Give Mashed Potatoes A Burst Of Flavor With Some Compound Butter

Filling, comforting, and affordable, potatoes are a culinary cornerstone. Not only are they a deliciously rib-sticking vegetable, but they're customizable to boot. Whether you like yours baked and topped with savory fixings or scalloped into a luxurious side dish, there's no wrong way to enjoy potatoes. However, making buttery mashed potatoes is one of our favorite ways to prepare starchy spuds. Typically made by mashing a handful of boiled tubers with milk and butter, mashed potatoes are an easy-to-make dish that even foodies new to the kitchen can swiftly prepare. As simple and tasty as classic mashed potatoes are, you can elevate their flavor by swapping plain butter for compound butter.

Compound butter, also called flavored butter, is a fancy term for plain butter infused with added ingredients for extra flavor. Introducing compound butter to your favorite mashed potato recipe is an easy way to imbue the quintessential side dish with robust bursts of flavor. Butter that's been compounded with spices and herbs kills two birds with one stone as it seasons the potatoes and eliminates the need to add seasonings to the pot separate from the butter.

Compound butter is easy to make at home. It can be personalized to suit your texture and flavor preferences, so your mashed potatoes will always taste exactly how you want them to.

Because you can make this silky smooth flavor enhancer with just about any ingredient that your palate desires, there are no rules, per se, to making compound butter. But if you don't know where to start, we've got you covered with some tasty ideas for butter infusions.

For a homey flavor infusion that's both timeless and familiar, add garlic herbed butter to your mashed potatoes to create a blend of herbs' garden-fresh goodness and garlic's savory allium splendor. Consider including parsley, rosemary, thyme, and chives to complement the sharp garlic and the creamy butter. If you're feeling sophisticated, a truffle-studded compound butter threaded with parmesan cheese brings a rich umami depth accented by a delicately nutty flair courtesy of the truffles. Mix chopped, cooked bacon into your butter for a smoky, meaty punch and a boost of protein.

Although it might go without saying, it's best to avoid compounded butter that's been infused with super sweet ingredients such as sugar, cinnamon, or vanilla, to avoid ending up with a dish of incompatible flavors. However, compound butter made with more dulcet flavors might be worth exploring if you're making a batch of mashed sweet potatoes.

Whether you prefer your potatoes made with a no-frills compound butter or one teeming with multiple flavors, being adventurous and bold will help you to find a favorite flavored butter faster than you can say "potato."

If you've never cooked with compound butter, there are a few easy-to-remember tips that can help to ensure you're getting the most out of your flavored, mixed butter.

When you make compound butter at home, let your stick of butter soften to room temperature before adding your infusion to promote easier mixing. If you're planning on using refrigerated compound butter in your mashed potato recipe, give the butter time to soften — and avoid heating it in the microwave to hasten the process, as microwaves disrupt the smooth texture of butter that gives mashed spuds that deliciously creamy texture.

Make sure the ingredients you're infusing into the butter are very finely chopped so that their flavor is present without throwing off the mouthfeel of your mashed potatoes. Also, start by adding small portions of the compound butter to the mashed potatoes gradually, and taste as you go. This will control the level of flavors and prevent overwhelming your mashed potatoes' tastes and aromas with the infused butter.

Finally, keep in mind that making compound butter is supposed to be fun, so don't take it too seriously. Find out what works best for your go-to mashed potato recipe and tweak it until you have a crowd-pleasing, crave-curbing compound butter.