Smooth, creamy, delicious mashed potatoes loaded with crispy bacon bits and fresh herbs. This side is made with golden potatoes for a creamy texture and slight sweetness to the flavor.
Ah, the best side dish ever…potatoes!
Growing up, I was quite a potato baby. Seriously, if my mom could serve me nothing but roasted or pan-fried potatoes every day, I would be one happy kid. I did go through a short period of eating black caviar every day (what kid isn’t, right?) but that was only because her friend from the Black Sea sent us a big jar. That was pretty much the only thing I would trade for potatoes back then.
My taste has expanded to love more and more foods since then (although black caviar is still pretty close to the top of the list) but I still love potatoes. I would take potatoes over pasta any time. That’s why no holiday dinner should ever go without a potato side dish. No matter what form you serve it in, roasted, scalloped, mashed or smashed, it should be present.
I like making my mashed potatoes either with Idaho (russet) or Yukon Gold potatoes. It really depends what kind of mashed potatoes I’m in a mood for. Idaho potatoes come out fluffier and gold potatoes come out creamier with a slight sweetness to them. I love gold potatoes for roasting and gratins as well. For this mashed potato recipe, I prefer gold potatoes specifically for the creamier, moist texture. Slight sweetness is also great for balancing bacon flavors.
Bacon and Herbs Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs golden potatoes
- Salt
- 1 large bay leaf
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp bacon grease
- 6 crispy bacon strips
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh dill weed
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
- Salt
Instructions
- (I recommend cooking your bacon in the oven. Make sure to save the grease.)
- Bring a pot of water to boil while peeling the potatoes. Cut potatoes into large chunks. Cutting the potatoes will make it faster to cook and easier to mash.
- Add potatoes to the pot.
- Add bay leaf and some salt. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are cooked all the way through and starting to fall apart.
- Drain water out of the potatoes.
- Add butter, milk, bacon grease and some salt. Start mashing slowly and watch out for splatter. Mash until all smooth.
- Crumble crispy bacon strips and add them to the potatoes. Add minced herbs and fold it all into mashed potatoes. Taste to see if you need to add more salt.
Notes
Check out these great recipes from other bloggers:
Chicken Pot Pie with Cheesy Mashed Potatoes from The Gunny Sack
Loaded Mashed Potatoes from What’s Cooking, Love?
Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes from Just A Taste
Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes from Wonky Wonderful
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More Potato Recipes From Me:
Scalloped Potatoes and Portobello Au Gratin
Joshua Hampton says
I’m a potato baby too. I’d eat almost anything as long as it has potatoes in it. And these mashed potatoes, I can plant my face in it. Or eat it like ice cream.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
I am a pasta, gnocchi person. Just give me so good ole Italian food and I’m happy as a clam. Are clams really happy?? We do love our mashed potatoes and I enjoy adding different ingredients to the mashed potatoes depending on what we’re having. Your photos like usual are great!!
Gina R says
This recipe could almost get me to give up my low carb lifestyle. How can you go wrong with potatoes and bacon? Just looking at the photo makes me hungry.
Lyuba says
Thank you, Gina!
Jane says
so yummy and takes me back to childhood my mum used to make these a lot, and they were a fav, I’d forgotten about them, so this has bought my childhood memories all back. Going to make these tonight.