Give Your Mashed Potatoes More Flavor By Making Them Outback Steakhouse-Style

Mashed potatoes are one of those dishes that are a go-to comfort food for a reason — the simple combination of spuds, milk, and butter just works on so many levels. They're a perfect accompaniment to so many recipes, but they're also great on their own. Nevertheless, that simple combination of ingredients can get a little repetitive unless you're a die-hard fan of the tried and true. But you can take inspiration from other sources, especially your favorite restaurant, to jazz up a standard recipe and elevate it to new heights. Dine around a bit, and you're sure to encounter some interesting flavor combinations, even at casual chain restaurants like Outback Steakhouse. This Australian-themed restaurant has the biggest menu among major steakhouse chains, and among the side dishes on that massive menu are its Loaded Mashed Potatoes.

Made to resemble a loaded baked potato, this rich and satisfying side is topped with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, and sour cream, and it's easy to replicate at home. Simply start with your favorite mashed potato recipe. Since this is taking inspiration from a loaded baked potato, though, don't go too crazy with the mashing. 

Now, you can go one of two routes here: Scatter the rest of the ingredients over the top of your mash or mix everything in. The former gives you a much more dramatic presentation, and you can always mix it all up at the table. However, the latter lets all the flavors develop and mingle in the warm spuds, making the dish extra flavorful. The cheese also blends with the milk and butter, which can make your mashed potatoes extra rich and creamy.

There are countless dishes you can look to when you feel your everyday bowl of mashed potatoes needs a change-up. Just as you can take inspiration from a loaded baked potato, you can look to other potato dishes for ideas on how to give your mashed spuds a makeover. Take classic potatoes au gratin, for instance — mix some grated Swiss cheese and sauteed onions into your mashed potatoes, along with plenty of cream and butter. You can also take your mashed potatoes to Canada and smother them with squeaky cheese curds and brown gravy for a poutine-inspired twist. If you can't get your hands on cheese curds, try sprinkling a generous amount of shredded cheese over the top to create a riff on disco fries.

There are also non-potato foods you can take hints from to create an elevated mashed potato experience. You can top your creamy spuds with cooked ground beef, bacon, and American cheese to create a bacon cheeseburger mash. Take the same ground beef but add some taco seasoning, and you can see where this tip is going. To finish your mashed potato nachos, add some chopped onion, a lot of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and a few slices of pickled jalapeños. But if you want to take your mash back to Outback, mix a little horseradish and cayenne pepper into your spuds and top them with a mountain of crispy fried onions to recreate the flavors of the chain's Bloomin' Onion and its signature piquant dipping sauce.