the heat and add half of them to the potatoes, alongside the grated parmesan cheese. Stir the potatoes so that the onions and parmesan are fully incorporated. Finally, add the mashed potatoes to a large bowl and top with the remaining caramelized onions, chopped chives, chopped sage, chopped thyme, and melted butter. Serve and enjoy!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.