Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes (with Lemon & Feta)
These Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes are the perfect complement to lamb, ham, beef or poultry. These tangy lemon mashed potatoes with feta cheese will have everybody going back for a second helping!
It’s no secret that lemon juice is a crucial ingredient in many of my recipes (have you tried my lemon cocktail and lemon smoothie yet?), but did you know I even like lemon juice on my french fries?
One of my favorite local Greek carryout restaurants serves their french fries topped with feta cheese (which I love, see also: feta dressing and watermelon and mint salad), oregano and lemon juice. These fries are such a perfect accompaniment to a great gyro or Greek salad.
This restaurant also serves a stellar Greek lasagna, so narrowing down what I want to order can be a difficult decision. But as soon as I tried fries this way, I was hooked, and I always find a way to order them now (even if that means eating lasagna with a few fries on the side).
These Greek yogurt mashed potatoes are my adaption of this delicious flavor combination (and they make amazing mashed potato cakes and loaded mashed potato casserole if you have leftovers!).
Why make lemon mashed potatoes?
There’s a reason that your taste buds traditionally crave ketchup with fries – the acid in the tomatoes perfectly cuts through the fat and salt of the fries, making you want to go back for another bite. This interplay of rich and acidic is what makes you crave more.
The same can (maybe) be said of the tangy buttermilk in ranch dipping sauce, for those who love that with their fries. But lemon juice is really where it’s at for me with fries right now.
In fact, I’ll even ask for a lemon wedge at other types of restaurants. Servers assume it’s for my water, but it’s really for my fries!
Promise me you’ll give lemon juice on french fries a try yourself. I think you’ll love it as much as you love my lemon curd cake.
Today, I’m translating the same flavor combination of potato + lemon + feta + oregano into a holiday or everyday side dish. Except instead of crispy fries, it’s soft, pillowy lemon mashed potatoes.
Serving Instant Pot short ribs or honey mustard pork chops for your holiday dinner or beef kafta for a weeknight meal? These are the perfect side.
These Greek yogurt mashed potatoes want to be on your table with lamb chop lollipops (my Easter salad recipe and Easter fruit salad would pair nicely, too).
Or beef. Or glazed turkey or Cajun turkey. Or almond crusted chicken. Or on top of a mini shepherd’s pie, even.
Just get these mashed potatoes with yogurt onto that table! Preferably topped with some gravy from scratch or even my bacon gravy recipe.
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Why I prefer Greek yogurt mashed potatoes:
I know I’ve mentioned it so many times, but Greek yogurt is ALWAYS in my fridge! A few years back, I largely started using it in place of sour cream in most of the typical places you’d find sour cream (like my healthy buffalo chicken dip).
I now use Greek yogurt on top of chicken burrito bowls and baked potatoes, and I even dunk quesadillas into it. I also make a mean Greek yogurt pasta sauce, and eat it with spoon as savory yogurt or as part of a yogurt parfait bar. I use it to make frozen yogurt pie in the summer. And mashed potatoes with yogurt are a regular occurrence around here.
Personally, I think it’s more versatile than sour cream, since it can be used a condiment, sauce or ingredient, or just eaten straight from the container.
I mean, you COULD eat sour cream straight from the container, but I’m guessing most people don’t want to.
I also think that Greek yogurt has even more sour tang than sour cream, especially in mashed potatoes with yogurt. It really adds a zingy kick to these Greek yogurt mashed potatoes, and its rich, thick texture adds a nice creamy element, too.
These Greek mashed potatoes with yogurt come together in 40 minutes or less.
Like my colcannon soup, this deliciousness starts with russet potatoes (russets, as well as Yukon golds, are the best potatoes for mashed potatoes). Save the baby potatoes for mini Hasselback potatoes.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks so that they’ll cook through faster. Put them in a big pot of water, and add whole cloves of garlic to the potato water, for flavor.
Boil until the potatoes are tender, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes (you can even make my recipe for baked salmon or bourbon glaze recipe for salmon in this time!). Drain the potatoes and put them in a big bowl (the garlic cloves should go into the bowl along with them!).
Add the Greek yogurt, milk, butter and salt and pepper to the bowl, and either continue mashing with a handheld masher, or break out an electric mixer for a quick whir around the bowl, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Then, grab a spatula and fold some feta cheese, fresh oregano, and lemon juice and zest into the mashed potatoes with yogurt. Then garnish the Greek mashed potatoes with a little more feta, and grab a fork!
P.S. If you like mashed potatoes with cheese, you’ll love my cheddar mashed potatoes and blue cheese mashed potatoes, too.
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Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes (with Lemon & Feta)
Ingredients
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup whole milk warmed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese plus additional for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Place garlic and potatoes in large pot and add just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
- When potatoes are tender, drain well and return to pot over low heat (including garlic). Use potato masher to mash until smooth. Add yogurt, milk, butter, pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir until well combined and butter is melted. Fold in cheese, lemon juice, oregano and lemon zest.
- Serve garnished with additional cheese.
Notes
- Home Chef Tip: There’s lot of ways to mash or whip potatoes, but we used an electric mixer in culinary school for the smoothest, creamiest texture. Just make sure not to overmix! Be sure to get the yogurt, milk, butter, salt and pepper into the mixer with the drained potatoes before you start mixing, so you can limit your mixing time. Then, use just a spatula to fold in the lemon juice, oregano and lemon zest.
FABULOUS potatoes – Thank you for such a wonderful recipe 🙂
So glad you liked the, Anne. Have a great weekend!
And I intend to use ’em next time I grill lamb chops 🙂
Feta + lemon can make anything delicious, so when you’re starting with something as good as mashed potatoes you know you’ll end up with a winning recipe!
Thanks Lauren!
I’ve been to a few places that do Greek fries too and I love them so much! That salty feta works perfectly with the fries. Since there’s always feta in my fridge (and lemons) and potatoes at home, I need to try this!
Thanks Susan! Feta + potatoes + lemons are always on hand in my house, too!
Now you have me craving lamb and this gorgeous plate of flavorful mashed potatoes. Love these!
What do you mean, he don’t eat no meat? It’s OK, I make lamb. And Greek mashed potatoes.
Oh my goodness YES! Greek fries are the best, I can’t believe I never thought to convert it to mashed potatoes. I can’t wait to try these!
Woot woot! Greek ‘taters for the win!
I love feta so this is right up my alley. Yum!
Thanks Anita!
Soooo much yes to all of this, I LOVE Greek food and now I got me some Greek comfort food right here!
Thanks so much, Sophia!
Mashed potatoes are nothing special to me. Except I’ll bet these would be! I love lemon and feta (especially sheep or goat feta) and the idea of lemon and feta on French fries sounds delectable. I think these mashed potatoes would be good with grilled lamb chops – your herb-crusted ones, or with za’atar… I’m getting hungry just thinking about that!
Oh, za’atar! Now that you’ve mentioned it, I kind of want to add za’atar to the mashed potatoes, even! Have a great weekend, Susan 🙂
Fries dipped in ranch is awesome, btw 😉 Love the Greek twist on mashed potatoes!
You and my husband can have a ranch-with-fries party. I’ll be in the corner with my lemon wedges. haha.