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Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes (Papas Con Chile)

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Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes (Papas Con Chile) -- seriously my favorite mashed potatoes recipe ever! So simple, so flavorful, and SO GOOD. | gimmesomeoven.comThis recipe is sponsored by Old El Paso.

Oh my goodness, these potatoes.

I know that I write about food all the time, but I don’t even know where to begin telling you about the freaking magic that is this Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes recipe. Let me just advise you to run, not walk, to your local market and pick up some spuds to try them tonight.  Or hey, if you’re feeling like mixing things up a little for Thanksgiving in two weeks, I can pretty much promise you now that every single guest will thank you tremendously.

Because I’m pretty sure these potatoes are going to change your life.

Or at least, they definitely changed mine. ;)

Strangely enough, even with my lifelong obsession with Mexican food, it had never even occurred to me to try a Mexi twist on mashed potatoes until I first visited Abuelo’s while living in Dallas. First, I fell madly in love with their salsa, which is my barometer for any good Mexican restaurant, so I knew this place had promise. But when I ordered my entree, I distinctly remember being surprised when the waiter asked if I wanted rice, beans, or “papas con chile”. Potatoes?! At a Mexican restaurant?? He assured me they were one of the most popular items at the restaurant, so I gave them a try…and then promptly asked for extras to-go. Their Tex-Mex potatoes were brilliant!!!  And they still are, actually. One of the first things I noticed upon moving to Kansas City 10 years ago was that there was actually another Abuelo’s on the north side of town. And while I usually eat local when it comes to Mexi food, I regularly drag just about everyone I know up north so that we can eat their potatoes and salsa. Life = changing.

Of course, the recipe developer in me has been meaning to try whipping up a homemade version of these for years. And after a few close-but-not-quite attempts, I’m happy to report that I finally nailed it.  And then promptly texted all of my friends pictures and emojis and bitmojis to spread the good news. Annnnd then promptly made another batch “just to be sure”.

I’m sure. And I’m pretty positive you’re surely going to love them just as much as I do.

So, as Barclay likes to say, close your eyes and think really hard right now about how your life is before these potatoes…because it’s about to be changed. :)

Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes (Papas Con Chile) -- seriously my favorite mashed potatoes recipe ever! So simple, so flavorful, and SO GOOD. | gimmesomeoven.com

MmmmmYES. I can hardly upload these photos without already wanting to make another batch.
Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes (Papas Con Chile) -- seriously my favorite mashed potatoes recipe ever! So simple, so flavorful, and SO GOOD. | gimmesomeoven.com

So the key to these potatoes is, of course, all of the Tex-Mex magic thrown inside. Namely, green chiles.  You’re going to use two entire cans of Old El Paso chopped green chiles for this recipe, and I’m convinced that their subtle heat and flavor absolutely make this dish. Just saute them with some red and green bell peppers and a bit of onion. (And if you want some extra heat, like I did, saute a seeded jalapeno with everything too!)

Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes (Papas Con Chile) -- seriously my favorite mashed potatoes recipe ever! So simple, so flavorful, and SO GOOD. | gimmesomeoven.com

Then boil a few pounds of red potatoes until they’re nice and soft. (And I highly recommend leaving the skins on for extra nutrition and color, but that’s up to you.)

Mash ’em up, and then stir in the green chile mixture along with some milk and sharp cheddar cheese…
Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes (Papas Con Chile) -- seriously my favorite mashed potatoes recipe ever! So simple, so flavorful, and SO GOOD. | gimmesomeoven.com

…and then take a bite. And — poof! — I’m pretty sure your life is never going to be the same again. :)

Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes (Papas Con Chile) -- seriously my favorite mashed potatoes recipe ever! So simple, so flavorful, and SO GOOD. | gimmesomeoven.com

Seriously, as much as I love traditional mashed potatoes (especially my slow cooker mashed potatoes), there’s really no contest once you add some Tex-Mex flavors to the mix. So flavorful, so simple to make, and SO GOOD.

