Growing up eating mashed potatoes, I didn’t really know what I was eating – just that I loved it. Once food restrictions enter the picture, it’s kind of mind blowing just how much butter and cream go into making a classic, creamy mashed potato. Add gravy, and you’re almost always talking about some kind of thickener, like a roux (wheat flour cooked in fat of some kind) or cornstarch. For a lot of people who develop food sensitivities, learning you can’t have your favorite side dish can be discouraging.
Gravy Boat | Serve Bowl | Wood Bowl | Copper Pots
Well, then it’s time for a new favorite. I’ve shared several types of allergy-friendly mashed potatoes over the years, usually in conjunction with other recipes like Shepherd’s Pie or Twice-Baked Potatoes. But this recipe I’m sharing today, this is my real mashed potato recipe. This is the one I make when I’m making mashed potatoes, as opposed to a mash that’s part of something else.
Now before I share the recipe, I want to clarify something. There’s a difference between healthy and allergy-friendly. I make no claims that this is a “healthy” mashed potato. But the version I grew up eating, packed full of butter and cream, wasn’t necessarily “healthy” either. No, this is comfort food, just in time for the holidays. Adjusted for many of the most common food allergies, but as good as any classic version out there. This is what I serve to everyone, food allergies or not, and it’s nothing but rave reviews.
So if you have a food allergy, or find yourself cooking for others with food allergies, swap this version in this year and you’ll have a wildly happy crowd without feeling the need to make multiple versions. Nobody needs that stress.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes & Gravy (Dairy- & Grain-Free)
Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, large diced
- 1-2 white carrots or parsnips, large diced
- 1 stalk celery, large diced
- 2 qts chicken stock
- 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, whole
- 5 cloves garlic peeled, stem removed, smashed
- tt salt
- 1 cup Miyoko's vegan butter (other vegan butters are fine, but this one will taste the best)
- 1/2-2/3 cup Vegenaise, soy free if you have a soy allergy (don't be weirded out, I promise it's delicious)
Thickener for gravy (optional)
- 4 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp potato starch
- 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
Directions:
Boil the potatoes
- Note: Using a pasta pot works best, to keep the vegetables and potatoes separate. If no pasta pot is available, cut the onions, carrots and celery into large pieces so they can easily be separated.
- In the bottom of a pasta pot, add the celery, carrots and onions. Put the pasta basket over top, add the washed potatoes and smashed garlic cloves to the pasta basket, then add the chicken stock. If the potatoes are not covered, add water until they are.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for 30-40 minutes. Remove the basket, draining as much liquid as possible, and set aside for the potatoes to cool slightly.
Prep the gravy
- Using an immersion blender, blend the cooking liquid with the vegetables all together until smooth. Strain if desired, but I never do. Put back on medium high heat and cook until reduced by at least 1/4. Taste and season with salt if needed.
- If a thicker gravy is desired, once it has reduced and is seasoned properly, add the thickening slurry, 1/4 of the amount at a time, whisking constantly as it boils. Once desired thickness is achieved, turn off the heat and set aside, covered.
Make the potatoes
- Note: For an extra creamy potato, pass the potatoes and garlic through a potato ricer, removing and discarding the skins as you go. For a lumpier, more country style, use a hand masher and leave the skins in. For mixing ingredients together, if passed through a ricer, use a spatula with a folding motion. Otherwise, continue to use the hand masher throughout the process.
- Melt the vegan butter in a microwave or on the stove top. Mash the potatoes roughly, then add half of the butter and work together to combine. Add half of the vegenaise and work together to combine. Add half of the remaining butter, mix to combine, then half of the remaining vegenaise and do the same. If the texture isn't creamy enough, add the remaining butter and Vegenaise and work together. Season with salt to taste.
Serve
- Whisk the gravy one more time before adding to a gravy boat. Keep the potatoes warm until service.
These were our thanksgiving potatoes this year for a dairy allergy family and they were awesome! Everyone loved them! Thanks for sharing!
okay – we grew up on and LOVE our loaded mashed potatoes – that are quite old fashion, but SO delicious. However, because of fat content, we only enjoy them a few times per year. I tried these in our Thanksgiving prep as I wanted “my people” – who were aghast that I was EVEN TRYING another kind of mashed potato. . . (I assured them we were making BOTH, as I need people to eat nearly 8 pds of potatoes lol) I gotta say – holy cow! These are REALLY good, and they passed a test with all of my foodie testers. The Miyokos butter was a huge surprise, and I will use it again in the future, as I eat a lot of plant based things normally. The mayo sub was very good in these potatoes – but I’m not sure if I’d use it for much else. Thanks for being so convincing in your share of these potatoes. A 10+
My husband is vegan, how are these sans gravy?
Thanks!
Fantastic.
My mother (93) always used to make mashed potatoes (lumpy) cooked with a rutabaga, that’s my fav these days. I loved the color contrast of the potato and rutabaga and the surprise tangy sweetness of the rutabaga.
I also used my homemade veggie broth (leftover veggie scraps frozen until enough for a few qts) to make gravy and if any aquafaba from cooking garbanzo beans. Rosemary fresh if available or dry, is my herbal seasoning choice with the gravy.
Do you ever add any fresh herbs to the gravy? Perhaps the same herbs that would be used for the turkey?