These buttery cheddar ale mashed potatoes with a sharp mustard shallot reduction are the perfect side dish for Bilbo and Frodo's birthday feast! Best served alongside Aragorn's Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin or another hearty roast like our Honey Mustard Beer Glazed Ham.
At a Glance: Cheddar Ale Mashed Potatoes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooking Time: 30 minutes
- Finishing Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: ~1 hour
- Servings: 6
- Flavour: Savoury and cheesy, sweet and tangy with a hint of bitterness
- Skill Level: Easy
- Why this Works: Potatoes are mashed with ale and sharp cheddar cheese and topped with a tangy ale and mustard reduction in this hearty dwarven side dish.
If you love recipes from the Shire, try our Feast at the Green Dragon e-cookbook for classic tavern fare: bubbling starters, savoury mains and pies, hedgerow puddings, and dark ale and berry drinks.
A Feast at Bag End: A Hobbit Birthday
As summer begins to fade into fall and the fields and gardens of the Shire are brimming with a bountiful harvest, the hobbits look forward to a very special celebration. With the War of the Ring now behind them and peace restored to Middle-Earth, the joint birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins feels more joyful than ever! Both uncle and nephew are now keen to celebrate with the friends and family who saw them through darker days.
In honour of the hobbits' shared birthday on September 22nd, we can imagine Bilbo and Frodo preparing for a gathering of friends from across Middle-Earth. As each member of the Fellowship and other old friends travel to the Shire they bring with them a taste of their local cuisine. Join us in celebrating this momentous hobbit day with Bilbo, Frodo, and the rest of the Fellowship!
Gimli's Cheddar Ale Mashed Potatoes
Gimli's journey to the Shire echoes his father's journey many years earlier when Glóin arrived with Thorin and company to whisk Bilbo away on his first adventure. Inspired by Gimli's love of hearty fare and malt beer, these cheddar ale mashed potatoes are the ideal side dish to serve alongside a hearty roast, like Aragorn's Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin. Buttery potatoes are mashed with a splash of malty ale and sharp cheddar cheese. A tangy, slightly sweet ale, shallot, and mustard reduction balances the savoury richness of the mashed potatoes. Finished with a sprinkle of fresh chives, these hearty cheddar ale mashed potatoes are the perfect dwarven addition to Bilbo and Frodo's birthday feast!
For more dwarven recipes featuring beer try our honey mustard beer glazed ham or our browned butter and ale pudding.
Ingredients for Cheddar Ale Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes: I prefer to use a yellow-flesh potato such as Yukon Gold for mashed potatoes. I find they make a creamier mash; however, russets would work as well.
Ale: The beer flavour will definitely be noticeable in both the mashed potatoes and ale reduction so you want to pick something that you really enjoy. I like using a pale or amber ale in this recipe, although a lager would also work. I don't recommend an IPA as they tend to be on the bitter side which might not work well in the overall dish.
Cheddar: Shredded cheddar cheese adds a salty, savoury contrast to the bitter ale and sweet and tangy reduction. I used an orange cheddar which gives a great colour to the finished mash; although a white cheddar would work well too.
Chives: I recommend adding the chive garnish at the end which gives a fresh, sharp oniony bite to the rich dish.
Tips t0 make ahead
Here are a few tips if you want to make these potatoes ahead of time.
- Making ahead of time - You can cook and mash the potatoes ahead of time and reheat them later. If you're making the potatoes more than two hours before you want to serve them then you should cool them down and store them in the fridge to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
- Adding the cheese - It's important to add the cheese when the potatoes are hot as the residual heat from the potatoes are what melts the cheese. You should add the cheese either right after mashing or right after reheating them.
- Reheating the mash - There are two methods that I would use to reheat mashed potatoes. The microwave is obviously the quickest and easiest way. Your other option would be to add the potatoes to a pot and place over medium low heat. You can add a splash of cream to help loosen the potatoes as they reheat. Use a heat safe spatula to regularly stir the potatoes so that they don't catch on the bottom of the pot. This method is longer and requires more attention.
- Adding the reduction - The reduction can be made while the potatoes are cooking and then saved for later. Reheat separately and add to the mashed potatoes just before serving.
How to make Cheddar Ale Mashed Potatoes
1. Prep the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Add to a large pot of water and place over high heat. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Meanwhile, combine the heavy cream, ⅓ cup of the ale, and 4 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan and place over low heat. Allow the cream mixture to warm until the butter melts. Keep warm until the potatoes are done.
2. Make the ale reduction
In a medium saucepan, add the olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until the shallots are softened and golden brown. Add the remaining ale, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Allow the ale to simmer until it reduces to about half a cup of liquid.
Once the ale has reduced, add the honey, grainy mustard, malt vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt, and pepper. Continue simmering for another 3 to 4 minutes to allow the mixture to reduce a little more. When the mixture begins to look a bit syrupy, whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
In a small cup combine the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of water to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the reduction and cook for another minute. Allow the mixture to boil and thicken before removing from the heat. Keep warm.
3. Mash the potatoes
When tender, drain the potatoes and transfer back to the pot. Use a potato masher to break up the potatoes into a rough mash. Slowly add the warm cream mixture in two or three batches, mashing the liquid into the potatoes in between additions. Depending on how soft the potatoes are you may not need all of the liquid.
Once all the liquid has been added, season the mash with the remaining teaspoon of kosher salt. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and fold in with a spatula. The heat from the potatoes will melt the cheese. Keep warm.
5. Serve the Cheddar Ale Mashed Potatoes
To serve, spoon half of the potatoes into a large serving bowl. Drizzle with half of the ale reduction and sprinkle with some of the chopped chives. Spoon the remaining mashed potatoes into the serving bowl and finish with the remaining ale reduction and chopped chives. Enjoy!
More Recipes from A Feast at Bag End
- Mini Mushroom Galettes
- Smoky Rosemary Maple Roasted Nuts
- Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
- Soft Barley Bread with Peach and Bay Leaf Jam
Cheddar Ale Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lb yellow flesh potatoes such as Yukon Gold
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 can ale divided
- 5 tablespoon butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 2 teaspoon honey plus extra as needed
- 2 teaspoon grainy mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoon malt vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- chopped fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Add to a large pot of water and place over high heat. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Meanwhile, combine the heavy cream, ⅓ cup of the ale, and 4 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan and place over low heat. Allow the cream mixture to warm until the butter melts. Keep warm until the potatoes are done.
- In a medium saucepan, add the olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until the shallots are softened and golden brown. Add the remaining ale, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Allow the ale to simmer until it reduces to about a half cup of liquid.
- Once the ale has reduced, add the honey, grainy mustard, malt vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt, and pepper. Continue simmering for another 3 to 4 minutes to allow the mixture to reduce a little more. When the mixture begins to look a bit syrupy, whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
- In a small cup combine the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of water to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the reduction and cook for another minute. Allow the mixture to boil and thicken before removing from the heat. Taste the reduction, adding a bit more honey if needed.
- When tender, drain the potatoes and transfer back to the pot. Use a potato masher to break up the potatoes into a rough mash. Slowly add the warm cream mixture in two or three batches, mashing into the potatoes between additions. Depending on how soft the potatoes are, you may not need all of the liquid.
- Once the liquid has been added, season the mash with the remaining teaspoon of kosher salt. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and fold in with a spatula. The heat from the potatoes will melt the cheese. Keep warm.
- To serve, spoon half of the potatoes into a large serving bowl. Drizzle with half of the ale reduction and sprinkle with some of the chopped chives. Spoon the remaining mashed potatoes into the serving bowl and finish with the remaining ale reduction and chopped chives. Enjoy!
