Mashed potatoes are the staple to any family get together. Perhaps you’re going through a hard time or are too busy to cook something huge; that’s where mashed potatoes come in handy, especially cheesy ones!

The specialty aligot dish will have you drooling. Aligot is mashed potatoes which are thickened with cheese and will lend a hand to being that little cushion of comfort during a hard time or will make a perfect dish to bring along to gatherings.

Ideally, to make aligot, you will need a ricer, but you could use a food processor. The only downside to using a food processor is that you may risk the potatoes ending up as an unpleasant gooey texture. Besides, there is nothing more satisfying than pushing down on the ricer and seeing the hot, tender potatoes run through the tiny holes being transformed into little noodles. Plus, you don’t have to worry about lumps!

Aligot is a delicacy from France and it is traditionally made with tomme fraîche or unripened Cantal, but both of those cheeses are difficult to find in the U.S. That isn’t the end of the world though, any cheese that melts will be perfect for the dish. Great Aligot, in particular, is made with fresh mozzarella, Comté, Emmental, and Gruyère. When it comes to potatoes, ratte potatoes can be a good use, but come with an expensive price tag as they’re a variety from France.

A good way to make Aligot is by boiling the potatoes whole and then peeling them while hot. Then, you push the potatoes through the ricer and then cover the potatoes in cold butter over the heat and then add some milk or cream, whisking it until it is airy and dreamy. Add the mix of the cheese and more milk and whip the potatoes with speed and consistency as you add the cheese, building up the stringiness as it melts. Stringiness is the whole point of Aligot because it takes on all the qualities of melted cheese but remains the intended mashed potatoes.

These mashed potatoes usually take around 20 minutes to cook, which can give you time to prepare the rest of the meal or crack open that bottle of wine you’ve been craving all day!

Here’s a delicious recipe for Aligot!

What You Need

4 large potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
1 clove garlic, grated
1 cup grated cheese of your choice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

What To Do

1.Cover the potatoes with cold water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, salt the water, and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain, then peel.

2.Add the cream, milk, and garlic to the pot. Rice the potatoes into the mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper, and beat to combine. Serve and enjoy!