Happy mashing! :)

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Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 9 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Description

These Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes (a.k.a. Papas Con Chile) are simple to make, naturally gluten-free, full of the most amazing flavors, and MUY delicioso!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds red (or Yukon Gold) potatoes, roughly cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) butter, divided
  • 1 small white onion, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 small green bell pepper, cored and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
  • 2 (4-ounce) cans Old El Paso chopped green chiles
  • 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ¾ cup milk, warmed (add more if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
  • (optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions, extra shredded sharp cheddar cheese)

Instructions

  1. Add potatoes to a large stockpot and cover with water.  Heat over high heat until the water reaches a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-high and continue boiling until the potatoes are fork-tender (can mash easily with a fork).  Drain, and then return the potatoes to the stockpot.
  2. Meanwhile, while the potatoes are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until melted.  Add onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.  Stir in green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and jalapeno, and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes or until the peppers are soft and cooked through, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the green chiles.  Remove pan from heat and set aside.
  3. When the potatoes are cooked and ready, add in the onion mixture, cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter (cut into small pieces) to the stockpot.  Then use a potato masher to mash the potatoes and stir the mixture together until combined.  Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper if needed, and feel free to add in extra warmed milk if you would like creamier potatoes.
  4. Serve warm, garnished with chopped green onions and/or extra shredded cheese if desired.

This post is sponsored by Old El Paso. I am partnering with them this year to develop some tasty new Mexican recipes — my FAVORITE — and all opinions are my own as always. Thanks for continuing to support the brands who help make this blog possible!

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30 comments on “Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes (Papas Con Chile)”

  1. WOW! I thought these were going to be full of unhealthy caloric stuff, but no…just tasty stuff! Anxious to try these.

  2. I know what you mean about constantly saying “THIS IS THE BEST,” but knowing you, I’m sure it is!! Now all I need is some bourbon and I’m set fo life :)

  3. Thanks for sharing Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes recipe! We really enjoyed this! It made a LOT as directed, so I think if I make it again, I’ll halve the recipe and use food processor for all the veggies. Yum!

  4.  There is a local restaurant that makes these, they are heavenly! I will definitely have to try making these at home. :)

  5. I’m going to have to try these…potatoes are my favorite, although, just not the healthiest for my personal metabolism anymore…but these are a bit healthier b/c of the added veggies and I MUST try them.  Thanks!

  6. Oh, this is a keeper! I can’t believe I never thought of doing this. I have all the ingredients and am going to be face planting into this tonight. Thanking you in advance.

    • It sounds wonderful I’m going to make them on Thanksgiving. Can you freeze leftovers (if there are any)? Thank you

  7. Hmm! I love mashed potatoes. These look awesome! xx

    • Thanks Connie, we hope you enjoy this recipe! :)

    • WOW…WOW…OMG..WOW

      These were so good, I had to keep testing them to make sure one more time ? yes, I did leave some for dinner! The only alteration that I made, was I had some habanero cheddar cheese I had bought from Costco, I shredded some and threw into this, a must try,






  8. This looks great and very yummy. I will tray this recipe. Thanks!

  9. I totally believe you! These potatoes look AMAZING! I love everything in these from the green chilies to the sharp cheddar. Can’t wait to try these!

  10. I love these  mashed potatoes!!  I’m passing this recipe on to my sisters. Tex-Mex is a different take on mashed potatoes and very, very good!!!

  11. I made these last night and they came out fantastic! I love Mexican food, but surprisingly had never heard of papas con chili before.  I needed an easy side for tacos last night and this just seemed like the perfect fit. I used yukon golds since that is what I had. I added a bit of chopped garlic at the end of the veggie saute. I also warmed the milk in a saucepan before adding to the mashed potatoes. Oh. And I researched some other recipes before I started cooking and decided to throw in a couple tablespoons of cream cheese with the grated cheddar. My boyfriend absolutely loved it and we can’t wait for leftovers tonight!

    • Thanks for sharing with us Julie! We’re happy to hear you and your boyfriend enjoyed these! :)

  12. I made this recipe and it is DELICIOUS! I’ve been sharing it with friends who like to cook and every one of them love it and want the recipe!






  13. Made this last night and it was a hit with my picky boyfriend!!! Realized I had no potato masher but I made due. Can’t wait to make this for my family during the holidays! Yum!!!!






  14. Simply delicious ad super easy to make.






  15. Absolutely delicious and super easy to make.






  16. Another fantastic recipe! So delicious. I made these to go with with NY strip steak and green beans!






  17. I recently moved from Ft Worth to California and I really miss Abuelo’s papas – for anyone that has never had the privilege, these are indeed magical – really. Your recipe is an outstanding tribute and I will be making these often. Cheers – truly excellent!






  18. This recipe sounds delicious! The only thing I would do different is I bake the potatoes in oven or microwave so we don’t loose the nutrients. Can’t wait to try them.

  19. Really was delicious, now my family wants the the recipe to make for bbqs instead of potato salad.






  20. Can I make this recipe the day before,,,,and heat in oven at 350 for 1/2 hr 45 mins the next day for a dinner party