15 Mashed Potato and Potato Side Dish Recipes

Potatoes can be creamy, crisp, cheesy, rustic or elegant, making them one of the most versatile ingredients for family dinners and special occasions. A simple change in cooking method can transform them from a smooth mash into a bubbling gratin or a deeply golden side dish.

This collection brings together 15 mashed potato and potato recipes, including classic French sides, comforting meat dishes, creamy gratins and crisp fried or air-fried potatoes. Some work as complete meals, while others can be paired with roast meat, fish, poultry or a simple salad.

Best Recipes in This List

Best classic side dish: Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Best comforting dinner: Duck Hachis Parmentier Recipe with Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Best special-occasion meal: Braised Beef Cheeks with Red Wine and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Best classic potato gratin: Traditional Gratin Dauphinois

Best cheesy potato dinner: Easy Traditional Tartiflette Recipe

Best crispy potato side: Crispy Pommes Paillasson

1

Homemade Mashed Potatoes: A Perfectly Smooth and Creamy Recipe

Learning how to prepare homemade mashed potatoes that are perfectly smooth and delicious is not just about following a recipe; it's about mastering technique. While the ingredients are simple — potatoes, salted butter, nutmeg, and milk — the secret lies in every step, from selecting the right potatoes to the final forkful. Today, I'll walk you through everything you need to know to make easy and creamy mashed potatoes. Ready? Let’s get started!

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2

Duck Hachis Parmentier Recipe with Creamy Mashed Potatoes

When you want something deeply comforting but a little more refined than everyday shepherd’s pie, duck hachis Parmentier is hard to beat. This version uses tender duck, a rich mashed potato topping, and a more elegant finish that makes it just as fitting for a Sunday dinner as it is for a colder weeknight meal.

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3

Traditional Pork Feet Stew with Mashed Potatoes

There are some recipes that belong to cold weather, family tables, and slow afternoons in the kitchen. Pork feet stew is one of them. It is rich, deeply savory, and gently spiced, with a glossy sauce and tender pieces of pork served over soft mashed potatoes.

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4

Braised Beef Cheeks with Red Wine and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Slow-braised beef cheeks are one of those French comfort food dishes that turn a simple cut of meat into something luxurious. After a good sear and a long uncovered simmer in red wine, beef stock, onions and herbs, the cheeks become spoon-tender and the sauce reduces into a glossy, deeply flavored jus. Add buttery mashed potatoes and a few vegetables and you have a bistro-style plate that fits just as well for a cozy Canadian winter night as it does for a Sunday dinner in the U.S.

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5

Classic Pommes Boulangères Recipe, French Potatoes Baked with Onions and Stock

Pommes boulangères is a classic French potato dish made by layering sliced potatoes with onions, seasoning, herbs, and stock, then baking everything until the potatoes turn tender and the broth reduces into the dish. It is different from a rich gratin because there is no cream or cheese, just potatoes, onions, butter, and broth. It is the kind of side dish that feels at home next to a roast on a cold evening, but it also works year-round when you want something more refined than plain roasted potatoes.

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6

French Gratin Dauphinois with Cream and Three Cheeses

A good gratin dauphinois is one of those dishes that looks simple on paper but depends almost entirely on technique. Thin slices of potato, cream infused with aromatics, gentle heat, and enough patience to let everything soften properly. This version is based on my YouTube video, with a few adjustments since publication so the recipe is easier to reproduce at home and more consistent from one kitchen to the next.

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7

Easy Gratin Dauphinois Recipe

There’s nothing like a good gratin dauphinois to warm hearts and bellies. An iconic French dish, it is both simple, comforting, and incredibly tasty. Today, I’ll guide you step-by-step to make this classic dish flawlessly. Ready to start? Watch the video to follow the recipe live!

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8

Creamy Potato and Carrot Gratin (Easy Oven-Baked Comfort Dish)

A classic potato gratin is one of the most reliable comfort foods in Canadian and American kitchens. This version combines thinly sliced potatoes and carrots, gently pre-cooked, layered with cream and cheese, and baked until golden. It’s hearty, simple, and designed for everyday dinners as much as for Sunday family meals.

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9

Cheesy Beef and Potato Gratin (Simple French-Style Comfort Casserole)

Some dishes are built for comfort. This cheesy beef and potato gratin is exactly that: a hearty baked casserole layered with roasted potatoes, savory ground beef, and a creamy béchamel sauce finished with melted cheese. It’s the kind of simple, rustic dish that feels at home on a family dinner table during winter, but it also works year-round whenever you want a satisfying homemade meal.

