Mayo Helps Temper The Tanginess Of Sour Cream For Balanced Potato Casserole

There's nothing that says "comforting" more than a potato casserole. The tender potatoes smothered in cream and baked under a blanket of cheese is what home tastes like. But while sour cream lends the casserole its creamy texture, it can also make it a tad too tangy. Thankfully, mayo can put a stop to that.

In her Cajun potato casserole, Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone mixes mayo with sour cream to dial back the acidity of the latter ingredient. "If you just added all sour cream it would overwhelm the flavors, [so] the mayonnaise really balances it out," she explains. Mayo has a slightly sweet taste that reduces the acidity in sour cream, giving you a perfectly creamy casserole.

The savory, rich taste of mayo and sour cream combined meshes well with the spicy, smoky flavors found within Morone's Cajun potato casserole. Still, the combination works with other potato casseroles. Use it for a cheesy hash brown casserole or in a loaded baked potato casserole with onions and salty bits of bacon.

Without mayonnaise, you can use the next best thing: Miracle Whip. If you're wondering what makes Miracle Whip and mayo different, it comes down to a few key ingredients. While mayo is made of egg yolks, vinegar, lemon juice, and oil, Miracle Whip adds water, sugar, and a few spices to the equation. The result is a sweeter, still creamy mayonnaise-like product. Mix it with sour cream so the sugar can counteract the acidity.

Another sweet substitute for mayonnaise, cream cheese can be swapped for the condiment in a variety of recipes. It may need to be whisked to attain a similar texture, but when mixed with sour cream, it works particularly well. Along with butter, mix softened cream cheese and sour cream with the potatoes before spreading it out in the casserole dish. For a healthier alternative, use ricotta in place of cream cheese. But since it can be on the grainy side, you should make sure to whip it to get the right texture.