Mashed Potato Cups
Made with instant mashed potatoes so they’re ready in a jiffy, these bite-sized Mashed Potato Cups are perfect for snacking, but they’re also great as a side dish. With plenty of cheese and so deliciously golden brown on top, everyone will want seconds!
I love recipes that use quick and easy shortcuts, and when you make these easy Mashed Potato Cups, you don’t have to worry about too much prep. Ready for the oven in just a few minutes, these tasty potato bites cook up hot, golden brown, and delicious.
Mashed Potato Cups
These potato bites are so much more than just baked mashed potatoes. They’d fall apart! The cheese in these, plus the egg, helps hold them together, and the added seasonings add so much flavor.
Perfect as a side dish for so many meals and even for your Thanksgiving table, I also love making a batch or two of these when I have company over. They double as an appetizer, and everybody always wants seconds!
Why I love Mashed Potato Cups
- No one can resist the cheesy, mashed potato goodness in every bite!
- They’re easy to make, and you can prep them ahead of time so you’re just ready to bake.
- It’s a quick recipe to make, thanks to starting with a box of instant mashed potatoes.
Gather these ingredients
- Boiling water (depending on the brand of potatoes you use, check the water amount that is recommend on each box/brand)
- Butter
- Instant Mashed Potatoes (We use Idahoan Original Mashed Potatoes-13.75-oz-box)
- Sharp cheddar cheese – Shredded.
- Gruyere cheese – Shredded.
- Sour cream
- Everything But The Bagel Seasoning
- Black pepper
- Eggs – 2 eggs per batch.
How to make Mashed Potato Cups
- Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray, set it aside, and preheat the oven to 350-F.
- Bring the water (check the amount of water according to the box of the brand of potatoes you are using) to a boil in a saucepan, then remove it from the heat and add 2 cups instant mashed potatoes and gently fluff with a fork.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of butter (don’t add any milk.).
- Add the grated cheddar, grated gruyere, sour cream, Everything But The Bagel seasoning, and black pepper. Mix well and let cool for a few minutes.
- Whisk the whole egg and 1 egg yolk in a small bowl, then stir that into the cooled potatoes.
- Add the cooled potato mixture to a large zipper-top bag and snip off one corner with scissors. The whole should be wide enough for the potatoes to pipe through.
- Pipe the potatoes into the prepared muffin tin.
- Melt the remaining butter in a small bowl, add the remaining Everything But The Bagel seasoning, and mix well. Brush the seasoned butter over the tops of the Mashed Potato Cups.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, and turn the broiler on for the last few minutes to brown the tops (optional).
- Cool for 10-15 minutes then transfer to a serving platter and serve. Enjoy!
Tips & substitutions
- For best results, use unflavored instant mashed potatoes (butter and salt are fine.)
- Depending on the brand of potatoes, the amount of water you use may be different. Follow the instructions ON THE BOX for the amount of water for 6 servings.
- Switch up the cheeses! I love using spicy Pepper Jack and creamy Monterey Jack together, or sometimes, for a smoky flavor, I’ll pair smoked cheddar with gouda. Delish!
- Jazz up your potato cups! Mix in chopped green onion and bacon and go fully loaded!
- You don’t have to fuss with using a piping bag to load the potatoes into the tin. Just spoon them in and smooth out the tops with the back of a spoon.
Serving suggestions
These Mashed Potato Cups are totally snackable (ask me how I know!) but I also love serving them with other tasty eats as a side dish. They’re great paired with chili, but I also love dunking them into the sauce of this chicken dish. And because I love my boards and serving on them, I’ve also added these mini potato cups to a smoked salmon board.
Storage
Store any leftover Mashed Potato Cups in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge. These are best eaten fresh; they won’t freeze well.
Check out these awesome potato recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Mashed Potato Cups
Ingredients
- 1 13.75 oz Box of Instant Mashed Potatoes*, flakes - use 2 cups (dried) We use Idahoan Original Mashed Potatoes-13.75-oz-box
- 2 ½ cups water*, boiling
- 4 Tbsp butter, divided
- ½ cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
- ½ cup Gruyere cheese, grated
- ¾ c sour cream
- 2 Tbsp Everything but the Bagel seasoning, plus a little more for topping
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 eggs, 1 whole and 1 egg yolk
Equipment
- 1 large mini muffin pan (24 mini cups)
Instructions
Prepare the potatoes:
- Bring 2 ½ cups water to boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, remove from heat, add 2 cups instant mashed potatoes (4 oz.), and gently fluff with a fork. Add in 2 Tbsp butter and fluff with a fork again. [Do not add milk.] Allow to cool slightly.
- Next add the 2 kinds of grated cheese, sour cream, Everything but the Bagel seasoning, and black pepper.
- In a small bowl, whisk in 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. Add to the cooled potatoes and mix until combined.
- Prepare a 24-mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
- Add cooled potatoes to a large ziplock bag, snipping off the corner with scissors, enough to be able to pipe the potatoes into the mini muffin cups.
- Pipe potatoes into the 24 mini muffin tin. [If you don’t mind the way the potatoes look, you can also spoon the potatoes into each cup and skip the piping.]
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl melt 2 Tbsp butter and add a few dashes of Everything but the Bagel seasoning. Whisk together. Use a pastry brush and brush a small amount to each potato cup.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Optional to broil the last few minutes to get a nice browning on top, but it’s not essential.
- Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing to a serving platter. Enjoy!
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
