The Prep Step To Take For Extra Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

The potato is an amazing, versatile vegetable that tastes great whether it's baked, boiled, fried, or mashed. And out of all the ways to enjoy the potato, perhaps the best way to relish in all its starchy, creamy glory, is by enjoying a hearty portion of mashed potatoes. This comforting side dish can make an appearance on dining tables during weeknight dinners, as well as holiday meals. Maybe that's because there's something about a batch of these creamy spuds that really hits the spot.

There are a number of methods for making sure your mashed potatoes turn out smooth, creamy, and fluffy. Those methods can include mashing, of course, but also whipping the potatoes with a stand mixer, as detailed by All Recipes. While some cooks swear that creamy potatoes only get that way by adding things like sour cream, there is another way to get ultra-fluffy and flavorful mashed potatoes that you may not have tried yet.

If you want the ultimate fluffy, creamy mash, you should try making a batch of chantilly potatoes. Also known by their French name of "pomme de terres chantilly," there are two vital steps to make this fluffy, creamy side dish, as reported by The Kitchn. Those steps are putting the cooked potatoes into a ricer and adding homemade whipped cream. While you may have used a splash, or more, of heavy cream in your mashed potatoes, chantilly potatoes call for folding whipped — or as it's known in French cuisine, chantilly cream — into the potatoes.

According to The Spruce Eats, chantilly cream is a staple in French desserts, and it's basically a sweetened whipped cream made from heavy cream that has been whipped with vanilla and sugar. While the whipped cream in chantilly potatoes isn't sweetened, the dish still takes its name from the traditional French-style cream. To make this scrumptious dish, after running the cooked potatoes through a ricer, whip chilled heavy cream until soft peaks form, then fold the potatoes into the cream.

Lastly, you place the potato and cream mixture into a buttered casserole, and top it with Parmesan cheese, then bake it in the oven, per The Cookie Rookie. When it's done baking, you'll have a batch of creamy, fluffy potatoes with a golden crust of melted cheese on top that adds to the light, airy texture of the potatoes.