Set Aside The Gravy And Top Mashed Potatoes With This Rich, Creamy Pasta Sauce

When the air gets colder and the nights grow longer, mashed potatoes become a ubiquitous feature of dinner tables. Whether it's a busy, low-key weeknight or a bustling holiday party, there's sure to be a spud bowl in sight ... most likely covered in brown gravy. To switch things up this season, we suggest a playful, refreshing alternative to regular brown gravy: Alfredo sauce. This versatile pasta sauce is an undersung alternative to pour over mashed potatoes, creating a side dish that doesn't stay on the sidelines of the action. Instead, Alfredo-draped mashed potatoes are the show-stealing accoutrement to your favorite savory entrees. 

Alfredo is a rich, creamy white sauce made from butter, cheese, and cream slowly thickened in a saucepan. Its dense, velvety consistency mimics the body of traditional savory gravy, while lending a cheesy element into the mix that takes regular mashed potatoes to the next level. After all, Alfredo already makes the ideal dressing for starchy pasta, so why not starchy spuds, as well? 

Swapping traditional gravy for Alfredo sauce is an especially flavorful trade if your go-to potato recipe already happens to include complementary ingredients that would pair well with the white sauce. These three-ingredient Italian mashed potatoes, for instance, are dotted with nutmeg; the warming spice would complement the subtle sweetness of that velvety Alfredo sauce. On the flip side, a blanket of creamy Alfredo could help tame bolder spud varieties like garlic redskin mashed potatoes, which kick out the jams umami-style. 

Alternatively, instead of topping those mashed potatoes with the Alfredo, gravy-style, you could also try incorporating the sauce directly into the mashed spuds as a rich, dense moisture component. Alfredo sauce can be used in place of your regular heavy cream (or substituted for a portion of the cream) to achieve the desired consistency when mashed. To enhance the Alfredo flavor even further, mash your potatoes with some fresh savory herbs like tarragon, thyme, chervil, or oregano. Beyond dimensional flavor, that pop of green color puts up major points in the presentation department.

To nail the ultimate flavorful Alfredo, take a cue from our homemade Alfredo sauce recipe, which comes together in just 25 minutes. For even quicker prep, store-bought versions will get the job done, too. Here at Tasting Table, Giovanni Rana is our go-to brand of jarred Alfredo sauce. Unlike other premade Alfredo offerings, this one has to be kept refrigerated. But, by our count, its impressive made-from-scratch flavor is well worth the extra care. 

Alfredo-topped mashed potatoes are comforting enough to please picky eaters yet elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. This dish would make a fabulous side to wine-infused French coq au vin or super tender herb and fig pot roast. For plant-based foodies, try pairing Alfredo mashed potatoes with the sweet counterbalance of this maple butternut squash with creamy orzo recipe, or a simple umami-forward mushroom risotto.