Looking for a fancy side dish the whole family will love? For me, it is chunky mashed potatoes, enriched with spring onions and bacon, both sautéed in butter beforehand. An easy recipe that transforms an ordinary dinner into something special!
This is a classic dish from the Czech Republic, known by the beautiful name "šťouchané brambory." It is true comfort food, and if you are a potato lover, I warmly encourage you to give it a try.
MY TIP: Be sure to check out these potato dumplings, another treasure of Czech cuisine!
➜ Pronunciation
To help you with the pronunciation of šťouchané brambory, I have also recorded a short audio clip so you can hear how it sounds in Czech!
➜ Ingredients
✅ You will find the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below, which you can also print out.
To make the chunky mashed potatoes recipe, you will need:
- Potatoes; best potatoes are any all-purpose variety with a medium starch content, for example, Yukon golds in the USA
- Bacon; sliced or whole
- Unsalted butter; optionally lard or sunflower oil
- Spring onions (scallion); feel free to substitute them for regular yellow kitchen onions, young leeks, or shallots
- Whole milk; or light cream if you prefer a richer flavor. Ideally, the milk should be lukewarm, not cold. If you have just taken it out of the fridge, gently warm it on the stove or in the microwave. You can also use sour cream instead, which will add a pleasant tang to the potatoes.
- Salt and ground black pepper; to season
➜ Instructions with photos
STEP 1: Peel the potatoes and cut them into equal pieces. Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water and boil them until soft. You should reach accurate soft tenderness after about 18-20 minutes of simmering.
STEP 2: While the potatoes are cooking, clean the spring onions and trim off the roots. Finely chop the onions and dice the bacon. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then sauté the onions and bacon, stirring occasionally. After about five minutes, they will be ready!
STEP 3: Drain the cooked potatoes, then add the milk or cream to the pot. Mash everything together using a potato masher.
STEP 4: Add the sautéed onions and bacon to the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then mix well to combine.
STEP 5: Serve the mashed potatoes warm in a serving bowl as a side dish. You can also serve the potatoes directly on a plate as a side dish alongside your main course.
For a better presentation, garnish the potatoes with chopped fresh herbs such as chives or green parsley.
➜ What goes well with mashed potatoes?
Chunky mashed potatoes are a versatile side dish that pairs well with a variety of main courses. We love serving them with fried, braised, roasted, or breaded meats. They are also a perfect match for sausages or hearty vegetable dishes.
Serve mashed potatoes with:
➜ Video recipe
Here is a short video with the recipe for Czech šťouchané brambory, available on my YouTube channel.
➜ What is the best way to mash potatoes?
Use a hand masher (affiliate link) to crush the cooked potatoes instead of an electric mixer. A hand masher lets you easily achieve the perfect texture, just the way you like it.
Remember: Coarsely mashed potatoes are not fluffy or creamy but contain small chunks of soft potatoes.
➜ Useful tips
- Do you enjoy experimenting in the kitchen? Feel free to add other flavorings to the mashed potatoes based on your taste preferences. Popular options include pressed garlic cloves, a bold cheese like Parmesan, or even sautéed mushrooms or fermented cabbage (sauerkraut).
More potato recipes:
- Czech potato salad (bramborový salát)
- Bramboráky potato pancakes (a real Czech thing with plenty of garlic and dried marjoram)
- Parsley potatoes (a basic recipe)
- French potato gratin (Czech francouzské brambory)
Tried this recipe?
Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!
Chunky Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes medium-starch potatoes, such as Yukon golds
- 2 spring onions
- 3 ounces bacon sliced or whole
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup whole milk or Half-and-Half for better flavor
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel 2 pounds potatoes and cut them into equal pieces. Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water and boil them until tender. They should reach the right softness after about 18–20 minutes of simmering.
- While the potatoes are cooking, clean the 2 spring onions and cut off the root. Chop finely. Dice 3 ounces bacon. Heat 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onions and bacon in it while stirring. It takes 5 minutes.
- Drain the cooked potatoes. Add ⅓ cup whole milk to the pot and mash them with a hand potato masher.
- Add the fried onion and bacon to the potatoes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper and mix to combine.
Notes
- The basic recipe makes 4 portions.
- SERVING: Serve the mashed potatoes warm in a bowl or directly on a plate alongside your main course. For a nice touch, garnish with chopped fresh herbs like chives or parsley.
- You can swap spring onions for yellow onions, young leeks, or shallots if you prefer.
- Mash the potatoes by hand, not with an electric mixer, to easily achieve your desired texture.
- Feeling adventurous? Try adding pressed garlic, bold cheeses like Parmesan, or even sautéed mushrooms or cabbage for extra flavor.
Nutritional estimate pro serving
TIP: Serve štouchané brambory with Czech breaded fried cheese, famous Smažený sýr!
John Stapleton says
These are very tasty, I made them for my Czech Girlfriend and she loved them!