Mashed Potatoes With Creme Fraiche (The Only Recipe You Need) (2024)

FAQs

Are sour cream and creme fraiche the same? ›

Sour cream may contain thickening agents like gelatin or polysaccharides to create a smooth texture, while creme fraiche's fermentation process naturally produces a thicker texture than sour cream. Plus, sour cream has a tangier taste than creme fraiche, which has a rich and creamy taste.

What can I sub for crème fraîche? sour cream or even parmesan will work well as substitutes here! You can also remove all together and just keep it cream and butter for a more classic mashed potato.

You can make a similar heavy cream alternative using regular milk and butter. Whole milk has a fat percentage of around 3.5% and is preferable to lower-fat varieties, but you'll still want to use more melted butter than you would with half-and-half. For best results, try mixing ⅔ cup of whole milk with ⅓ cup butter.

Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add in the cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Add chives or scallions. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Instead of regular milk, pro chefs generally use a generous helping of buttermilk and plenty of half-and-half or (even better) heavy cream in their potatoes. If you think the bartenders up front are pouring heavy, they've got nothing on the cooks in the back who are in charge of the mashed potatoes.

The flavor of crème fraîche is slightly less tangy than sour cream but the texture tends to be thicker, and the taste overall is richer because it gets about 90% of its calories from fat. Unsurprisingly, crème fraîche is French for "fresh cream." Crème fraîche is phonetically pronounced "krem fresh" in English.

What Is Creme Fraiche Used For? Because of its high fat content, creme fraiche does not curdle when boiled, which makes it ideal to use as a thickener in sauces and soups. Creme is also used as a finishing touch for sauces and soups, or spooned over fruit or warm desserts such as cobblers.

It's truly an everyday kitchen staple and is delightful added to sweet or savory dishes. It's good for baking in cakes, or lightly sweetening and topping slices of pie. Its food BFF may be the potato, but we'd also add a spoonful to soups or stews, pasta, or even in a salad dressing.

Crème fraîche is essentially the European equivalent of sour cream. It's used widely throughout Europe but less commonly in the United States and Canada. Crème fraîche is a dairy product much like sour cream but it has a higher fat content.

The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are a starchy varieties like russet, Idaho or Yukon gold. Starchy potatoes are best for mashed potatoes because they have a fluffy, almost airy texture that breaks down easily.

What is the closest thing to crème fraîche? ›

Sour cream (which has less fat) is the best and easiest substitute, but it's not as rich or tangy as crème fraîche. Full-fat plain Greek yogurt is another substitute, but it doesn't have the same smooth texture or mild flavor.

I've tried milk, half and half, and other ingredients, but they just don't work as well. You need heavy whipping cream to get that rich and creamy texture, making your mashed potatoes incredibly luxurious and indulgent.

Sour cream adds a little bit of tangy flavor and a boost of richness to mashed potatoes. It's a fun change from the standard milk or cream and butter combo usually flavoring mashed taters. You can even try your hand at making homemade sour cream from heavy cream!

That's because she makes her mashed potatoes with evaporated milk, which makes them that much more fluffy, creamy, and delicious. Evaporated milk made its first debut in Illinois, but it took off like wildfire as soon as Southerners discovered it.

A potato ricer is widely regarded as the best tool for mashed potatoes that are smooth and fluffy. Built like a big garlic press, it works by pushing cooked potatoes (one or two at a time) through a perforated grate, creating stringy, broken-down potato bits without releasing a ton of starch.

Sour cream adds a little bit of tangy flavor and a boost of richness to mashed potatoes. It's a fun change from the standard milk or cream and butter combo usually flavoring mashed taters. You can even try your hand at making homemade sour cream from heavy cream!

I've experimented with many mashed potatoes recipes and many ingredients, and have come to this conclusion: if you want to make the creamiest and smoothest mashed potatoes, make your mashed potatoes with heavy cream.

Directions. Throw just a pinch of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda into potatoes while mashing to make them fluffier.