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10

Easy Traditional Tartiflette Recipe With Reblochon (French Alpine Comfort Food)

Tartiflette is a French alpine potato gratin made with tender potatoes, smoky bacon lardons, sweet sautéed onions, and a whole wheel of Reblochon melted on top. What makes this version different is a quick white-wine deglaze and a small “sauce” built from the bacon fat and onions (plus optional garlic butter), so the dish stays rich and flavorful without needing a lot of extra ingredients. It’s the kind of hearty comfort food you make when it’s cold outside—but it also works year-round for a cozy Sunday dinner, a ski-trip-style meal at home, or a crowd-friendly potluck casserole.

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11

Pommes Sarladaises (Duck Fat Potatoes) — Crispy, Garlicky French Potatoes

Pommes sarladaises are thin-sliced potatoes slowly cooked in duck fat, then finished with garlic and parsley. Unlike fries, they’re pan-roasted and basted so they turn golden and crisp on the edges while staying tender inside—perfect for a steak dinner, a cozy winter meal, or an easy upgrade to a summer BBQ plate.

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12

Crispy Pommes Paillasson (French Potato Galette) — The Real Bistro-Style Version

If you’ve never made Pommes Paillasson, think of it as a single, thick, ultra-crispy potato cake—shredded potatoes packed into a galette and cooked slowly in butter until the outside becomes deeply golden and crunchy. What makes it different from hash browns is the shape and technique: you’re building one cohesive “potato cake” you can slice like a pie. It’s the kind of side you make for eggs at brunch, a steak night, or anything grilled when you want maximum crunch with minimal ingredients.

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13

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

A good air fryer baked potato is exactly what it sounds like: a whole potato cooked until the inside turns soft and fluffy while the skin becomes dry, blistered, and lightly crisp. It is different from roasted potatoes or fries because the potato stays whole, which gives you that classic baked potato texture that works just as well for a quick weeknight dinner as it does for a hearty side dish all year long.

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14

Crispy Homemade Potato Chips Recipe

There is something deeply satisfying about making potato chips from scratch. They look simple, but the difference between average chips and truly crisp, golden, evenly cooked homemade potato chips comes down to a few small technical choices: the potato, the slice thickness, the drying, and the frying temperature.

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15

Authentic Belgian Fries (Frites) Recipe – Crispy Double-Fried Perfection in Beef Fat

If you've ever strolled through the cobblestone streets of Brussels or Bruges, you likely encountered a paper cone brimming with golden, crispy fries — not your average fries, but Belgian frites. Double-fried to perfection and traditionally cooked in beef fat (suet or tallow), these fries are a national treasure.

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Mashed Potatoes and Comforting Main Dishes

Creamy mashed potatoes can be served as a simple side or used as the foundation of a substantial dinner. These recipes pair smooth potatoes with duck, pork or slow-braised beef for deeply comforting meals.

Homemade Mashed Potatoes — This classic mashed potato recipe creates a smooth, creamy side that can accompany roasted meat, poultry, sausages or vegetables.

Duck Hachis Parmentier Recipe with Creamy Mashed Potatoes — Savoury duck is covered with creamy mashed potatoes and baked until hot and golden for a French-style comfort-food dinner.

Traditional Pork Feet Stew with Mashed Potatoes — Slow-cooked pork feet stew is served with mashed potatoes that absorb the rich sauce and turn the dish into a hearty traditional meal.

Braised Beef Cheeks with Red Wine and Creamy Mashed Potatoes — Beef cheeks are slowly braised in red wine until tender, then served over creamy mashed potatoes for an elegant cold-weather dinner.

Classic French Potato Gratins and Bakes

Thinly sliced potatoes become especially comforting when baked with broth, cream, cheese or savoury meat. These dishes range from a lighter pommes boulangères to rich gratins and a complete tartiflette dinner.

Classic Pommes Boulangères Recipe — Layers of sliced potatoes and onions cook slowly in broth for a savoury French side that is lighter than a cream-based gratin.

French Gratin Dauphinois with Cream and Three Cheeses — Potatoes are layered with cream and three cheeses for a rich, bubbling gratin with a deeply golden surface.

