Caramelized Onion and Bacon Mashed Potatoes
Ultra creamy mashed potatoes are swirled with a super quick homemade bacon and onion jam to create THE BEST mashed potatoes ever. You will never go back to regular mashed potatoes again after trying these caramelized onion and bacon mashed potatoes!
These can be made ahead of time if you’re preparing for a big holiday dinner or gathering, and you can very easily double the recipe to feed a big crowd.
“Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made!! That bacon onion jam was freaking amazing!! EXCELLENT RECIPE SISTER, keep em comin!!” – Taylor (So Much Food reader)
Table of contents
Meet the Mashed Potatoes of Your Dreams!
Okay, I’ve honestly done it. I’ve created the most delicious mashed potato recipe ever.
There’s a time and a place for a simple, buttery mashed potato recipe — and there’s a time and a place for sour cream mashed potatoes laden with homemade bacon and onion jam. That time is right now.
These loaded bacon mashed potatoes are swimming with caramelized onions, and between the heavy cream, butter, and sour cream you can bet that these are ridiculously rich and creamy.
If you are looking for a unique take on mashed potatoes to add to your Thanksgiving table, I can honestly guarantee that no one is going to complain about these!
Here’s What You’ll Need
full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Potatoes. Don’t you dare use a russet potato! Those really should be reserved for baked potatoes only, IMO. Yukon Gold potatoes are my top choice for this recipe, because they have the densest and most uniform flesh of the potato varieties. When cooked, they aren’t grainy, watery, or mushy, which all happen to be qualities that ruin mashed potatoes instantly. And as an added bonus, Yukon Golds already have an inherent buttery flavor to them. Winning!
- Heavy cream + butter. Both dairy products are warmed in a saucepan before being mashed into the potatoes. If you add cold dairy products to the hot potatoes, you’ll wind up with gluey mashed potatoes.
- Sour cream. Adds a creamy tanginess that complements the caramelized onion and bacon jam.
- Fresh thyme. You need a pop of freshness to prevent these mashed potatoes from tasting too heavy.
- Bacon onion jam. You can buy a jar at the grocery store, but homemade tastes a million times better. It’s just onions and shallots that are cooked low and slow, mixed with crispy bacon, red wine, and some brown sugar. The toughest part about making the jam is simply waiting for the onions to caramelize!
How to Make Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Caramelized Onions
- Make the bacon onion jam. It takes a while, but it’s very passive work! You don’t need to stir the entire time, just every now and then. Everything is cooked over low heat, so very little risk of anything burning. It’s the perfect thing to make while you’re multitasking with other things, just check in on it here and there.
Jenny’s Tip: I recommend making the caramelized onion and bacon jam ahead of time (up to 3 days!). I found that, all in all, between cooking and bacon and cooking the onions down, the whole process took about 45 minutes. Getting that done ahead of time makes preparing the mashed potatoes day-of so much faster and easier!
- Cook the potatoes. Always cook potatoes for mashed potatoes by covering them with cold water and then bringing it to a boil. This will ensure that the potatoes cook from the inside-out rather than wind up with soft edges and crunchy insides.
- Mash the potatoes. I use an electric hand mixer to create super creamy mashed potatoes. Once mashed, I slowly stream in the warmed cream and butter, followed by the sour cream and homemade bacon onion jam.
Did Your Mashed Potatoes Turn Out Gluey? Here’s Where You Went Wrong
If you didn’t bother to warm up the heavy cream and butter, then I can almost guarantee that your mashed potatoes will be thick and gluey.
I found that warming your cream and butter before adding them to the mashed potatoes is ESSENTIAL. If you are adding ingredients straight from the fridge, especially if your potatoes have been sitting for a second, you are cooling everything down and the starches in the potatoes will be released.
Make Ahead Instructions
These onion and bacon mashed potatoes are best enjoyed hot and fresh, which is why I like to make the bacon jam up to 3 days in advance and wait to cook the potatoes until I’m ready to mash.
