The Best Duchess Potatoes
These Best Duchess Potatoes feature creamy mashed potatoes, piped into a gorgeous swirl and baked to perfection! It’s a fabulous addition to holiday meals!
Certainly, you could just make creamy comforting mashed potatoes and serve them as-is. You could also bake them in a dish so the top gets a little crusty to replicate the duchess potato concept.
Yet for the full effect of golden pillows of potato, with moist fluffy interiors and buttery crisp exteriors, you’ve got to make real deal Dutchess Potatoes.
The Best Duchess Potatoes recipe I’m sharing today is, in my humble opinion the best, because the flavor and texture are so right on.
All mashed potatoes are pretty darn good, but these are ultra silky and have a fabulous flavor due to the addition of white cheddar cheese.
Egg yolks are added to improve the texture and offer richness.
Once the potatoes are mashed and piped onto baking sheets, brush the exterior gently with melted butter so the exterior can turn brown along the ridges.
The Best Duchess Potatoes are wonderful for the holidays. You can make and pipe them onto baking sheets a day or two ahead, then bake them at the last minute. They are a great way to portion out meals to make sure everyone gets an equal serving. And they look lovely sitting pretty on each plate.
Give The Best Duchess Potatoes a try this Thanksgiving or for Christmas Dinner!
What Ingredients You Will Need
- Russet Potatoes – peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- Salt
- Shredded White Cheddar
- Heavy Cream
- Ground Nutmeg
- White Pepper (or black pepper)
- Egg Yolks
- Melted Butter
How to Make Duchess Potatoes
Instructions…
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the peeled potato chunks in a large pot and cover them with water. Add the salt and bring it to a boil. Simmer the potatoes until fork-tender. Then drain off all the water and allow the potatoes to dry out for a few minutes.
Place the potatoes back over medium heat. Add the shredded cheese, heavy cream, nutmeg, and white pepper. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash the potatoes into a fine smooth texture. Then quickly stir the egg yolks into the potato mixture.
Scoop the potatoes into a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 1/2 cup mounds of potato onto the baking sheets, leaving room in between for the potatoes to expand.
Brush the tops of the Duchess Potatoes with melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top.
Garnish with fresh herbs if desired. You could use parsley, thyme, or rosemary.
Pro Tip: Pipe the mounds high. They will spread and flatten a little as they bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, there are two different ways that you can prep these potatoes beforehand. You can make the mashed potatoes, pipe them, and then freeze them overnight. Just make sure to thaw them out completely before baking them in the oven. You can also fully cook them beforehand and then store them in the refrigerator. If the potatoes are cold but fully cooked, they will need about 15 minutes to warm at 350 degrees F. They are also okay to stay out at room temperature for several hours after being fully cooked.
Do they get firm enough to be considered finger food?
If you make the mounds even smaller, and bake them for the same amount of time, yes! As-is they are too big to pick up with your fingers.
Can I swap the cheese out for another variety?
Yes, you can use other cheeses. However, I would pick a cheese that melts like cheddar. Gouda, Muenster, Pepper Jack, and Fontina are all good choices.
How long do these potatoes last?
You can store these potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
What other potatoes can I use with this recipe?
You would want to stick with a starchy potato like Yukon Gold potatoes or Idaho potatoes.
Check the printable recipe card below, for this side dish, for the nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, trans fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, potassium, fiber, vitamin c, and calcium percentages.
The Best Duchess Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups shredded white cheddar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the peeled potato chunks in a large sauce pot and cover with water. Add the salt and bring to a boil. Simmer the potatoes until fork-tender. Then drain off all the water and allow the potatoes to dry out a few minutes.
- Place the potatoes back over medium heat. Add the shredded cheese, heavy cream, nutmeg, and white pepper. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash the potatoes into a fine smooth texture. Then quickly stir the egg yolks into the potato mixture.
- Scoop the potatoes into a large piping bag fitted with a wide star tip. Pipe 1/2 cup mounds of potato onto the baking sheets, leaving room in between for the potatoes to expand.
- Brush the tops of the Duchess Potatoes with melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden on top. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
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Excited to make these for Christmas! Would it work if I fully made them, refrigerated overnight, and then reheated them the next day? If so, what temp and how long should I heat in the oven? Thank you!!
Hi Becca,
Yes, you can do that! If the potatoes are cold but fully cooked, they will need about 15 minutes to warm at 350. :)
I am having a large gathering and need to plan ahead. I will prepare the day before, refrigerate and bake in the morning because I need the oven for other food the rest of the day. How long can they stay at room temperature before reheating? At what temperature and for how long do I require for reheating?
Thanks – these are delicious and excited to share with guests!
Hi Rose,
They should be fine to sit out for several hours before baking. Happy Holidays!
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Made these for the first time and followed the recipe exactly. Tasted the potatoes before adding the four egg yolks and they tasted awesome!
Could I swap the white cheddar for Parmesan or any other cheese?
Hi Olivia,
Yes, you can use other cheeses. However, I would pick another cheese that melts like cheddar. Gouda, Muenster, Pepper Jack, or Fontina would be good choices. :)
Is this firm enough that it could be served as a finger food at a party (if made in small enough portions)?
Hi Kelly,
If you made them even smaller, and baked them for the same amount of time, yes! As-is they are too big to pick up with your fingers.
Would you pipe and then freeze, then thaw before baking or bake straight from the freezer? I know I couldn’t pull these off day-of, but would love to freeze and bake on Easter.
Hi Kelley,
They should hold up in the refrigerator overnight. Freezing would be ok but thaw them completely before baking.
These look absolutely amazing – I love all things potatoes!
I have to try these potatoes. They look so good and so easy to make.
These are so delicious! Totally worth the time and effort.