This heart healthy Mashed Potato Casserole is a creamy, gluten-free, and low sodium side dish, made for a heart healthy diet. Made with Greek yogurt, reduced-fat cream cheese, and flavorful herbs, it’s a low cholestrol mashed potato comfort food for family meals or holiday gatherings. Enjoy this nutritious twist on a classic favorite. We'll also share the secret to keeping them perfectly fluffy and never gluey. Discover more heart healthy casseroles.
This casserole redefines comfort food by replacing high-fat, high-sodium ingredients with smarter, flavorful alternatives. Instead of butter and heavy cream, this recipe uses nonfat Greek yogurt and olive oil to achieve a rich, creamy texture while significantly reducing saturated fat. By relying on herbs and garlic for flavor, we keep the sodium content exceptionally low, making it a truly heart-conscious choice.
The secret is threefold: use starchy potatoes like Russets, ensure they are steamed dry after boiling to remove excess moisture, and mash them while they are still hot. This prevents a gluey texture and allows the ingredients to incorporate smoothly.
Gluey potatoes are caused by overworking the starches. To avoid this, use a hand masher or a ricer instead of a food processor or electric mixer. Mash just until the lumps are gone and the ingredients are combined.
The key is to let the potatoes steam dry in the colander for about 3 minutes after draining them. This allows excess water to evaporate before you start mashing. Also, ensure your yogurt and milk are at room temperature or warmed, as cold dairy can be repelled by the hot potatoes.
This recipe uses a combination of nonfat Greek yogurt and skim milk for a healthy, creamy result. You could also use other heart-healthy alternatives like unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, or a small amount of the starchy water the potatoes were boiled in.
Recipe yields 8 servings
Generously grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Lightly salt the water and add garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let stand until potatoes steam dry, about 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
Divide cooked potatoes in half. Mash half the potatoes using a potato masher until there are no lumps. Add the cream cheese, olive oil, Greek yogurt, and milk; stir until smooth. Season with black pepper, thyme, and sage. Add remaining potatoes; stir to combine. Transfer potato mixture to prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, thyme and black pepper. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the top of the mashed potatoes. If you would prefer the casserole without the bread crumb topping (as pictured), skip this step.
Bake until top is golden brown and potatoes are heated through, about 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt and garnished with sliced green onion and chopped mint.
If you prefer not to boil the potatoes first, you can bake them. Pierce whole potatoes with a fork, rub with a small amount of olive oil, and bake at 400°F (200°C) for about an hour, or until fork-tender. Once cooled slightly, scoop the flesh from the skins and proceed with mashing as directed in Step 3.
If you don't have reduced-fat cream cheese, you can increase the nonfat Greek yogurt by an equal amount for a tangier flavor.
Yukon Gold potatoes can be used instead of Russets for a slightly denser, more buttery texture.
Substitute the cream cheese and Greek yogurt with a plant-based cream cheese and plain, unsweetened plant-based yogurt. Use a dairy-free milk alternative and vegan butter instead of olive oil if preferred.
Feel free to use fresh herbs instead of dried. A good rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of fresh herbs for every teaspoon of dried.