Mashed Potatoes Deliver Punchy Flavor With Gordon Ramsay's One-Ingredient Trick

Delightfully fluffy and cozy, mashed potatoes are the go-to dish when in need of a good side. The mild taste of potatoes complements practically any entree, but that doesn't mean they need to be bland. To give your mashed potatoes a better bite, add a sprinkle of green onions à la Gordon Ramsay.

The British chef is known for masterfully elevating classic recipes, so we follow all of Gordon Ramsay's potato cooking tips religiously. Mashed potatoes are an old faithful, but if you just whip the spuds up with butter, milk, salt, and pepper, they don't taste all that spectacular. A dash of minced green onions or chives instantly upgrades mashed potatoes, and the extra step doesn't take much time. Their herbaceous, peppery taste adds a punchy taste to each spoonful, while breaking up the creamy mass with a delicate crisp.

To recreate Ramsay's take on mashed potatoes, start by preparing the dish as normal — simmer the cubes in salted water and break them up with a potato masher or ricer. To better incorporate the onions into potatoes, fold them in after stirring the butter with the mashed potatoes. Afterwards, mix hot milk and cream into the potatoes and serve. For mashed potatoes with a prominent green onion presence, wait until the end to sprinkle the scallions on top.

With the extra kick from green onions or chives, mashed potatoes take on a bolder taste and elegant look that makes them look like you spent a little extra time on them. Pair the herbaceous mashed potatoes with grand entrees, like easy beef Wellington. The classic dish is deserving of a side that's on its level. Both the scallion-infused mashed potatoes and beef Wellington are made with simple ingredients, yet are full of flavor. Together, they make a meal that's equally hearty and sumptuous.

Maple butter roast chicken is another dish that absolutely needs to be paired with green onion mashed potatoes. Roasted chicken is a delicious traditional meal, and the maple butter adds an extra zest that makes the bird stand apart. Both the maple syrup and buttery mashed potatoes taste quite heady, but the green onions' peppery bite helps to add balance to the meal.

For truly exceptional mashed potatoes, add green onions to other recipes for the dish. The Bear-inspired herbed mashed potatoes are perfect as is, but the scallions add a grassy touch that enhances the seasonings. The bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary-infused cream remain the dominant flavor in the mashed potatoes, and the green onions simply add a pop of color and accentuate the herbs.