The majority of mashed potato recipes require butter, though some also call for more traditional ingredients like heavy cream and milk. In the "Favorite Mashed Potatoes" virtual class, Celebrity chef Bobby Flay talks about the ingredient that revolutionizes mashed potatoes: crème fraîche.

Flay explained that although he does incorporate butter and milk in his recipe, he finds that crème fraîche is the ingredient that contributes the most creaminess and flavor. You'll need half a cup per three pounds of Yukon gold or russet potatoes, added at the very end of the cooking process once the potatoes are cooked and mashed.

Though crème fraîche is often seen as just fancier sour cream, it is unpasteurized and therefore contains fermenting agents and live cultures, resulting in mashed potatoes that are thicker and creamier. It is also richer because it has 10% more fat, and doesn't curdle when exposed to high heat.