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These Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Grain-Free Gravy are a must for any Holiday menu. The mash is quick, easy, and can be made ahead of time. The flourless gravy is rich, velvety and if you didn’t know any better, you’d never guess it was grain-free and gluten-free. Serve it with your Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas ham, or some meatballs and vegetables for a weeknight meal.
What You Need for The Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Potatoes: For fluffier, starchier mashed potatoes, you can use white-fleshed varieties, like Russet. I find they tend to absorb a bit more liquid than yellow-fleshed potatoes, so you may find that you need to add more milk or yogurt to get a more moist finished product.
Yellow-fleshed potatoes, like Yukon Golds, make for a creamier, smoother, more moist and less clumpy finished product. One benefit of using yellow-fleshed potatoes is that they have a thinner skin that can be left on and mixed into the mash. This reduces waste, increases nutrition, and also makes for a nice texture. It’s also one less step in the kitchen.
Over the years, I’ve gone back and forth between which variety I prefer to use for my mashed potatoes. I think it’s ultimately personal preference. - Chicken Broth: For a big boost of flavour, boil the potatoes in chicken broth. Not only is it delicious, but you also get a creamier finished product. I love Kettle and Fire Organic Chicken Broth.
It’s made with organic chicken bones, and high-quality, natural, organic ingredients. There are no fillers, preservatives, refined sugars, gums or colourings. It’s the next best thing to homemade broth and very convenient for Holiday cooking. - Reserved Potato Cooking Broth: Do not discard the chicken broth after your potatoes have boiled! Reserve it to make your gravy! The broth will be loaded with the starch and nutrients from the potatoes, which will help to naturally thicken the gravy. You also reduce waste by using up all of the broth.
- Grass-Fed Butter or Ghee: For extra flavour, add a couple tablespoons of good-quality, grass-fed butter to your potatoes. Substitute ghee if you want to keep things Paleo and Whole30. To keep this recipe entirely dairy-free, you can substitute extra-virgin olive oil.
You will also need some butter or ghee to make the roux for the gravy. Using ghee will give a much stronger and nuttier flavour. - Greek Yogurt: For a much healthier, yet still luxurious, creamy mashed potatoes, try using Greek yogurt instead of the more common sour cream. It has around 1/3 the amount of calories, is high in protein, and adds the same tangy taste and creamy texture.
- Whole Milk: I rarely make mashed potatoes with milk. Instead, I add back some of the cooking liquid. However, this recipe is intended to be more of an indulgent crowd pleaser so I’m including it here.
- Arrowroot Starch: A naturally gluten-free and grain-free alternative flour, arrowroot starch is a great substitute for regular flour when making gravy. Use it to start the roux before adding the reserved broth to make your gravy.
- Thyme: Adding a little bit of thyme to your gravy really elevates the flavour. Fresh will add the best flavour and fragrance. If using dry, use around 1/4 the amount of fresh.
- Turkey Drippings: If you’re making this recipe around the Holidays and happen to have some roasted turkey drippings, definitely add them to your gravy for extra flavour!
More Holiday Side Dishes
- Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
- Green Bean Almondine
- Buffalo Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Curried Cauliflower with Tahini
- Copycat Ding’s Coleslaw
- Sweet and Sour Roasted Squash
- Sesame Garlic Brussels Sprouts
Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Grain-Free Gravy
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds yellow potatoes, skin-on, cubed
- 32- ounces Kettle & Fire Organic chicken broth
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, substitute ghee
- 1/3 cup whole milk, warmed
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
- Freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- ¼ teaspoon dry thyme, substitute 1 teaspoon fresh
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a medium saucepan, cover with chicken broth and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover partially with a lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender, around 12 minutes. Drain the cooking liquid into a large measuring pitcher and reserve. If necessary, add more chicken broth or chicken bone broth to make a total of 2 cups.
- Return the potatoes back to the pot and set the heat to the lowest setting. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and mash with a potato masher until the butter is incorporated. Add the milk, Greek yogurt, nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mash with a potato masher until you reach your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired. Cover with a lid and set aside until ready to serve.
- Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and melt until no longer frothy. Add the arrowroot starch and whisk until smooth and no longer clumpy, 2 minutes. Cook, whisking regularly to prevent burning, until golden, 2-3 minutes. While whisking, slowly add the reserved chicken broth until fully incorporated. Add the thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, whisking regularly, until reduced to your desired consistency, around 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired. Cover with a lid and set aside until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, pour the gravy into a gravy boat or tea kettle to keep warm, and transfer the potatoes to a serving platter. Garnish the mashed potatoes with chives and serve.
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About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.