Even as the mercury rises and the evenings draw out, a hearty, comforting meal can be savoured at any time of year. Potatoes have always evoked a sense of warmth and nostalgia, and mashed potatoes are no exception.

Perfectly suited as a side dish, mash can actually take centre stage as the star of the show when you're not feeling particularly adventurous in the kitchen. Recipe developer and TikTok creator Amy Sheppard recently unveiled one of her most-loved mashed potato recipes. To pack the mash with extra flavour, Amy combines it with generous helpings of cheese and caramelised onions.

But she doesn't stop there - she actually bakes the mashed potatoes to take things up a notch, reports The Mirror.

The recipe developer goes even further by crowning the potato bake with crispy onion rings. In a recent video, Amy said: "I will never, ever get tired of the combination of creamy mash, cheddar cheese and caramelised onion... I love it just as much as I did when I was a kid. Only now, I'm putting cheesy onion rings on top, and it's the best thing ever.

"If you don't have time to make mash, just use shop-bought, and if you have some fresh spinach, you can throw that in too. This is one of those dinners that you will never regret making and is definitely one to do over the Bank Holiday weekend."

Amy's video has already racked up a staggering 328,800 views, garnering 9,384 likes and 90 comments. Hannah commented: "I am not using my free will to my best ability, this looks so good."

Kels simply wrote: "I have to make this..." Another commented: "I am going to make this and put bacon bits in it, but no onion rings on top, not a fan of onion rings, what a good idea, thank you ... I made something from TikTok the other day, def not a fan of sweet potatoes."

Liz said, "Oh wow, will be trying this! I loved your chicken lasagne as well," while Fiona agreed, "My husband and daughter love cheese and potato pie with beans, never thought of putting onion rings on the top, might try next time, see what they think."

So if you're on the lookout for a simple yet satisfying way to transform any mashed potato dish, here's how you can recreate Amy's recipe in your own kitchen.

Ingredients

For the mash

• 1.1kg white potatoes, peeled and chopped into medium pieces


• Two extra-large onions, finely sliced (or use three regular onions)


• 50g butter (plus 40g extra)


• 70ml milk


• 100g grated cheddar cheese


• One tbsp fresh, finely chopped herbs


• Salt and ground black pepper

For the onion rings

• 15 frozen onion rings


• One tbsp olive oil


• One tsp of fresh, finely chopped herbs


• A small handful of finely grated cheddar cheese

Method

Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer until they're soft enough to mash.

Meanwhile, fry the onions. Melt 50g of butter in a deep non-stick frying pan. Add the onions and fry for 15 minutes on a medium heat, turning regularly until soft and a little browned.

Mash the potato with a fork until as lump-free as possible. Go over it for a minute or two with a potato masher, before stirring in 40g butter and 70ml milk and beating until smooth with a wooden spoon.

Add the onions, grated cheese and one tablespoon of the freshly-chopped herbs to the mash. Season with salt and pepper and stir until combined.

Tip the potato into a round baking dish and smooth over the top a little. Heat the oven to 180°C (fan)/400°F. Place the onion rings in a mixing bowl and drizzle over the oil. Add one teaspoon of chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper. Toss them by hand until evenly coated.

Scatter over the finely grated cheese and combine until it clings to the rings. Arrange the rings on top of the pie and finish with a little extra grated cheese if desired.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the onion rings are golden brown and crispy.