Traditional Gratin Dauphinois — This traditional version focuses on tender sliced potatoes and cream for a classic French accompaniment with a soft, luxurious texture.

Creamy Potato and Carrot Gratin — Sliced carrots add colour and gentle sweetness to a creamy potato gratin that works well with roasted meat or poultry.

Cheesy Beef and Potato Gratin — Ground beef, potatoes and melted cheese are baked together for a complete family meal rather than a simple side dish.

Easy Traditional Tartiflette Recipe — Potatoes, onions, bacon and melted cheese come together in a rich Alpine-inspired dish made for cold evenings and generous appetites.

Crispy Skillet and Air Fryer Potato Recipes

When texture matters most, potatoes can be sautéed, shredded, air-fried or sliced into chips. These recipes offer several ways to create crisp edges and golden surfaces for casual meals, snacks and side dishes.

Pommes Sarladaises — Sliced potatoes are cooked with duck fat, garlic and parsley for a fragrant French side with crisp edges and a tender centre.

Crispy Pommes Paillasson — Shredded potatoes are pressed into a thin cake and cooked until deeply crisp outside while remaining tender inside.

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes — The air fryer produces baked potatoes with a crisp skin and fluffy interior without heating the full oven.

Crispy Homemade Potato Chips Recipe — Thin potato slices are cooked until crisp for a homemade snack or crunchy side that can be seasoned in several ways.

Authentic Belgian Fries — A traditional Belgian cooking method creates fries with a deeply crisp exterior and a light, fluffy potato centre.

Tips for Choosing the Right Potato Recipe

Choose mashed potatoes or pommes boulangères when you need a versatile accompaniment for meat, poultry or fish. Gratin dauphinois and tartiflette are richer choices for holidays, winter dinners and entertaining, while the beef gratin and duck hachis Parmentier can serve as complete meals. Pommes paillasson, Belgian fries and potato chips are best when crisp texture is the priority, and air fryer baked potatoes offer a simpler option for busy evenings.

Easy Substitutions

Yukon Gold or other yellow-fleshed potatoes are useful for creamy mash and gratins, while russet potatoes work well for fluffy baked potatoes, fries and chips. Milk can replace part of the cream in some potato dishes for a lighter texture, although the finished sauce may be less rich. Gruyère, Emmental, cheddar and similar melting cheeses can sometimes be exchanged according to the recipe, while vegetable broth can replace meat broth in pommes boulangères when a meat-free side is preferred.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Mashed potatoes and many gratins can be prepared ahead, refrigerated and gently reheated, although a little milk, cream or butter may be needed to restore their original texture. Hachis Parmentier, beef gratin and tartiflette can usually be assembled before baking, making them convenient for entertaining. Fries, potato chips, pommes paillasson and pommes Sarladaises are best served immediately because refrigeration softens their crisp surfaces. Reheat crispy potatoes in the oven or air fryer rather than the microwave.

More Recipe Collections to Try

For more comforting meals and useful side-dish ideas, explore Air Fryer Recipes, French Beef Recipes: Bistro Classics and Easy Pork Recipes for Family Dinners.

FAQ

What are the best potatoes for mashed potatoes?

Yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold produce a naturally creamy mash, while russet potatoes create a lighter and fluffier texture. A combination of the two can provide both richness and volume.

What is the difference between gratin dauphinois and tartiflette?

Gratin dauphinois is built around thinly sliced potatoes baked with cream, while tartiflette typically includes potatoes, onions, bacon and a generous layer of melted cheese. Tartiflette is usually rich enough to serve as a complete meal.

How do I make potato dishes crispy?

Remove as much surface moisture as possible and avoid crowding the cooking pan or air fryer basket. Sufficient heat and direct contact with the cooking surface help the potatoes develop a golden crust.

Can mashed potatoes be made ahead?

Yes. Prepare them in advance, refrigerate them promptly and reheat gently with a little extra milk, cream or butter to loosen the texture.

Which potato recipes are best for entertaining?

Gratin dauphinois, tartiflette, duck hachis Parmentier and braised beef cheeks with mashed potatoes can all anchor a special meal. Pommes boulangères are also useful because they can bake while the main dish is being prepared.

Can I cook baked potatoes in an air fryer?

Yes. The circulating heat helps crisp the skins while the centres become soft and fluffy. Cooking time will depend on the size of the potatoes and the temperature used.