Browned Butter on Potatoes
Browned butter.
Browned butter on mashed potatoes was a common event at my house when I was a child. A Sunday meal without gravy was spruced up when this was poured over the potatoes. I rather assumed everybody knows about browned butter, but apparently not. I’m not a fan of instant potatoes, but if you must serve instant potatoes, then at least dress them up with browned butter! And, sometimes kiddos will eat more veggies when this is poured over top of the veggies right before serving.
There’s no recipe for this and it’s just one of those things you do at the last minute. I prefer browning my butter in a cast-iron skillet, but you can use any skillet.
The how-to
You’ll need 2-4 Tablespoons of real butter. Melt it in a skillet – it’s better to do it at a lower temperature than high because there is less danger or burning the butter.
If you get darker flecks, that’s okay, because some folks like it brown and some like it black. It’s interesting to watch folks spooning potatoes on their plate when this is on the menu. Each person dips into the side where the type of butter they prefer is found.
Back in the day when we were told margarine was better for us, this recipe would have been frowned upon. Now that we know the real McCoy is better for us, you can brown your butter and pour it on top of potatoes without any qualms!
Homemade butter is, of course, the absolute best. If you don’t have that, then use what you can purchase in the store. Don’t substitute, because you will have a completely different flavor!
The recipe
Browned Butter on Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2-4 Tablespoons real butter The amount of butter you use depends on how large your bowl of mashed potatoes is. This amount serves 8 people.
Instructions
- Heat cast-iron skillet (or other skillet) on stove top on medium
- Place 2-4 Tablespoons real butter in the skillet
- Allow butter to melt, then slowly turn brown
- Pour over homemade mashed potatoes
- Serve
