This Is How Outback Steakhouse Makes Mashed Potatoes, According To Reddit
Have you ever dined at an Outback Steakhouse? Whether or not you've set foot inside this Tampa, Florida-based chain of Australian-inspired steakhouses, you probably remember its catchy slogan, "No Rules, Just Right," from a series of TV commercials that ran in the 1990s at the height of the chain's success (via YouTube). Over the years, as trends in dining have shifted, Outback has faced some struggles in remaining open, but the chain seems to be doing well more recently, with CNBC reporting that parent company Bloomin' Brands announced booming sales in the second quarter of 2021 as more Americans returned to indoor dining in the wake of the fluctuating COVID-19 pandemic.
Known for its wide variety of menu items that actually bear little resemblance to "outback" food, says LA Weekly, Outback's signature dish is its Bloomin' Onion, a large onion that's sliced, breaded, and deep-fried, emerging from the fryer looking somewhat like a blooming flower. But many other menu items are beloved by Outback diners, from the chain's signature steaks to its cheese-and-bacon-loaded Aussie fries (via Outback Steakhouse). Apparently, people also adore its homestyle mashed potatoes, as evidenced by a lively Reddit thread in which the original poster sought the ingredients and method for preparing the starchy side dish. Luckily for that user, a former Outback Steakhouse employee responded with some tips.
The answer is dairy
According to replies to u/WithDarkHair's Reddit post asking for guidance on Outback Steakhouse's mashed potatoes recipe, the secret is lots, and lots, and lots of dairy. U/pauly13771377, who claimed to be an Outback employee six or seven years ago, responded to the post with some dairy-rich details. "When I worked at Outback it was whole fresh potatoes cut into french fry shape and rinsed to give off all their extra starch. Then steamed until done in about 15 pound batches," the user wrote. They couldn't give exact measurements for the other ingredients, but they said the chain uses shredded cheddar, half and half, and "a heaping helping of butter" — as in, 5 pounds of butter for 15 pounds of potatoes.
"The secret is almost always butter," u/banjoukulele concurred. Aside from lots of fatty creaminess, Outback restaurants use plenty of seasoning in their mashed potatoes, according to u/pauly13771377. The seasoning has an "80/10/10" recipe, which calls for 80% salt, 10% black pepper, and 10% garlic powder, they explained. Now you're ready to recreate Outback's creamy mashed potatoes at home. Just grab a bone-in ribeye, throw it under the broiler, and you've got yourself a steakhouse dinner.