This post is sponsored by ALDI. These French onion mashed potatoes are a delicious twist on the classic—perfectly caramelized onions and melty Gruyère make them feel like a bowl of French onion soup folded into creamy mashed potatoes.
Mashed potato lovers, this one’s for you.
These French onion mashed potatoes are a flavorful upgrade that will steal the show at Thanksgiving. If you volunteer to bring the potatoes, I promise you’ll be thanked. They’re rich, comforting, and full of savory onion flavor balanced by nutty Gruyère.
This is recipe #2 in my Thanksgiving series featuring ALDI. All week I’m sharing ideas to build a complete Thanksgiving menu using ingredients you can grab in one trip. Yesterday I shared a stuffed acorn squash; previously I’ve made a citrus-butter turkey and my mom’s gravy—great partners for these potatoes.
I’ve been “French onion-ing” everything lately—lasagna rollups, meatballs, stuffed shells, stuffed sweet potatoes, scalloped potatoes—so it was only a matter of time before mashed potatoes got the same treatment.
OH YES.
Time for French onion mashed potatoes.
I take my house mashed potato method and fold in deeply caramelized onions and freshly grated Gruyère. The result is rich, cheesy, and layered with sweet-savory onion flavor—comfort food elevated.
These don’t stray too far from classic Thanksgiving sides. They’re still familiar mashed potatoes with just a touch of cheese and caramelized onions—tiny changes that make a big difference.
They also work beautifully as a weeknight side. Pair them with grilled chicken and roasted vegetables and you’ve instantly made a simple meal feel special.
Key ingredients:
- Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes for creamy texture.
- Sweet onions—plan for enough since they reduce significantly when caramelized.
- Gruyère cheese, freshly grated, for nutty melty richness.
- Butter, heavy cream, salt, and pepper to finish the potatoes.
A few mashed potato tips: don’t cut the potatoes too small, don’t overboil, add warm butter and cream so the texture stays silky, and avoid overmixing or the potatoes will turn gluey. Taste as you season—salt amounts will vary.
Potatoes were my favorite food growing up, so I’m picky about technique. These French onion mashed potatoes are one of my favorite ways to serve them—comforting, flavorful, and crowd-pleasing.
They’re dreamy and make a fabulous addition to any holiday table or weeknight dinner.
French Onion Mashed Potatoes
French Onion Mashed Potatoes
8
to 10
1 hr 10 mins
20 mins
1 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 sweet onions, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
Potatoes
- 5 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and peeled
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, freshly grated
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Caramelized Onions
- Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-low. Add the sliced onions and a big pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, for 10–15 minutes until they begin to soften. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply golden and caramelized, about 45–60 minutes total (longer if you prefer a darker caramelization).
Potatoes
- Optional make-ahead: wash, peel, and chop potatoes, then cover with cold water and refrigerate for 12–18 hours.
- Cut the potatoes into even chunks—halves or quarters—so they cook evenly.
- Place potatoes in a large pot with cold water and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 12–15 minutes (check earlier if pieces are small).
- While potatoes cook, warm the butter and cream together over medium-low heat.
- Drain potatoes well and return to the pot. Mash with a potato masher or ricer to your preferred consistency. Stir in half of the warm butter-cream mixture and about 1 teaspoon salt. If using a hand mixer, keep it on low and mix briefly—do not overmix.
- Stir in the remaining butter-cream, then fold in the grated Gruyère, mixing slowly until it melts. Fold in half of the caramelized onions, taste, and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve topped with the remaining caramelized onions.
- To serve 4: halve the recipe. For 12–16: double the recipe and taste as you season.
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Dreamy!