If you’d rather prepare the recipe entirely and reheat the mashed potatoes later, I suggest adding some extra sour cream OR drizzling a thin layer of heavy cream over top of the potatoes before sealing them and popping them into the fridge.
Both options will keep the mashed potatoes nice and moist after reheating, covered, in a 350ºF oven (about 20 minutes or so).
What to Serve with These Mashed Potatoes
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Mashed Potato Recipes That Will Steal the Show
- Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes
- Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes
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Caramelized Onion and Bacon Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
Bacon-Onion Jam
- 4 strips bacon, diced
- 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Mashed Potatoes
- 3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, cut into quarters
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
Make the caramelized onion and bacon jam
- Add the diced bacon to a large, wide skillet. Turn heat on to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is starting to get crispy and the fat has rendered (about 15 minutes or so).
- Add the sliced onions and shallots to the pan and stir to coat the onions in the bacon fat. Sprinkle the onions with a tiny bit of salt, increase the heat just slightly and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and darker in color, around 25 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-low and add the red wine and brown sugar. Simmer until all the wine is cooked off and the onions are very soft and caramelized. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Make the mashed potatoes
- In a small saucepan, gently warm the cream and butter until the butter is melted. If you made the bacon-onion jam ahead of time, make sure it's at roon temperature. Keep warm.
- Place the cubed potatoes in a medium pot with 1 teaspoon of salt and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and return the potatoes to the pot they were boiled in. Using a potato masher or hand mixer (I use a hand mixer), gently mash the potatoes.
- Add the warmed cream and butter mixture and sour cream to the potatoes and mash until smooth. Add the bacon caramelized onions, fresh thyme leaves, and salt and pepper to taste and stir until smooth. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Rate & Review This Recipe
This recipe was simply amazing. I follow a ton of Jenny’s recipes, but she has outdone herself with this one! I used yellow onions instead of red (that’s what I had) and it was still soooo good. Definitely going to be on our table for the holidays.
Loved this recipe! I am not the best cook but I followed this recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly tasty! Also it was not complicated and pretty simple to make. Definitely going to make these again!
[…] caramelized onion and bacon mashed potatoes […]
[…] caramelized onion and bacon mashed potatoes […]
The only way to eat mashed potatoes now
Glad you loved it!
Movie quote from: “Her” (Joaquin Phoenix)
“ Sometimes I think I have felt everything I’m ever gonna feel. And from here on out, I’m not gonna feel anything new. Just lesser versions of what I’ve already felt.”
This quote has always resonated with me UNTIL I TRIED THIS RECIPE!!!
Dear God, these mash potatoes have resurrected my soul!!! I can’t say enough good things about how rich and brilliant and full of flavor this recipe is. It’s like a jubilee in my mouth and I want to shout from the roof tops the joy this recipe brings. Thank you, Brava!!
I have seriously died and gone to heaven, these mashed potatoes were so good. Even though it’s not officially fall for another couple weeks I made these and served with the Apple cider braised pork shoulder, comfort food at its best.
They’re definitely my favorite mashed potato recipe ever!
Will post review after I make them
Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made!! That bacon onion jam was freaking amazing!! EXCELLENT RECIPE SISTER, keep em comin!!
I made these with your cider braised pork and both were absolutely delicious! Do you think the mashed potatoes could be made ahead and reheated? Was considering trying for Thanksgiving.
I would say so! You may want to add some extra sour cream to keep them extra creamy when reheating.
For anyone who is considering to try this recipe, please be warned. You might regret. I can’t go back to simple, regular mash ever again. This recipe is so insanely good, I never had so much mash. I would skip the entree and just spend quality time with my plate of mash. The caramelized shallot with bacon fat and reduced wine is a genius! The flavor profile is complex and perfectly heart warming.. or should I say, belly-warming?
delicious! I doubled the recipe for a dinner with 13 friends & there was not a drop left over! Served with the bacon & caramalised onion jam which also was devoured.