Chef's Cheesy Onion Ring Mashed Potato Bake Goes Viral
Even as the weather warms and days lengthen, a comforting meal remains welcome year-round. Potatoes evoke comfort and nostalgia, and mashed potatoes are no exception. While often served as a side dish, mash can easily become the star of the meal, especially with a creative twist.
TikTok creator and recipe developer Amy Sheppard recently shared her favourite mashed potato recipe, which has taken the internet by storm. To elevate the classic dish, Amy pairs creamy mash with generous amounts of cheddar cheese and caramelised onions. But the innovation doesn't stop there—she bakes the mashed potatoes and tops them with crispy onion rings.
In a recent video, Amy enthused: "I will never, ever get tired of the combination of creamy mash, cheddar cheese and caramelised onion... I love it just as much as I did when I was a kid. Only now, I'm putting cheesy onion rings on top, and it's the best thing ever."
She added: "If you don't have time to make mash, just use shop-bought, and if you have some fresh spinach, you can throw that in too. This is one of those dinners that you will never regret making and is definitely one to do over the Bank Holiday weekend."
Amy's video has amassed over 328,800 views, 9,384 likes, and 90 comments. One viewer, Hannah, commented: "I am not using my free will to my best ability, this looks so good." Kels simply wrote: "I have to make this…" Another said: "I am going to make this and put bacon bits in it, but no onion rings on top, not a fan of onion rings, what a good idea, thank you... I made something from TikTok the other day, def not a fan of sweet potatoes." Liz remarked: "Oh wow, will be trying this! I loved your chicken lasagne as well." Fiona agreed: "My husband and daughter love cheese and potato pie with beans, never thought of putting onion rings on the top, might try next time, see what they think."
If you're looking for an easy and comforting way to elevate mashed potatoes, here's how to recreate Amy's recipe at home.
Cheese, Potato and Onion Ring Bake
Ingredients
For the mash:
- 1.1kg white potatoes, peeled and chopped into medium pieces
- Two extra-large onions, finely sliced (or three regular onions)
- 50g butter (plus 40g extra)
- 70ml milk
- 100g grated cheddar cheese
- One tbsp fresh, finely chopped herbs
- Salt and ground black pepper
For the onion rings:
- 15 frozen onion rings
- One tbsp olive oil
- One tsp fresh, finely chopped herbs
- A small handful of finely grated cheddar cheese
Method
- Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer until they're soft enough to mash.
- In the meantime, fry the onions. Melt 50g of butter in a deep non-stick frying pan. Add the onions and fry for 15 minutes on a medium heat, turning regularly until soft and a little browned.
- Mash the potato with a fork until as lump-free as possible. Go over it for a minute or two with a potato masher, before stirring in 40g butter and 70ml milk and beating until smooth with a wooden spoon.
- Add the onions, grated cheese and one tablespoon of the freshly-chopped herbs to the mash. Season with salt and pepper and stir until combined.
- Tip the potato into a round baking dish and smooth over the top a little. Heat the oven to 180°C (fan)/400°F.
- Place the onion rings in a mixing bowl and pour over the oil. Add one teaspoon of chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to turn them over until coated.
- Sprinkle with finely grated cheese and mix until the cheese sticks to the rings. Place the rings on top of the pie and add a little more grated cheese if you like.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the onion rings are golden and crispy.
Serve hot and enjoy the creamy, cheesy, and crispy comfort food that has taken social media by storm.
