The Secret Ingredient for Incredible Mashed Potatoes

Take your mashed potatoes over the top with this incredibly easy upgrade. Creamy mashed potatoes are made extra indulgent with gournay cheese, such as Boursin. It adds tons of flavor and even more creaminess.

Overhead view of a large blue bowl of boursin mashed potatoes with a serving spoon and topped with herbs and butter all on a tile countertop — Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

These creamy, indulgent mashed potatoes are packed with tangy, garlicky goodness thanks to a single secret ingredient: gournay cheese. It’s a soft, spreadable cream cheese that’s most often flavored with garlic and herbs, though it can be jazzed up with everything from caramelized onions to black truffle and sea salt, too.

Boursin is the most common brand, and what I reach for here, as I love stocking up on the little boxes of cheese for easy (and crowd-pleasing) accompaniment to crackers and crostini, especially around the holidays. You’ll find it near the cream cheese and soft cheeses at all major supermarkets.

Simple Tweaks

This recipe is simple and delicious as-is, but it’s also easy to tweak to serve your tastes and what you have on hand. Try using a different flavor of gournay cheese, like caramelized onion. If you’d like to lighten up these potatoes a bit, you can use whole milk instead of cream or half and half. Start by adding 3/4 cup since it’s a thinner liquid, then add more as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Overhead view of a large blue bowl of boursin mashed potatoes topped with herbs and butter — Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

How To Make My Creamy Boursin Mashed Potatoes

For 8 servings, you’ll need:

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 (5.2-ounce) package garlic and herb gournay cheese (such as Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs), at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped mixed tender fresh herbs (such as chives and flat-leaf parsley), optional

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add 3 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until very tender and a fork inserted into the potatoes slides through with no resistance, about 15 minutes. Drain well in a colander and transfer the potatoes back to the hot pot off the heat. Stir and toss the potatoes in the pot until no water remains.

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until very smooth. (Alternatively, transfer the potatoes to a heatproof bowl and rice the potatoes back into the pot.) Add the cream or half and half, 5 tablespoons of the butter, the gournay cheese, pepper, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Mash and stir until fully combined.

Serve immediately, topped with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and chopped herbs.

How To Make These Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time

You can prepare these mashed potatoes up to 3 days ahead of time. Reheat them in a pot on the stovetop, adding a little bit of cream, milk, or even just water to the pot before adding the potatoes. Try not to stir too much when reheating the potatoes as they might turn gluey. You can also reheat the mashed potatoes in the microwave, cooking in 1-minute increments.