French Onion Dip Will Take Your Mashed Potatoes To The Next Level

Mashed potatoes don't get enough credit as the quintessential dinner side dish, especially outside of holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hear me out! They take less than 30 or so minutes to mash up (literally) and a majority of their cooking time is spent on the stove boiling in water. This makes them a great multi-tasking dish, allowing you to prepare or fix up an additional side at the same time. Or, get a head start on cleaning up the kitchen. You have to do it eventually.

That aside, mashed potatoes is one of those side dishes that elevates your dinner spread without costing you an arm and a leg or spending too much time in the kitchen. Plus, there's so many ways you can reinvent mashed potatoes — using different potatoes (i.e. red skinned), adding herbs and garlic, including whipping cream or cheese, and so on — that it's nearly impossible to get tired of them. If you're looking for something different, we've found a new mashed potato recipe that calls for French onion dip. That's right, the potato chip dip typically found in the chip or snack aisle at grocery stores. And get this, even Rachael Ray approves. Here's how you can take your mashed potatoes to the next level.

According to Lifehacker, French onion dip is the secret ingredient your mashed potatoes and taste buds have been missing out on. The outlet notes that between the creaminess of the dip and the texture of the butter, you end up with a "velvety, creamy bowl of spuds." Mouth-watering deliciousness.

To make French onion dip mashed potatoes you only need three ingredients: potatoes, butter, and the dip. The French onion dip should be from the shelf, not the fridge; you're looking for the kind you find by the chips and crackers. Typically, this kind is canola oil-based, which they say is better than the dips made with sour cream and cream cheese — Lifehacker recommends using Lay's brand if you can find it. The easiest way to figure how much dip you'll need is by following a ratio of "a quarter cup of dip for every pound of potatoes."

What happens next is fairly simple. Just follow normal mashed potato instructions and add the dip after the butter has melted in with the spuds. Mash together and stir until fully incorporated. That's about it! If you're looking for a recipe with a little extra pizazz, Rachael Ray has a French onion dip mashed potatoes recipe that uses beef or turkey stock, herbs, and fresh onion (via The Rachael Ray Show).