Mashed Potatoes and Carrots are a delicious, nutritious alternative to plain mashed potatoes, with lots of savory flavor and a nice orange color.
Mashed potatoes are one of those crowd-pleaser dishes that always seems to be present at any holiday dinner table. But they can totally be part of any regular family meal too.
And did you know that adding other vegetables to your mashed potatoes is a great way to add flavor, color, and nutrient density? These Mashed Potatoes and Carrots will fit just as well on a holiday dinner table as they will at a regular weeknight meal, and everyone will love them.
How to make Mashed Potatoes and Carrots
Making these Mashed Potatoes and Carrots really isn't that different from making regular mashed potatoes, but it does start with some ingredient prep to make sure your mashed potatoes turn out fluffy, and no sticky or gluey.
To ensure that your mashed potatoes have the best possible texture, it's important to rinse any excess starch from them. Start by peeling and cutting your potatoes into ½" pieces. Put these pieces into a bowl, and cover them with cold water. Leave them there while you prep the carrots.
For the carrots, start by peeling them, then cutting them in half lengthwise. Cut each half into ¼" thick half-moons. Cook these pieces in some butter, stirring occasionally until the butter is browned and fragrant, and the carrots are browning and becoming soft.
While the carrots are cooking, drain the potatoes, then rinse again, and drain. Put the drained potatoes in the pot with the carrots, along with some chicken (or vegetable) broth, salt, and pepper. Cover, and let it cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft and starting to break apart.
Mash the potatoes and carrots with a potato masher or run everything through a ricer back into the pot. Warm the cream in the microwave, then stir it into the mashed potatoes. Garnish with minced herbs, if desired, and serve immediately.
Making Mashed Potatoes and Carrots for a Crowd
The recipe that I have developed below serves approximately 4 people. It's more appropriate for a regular family dinner than for a big holiday meal for a crowd.
If you are cooking these mashed potatoes for a big Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, I highly recommend doubling, or even tripling the recipe using the "2X" or "3X" buttons beside the "Ingredients" title.
Mashed Potatoes and Carrots Ingredients
- Russet potatoes - You will need approximately 4 medium potatoes. See below for substitution tips.
- Carrots - You will need approximately 2 medium carrots. See below for substitution tips.
- Unsalted butter - or you could use salted butter or a dairy-free butter alternative.
- Chicken broth - Either regular or a reduced-sodium option will work. See below for more substitution tips.
- Kosher salt - Or use MSG-salt to enhance the savory flavors in the mashed potatoes.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Half and half cream - see below for substitution tips.
- Chopped herbs - You could use chives, parsley, or rosemary. This is optional, for garnishing.
Mashed Potatoes and Carrots Substitutions
Carrots
If you don't have or don't like carrots, you could replace them with the same amount of another type of root vegetable. Parsnips or turnips are a great option if you don't want the color of your mashed potatoes to be changed too much. Rutabaga, sweet potatoes, or celery root would be some other options. I don't recommend beets, unless you're specifically looking for a hot pink side dish.
Potatoes
You will obviously need to use some type of potatoes, but if you don't have russets, you could also use Yukon gold (you may see them simply labelled as "yellow" potatoes). I don't recommend using red-skinned or white potatoes to make mashed potatoes, as they are firmer, more waxy potatoes that don't mash as well.
Broth
While using chicken broth will make mashed potatoes with a rich, savory flavor, there are other options. You could use turkey broth, vegetable broth, or if you like the savory flavor of chicken broth, you could use a vegan "no chicken" base. Any of these in either regular or reduced-sodium versions work.
Cream
If you don't happen to have half-and-half cream, the closest substitute would be to replace it with ¼ cup of cereal or coffee cream (roughly 18-20% milkfat) and ¼ cup of whole milk.
For extra creamy potatoes, replace the half-and-half with cereal/coffee cream or ¼ cup whole milk and ¼ cup whipping cream.
For lighter potatoes, replace the half-and-half cream with ½ cup of evaporated milk.
Want more potato recipes?
Mashed Potatoes and Carrots Nutrition Notes
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for ¼ of the recipe.
Adding carrots to your mashed potatoes increases the Vitamin A content of the dish, making it a slightly more nutrient-dense side dish.
This recipe is gluten-free as written. To make your potatoes vegetarian, make sure to use vegetable broth or a vegan "no chicken" base.
Mashed Potatoes and Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Peel 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes. Place the cubed potatoes into a medium bowl, and cover with cold water.
- Peel 8 ounces carrots, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half into ¼-inch half-moons.
- Melt 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter in a large saucepan or saute pan over medium heat. Add the cut carrots, and cook, stirring often until the butter is browned and fragrant, and the carrots are softened and browning on the edges, about 10 minutes.
- While you're waiting for the carrots to cook, drain the potatoes and rinse well to remove any excess starch. Add the drained potatoes to the saucepan with the carrots, along with ⅓ cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes break apart with gentle pressure, about 30 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes and carrots with a potato masher, or run them through a potato ricer back into the saucepan. Heat ½ cup half and half cream in a microwave-safe measuring cup for 30 seconds. Stir the warmed cream into the potato-carrot mixture. If desired, garnish with chopped chives, parsley, or rosemary. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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RockinRic says
This recipe I’ve been eating ever since I was a kid, i’m now 70 and retired. My mom made this recipe with diced onions as well and sautéed them with the carrots before adding them to the potatoes. The rest of your recipe is the same and I have some left overs in my frig as we speak. Very very tasty recipe. And after you do the carrot mixture use the same pan to fry your meat in it gives the gravy a great little extra in taste. This is and has been one of my favourite veggies,and as you have mentioned you can use other veggies in the same way. I did it with butternut squash last month only I roasted it in the oven first then added it to the potatoes, also very yummy. I’ve also made it with Kale also great too, served with a sausage and gravy. This really is a very versatile recipe and makes a great veggie side dish. Left overs can be made into patties and fried the next day also very tasty. Just saying. Enjoy, Cheers.