Elevate Your Mashed Potatoes With Caramelized Onions

It's hard to imagine further perfecting a classic dish like mashed potatoes. But even timeless favorites can take on tasty new twists. There are many ways to dress up your mashed potatoes, and adding caramelized onions is a great way to bring more complex sweet and savory notes to this much-loved side dish. The earthy sweetness of caramelized onion easily combines with the buttery richness of classic mashed potatoes. As a bonus, they're typically not that hard to make, (although there are a few tips out there on how to take your caramelized onions up a notch that require a couple of extra steps).

If you're using this trick for a new take on mashed sweet potatoes instead, there are a range of additional ingredients that can turn your side dish into something special. Adding a dash of maple syrup to the caramelized onions plays up the classic pairing of sweet potato and maple. Or, you can go the savory route and add garlic, Parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs like chives or parsley.

A common way to caramelize onions involves heating butter, oil, or both, then sautéing sliced onions (don't forget a dash of salt) until they are softened, then reducing the heat to low and allowing them to slowly caramelize. Using too much heat is one of the biggest mistakes people make when caramelizing onions, as is cutting them too thin. They should caramelize low and slow to develop soft, sweet, and earthy flavors. 

Caramelizing can sometimes take up to an hour, or even more. If they do start sticking to the bottom of the pan, add small amounts of water to deglaze, and stir. This delicate process is well worth the effort, as you want the final product to have a rich, deep-brown color. Caramelized onions can also be made in the oven or on the grill, both of these methods are great if you're cooking a big meal and don't have time to constantly watch the onions.

The best way to get the rich, savory sweetness of caramelized onions in every bite of your mashed potatoes is to mix them right in, although they look great as a garnish. If you're choosing to up the game even more with garlic or Parmesan cheese, it is best to thoroughly combine them at the same time as butter and milk or cream. Fresh herbs can be mixed in or sprinkled on top. Ginger, turmeric, and red pepper flakes can also work wonders in mashed sweet potatoes with caramelized onions, where the sweet and spicy flavors play well. Just be sure to mix these lively ingredients in evenly, and taste test along the way.

You might not be able to imagine skipping the gravy at your next big holiday dinner, but mashed potatoes with caramelized onions are so tasty that you may not even need it.