How to Make THE BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe

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This is how to make THE BEST easy mashed potatoes recipe with tips like how long to boil the potatoes for creamy mashed potatoes that are fluffy, buttery, and rich.

One of my favorite food memories is standing next to my grandma while she whipped mashed potatoes in the kitchen sink. It was her trick so they didn’t fly all over the kitchen, and one reason this recipe for the best mashed potatoes works every single time. Whether you’re making them as part of your Thanksgiving feast (don’t forget the stuffing and gravy) or as a stellar side dish to pot roast or chicken piccata, there’s no arguing that this is one of the best ways to eat potatoes and that easy mashed potatoes are one of the most classic (and most delicious) sides of all time. My creamy mashed potatoes recipe yields potatoes that are fluffy and creamy at the same time, and that don’t skimp on the butter. There are only a couple of easy tricks to know, like which potatoes are best and how long to boil the potatoes for mashed potatoes that can complete any meal.

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Mashed Potatoes Recipe Ingredients

There are lots of different techniques to make mashed potatoes including using a potato ricer or a potato masher. And I have tried them all. But in the end, I go back to the same way my mom and my grandma always made them, and that’s by using a good old handheld blender mixer (I have this one).

Here’s what you need for basic mashed potatoes ingredients:

Yukon gold potatoes—they aren’t too dry and won’t go too gummy
Butter—I like to use salted butter because it’s always in my fridge
Half and half, cream, or whole milk (half and half or cream will yield the best creamy spuds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Chives, parsley, or chopped green onion if you like a fleck of green

How to Make This Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Don’t be intimidated by homemade mashed potatoes. They’re easy to make and a skill every home cook should master. I’ve broken it down into different, simple steps:

Do You Cut Potatoes Before Boiling?

It’s definitely better to boil your potatoes when making mashed potatoes, and that’s your first step, but there’s no need to cut them first.

Boil the potatoes whole and with their skin on. I’ve boiled potatoes with and without the skin, and have found that boiling with the skin on protects the spuds from absorbing more water and losing flavor. Nobody wants a watery mash.

Cook the potatoes until totally tender. Place your potatoes in a large pot and completely cover them with cold water (about ½ inch above the potatoes). Once they’ve come to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt to flavor them as they cook. Cook your potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are fork-tender and the skin easily pulls away from the potato where cut.

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Smash, Flavor, and Whip

These next steps are key for getting the creamiest, fluffiest, most flavorful mashed potatoes.

Wipe the skin away. Drain the potatoes, then use paper towels to wipe or scrub off the potato skin while still hot. It’s so much easier than having to peel your potatoes anyway. I use a fork to rotate the potato as I wipe them since these are literally hot potatoes. This method makes it incredibly easy for the skin to wipe away yet keep its flavor, so long as your potatoes are cooked enough.

Put the taters back in the pot. A trick I’ve found to get an extra creamy potato is once the skins are quickly removed, I add the potatoes back to the same warm pot I cooked them in, then lightly smash them with the hand mixer tines, and add my butter to the still-hot potatoes. Cover the potatoes with a lid and let them sit for a couple of minutes, allowing the potatoes to dry out a little, keep warm, and absorb the melting butter for a barrier.

Stir in the butter before the dairy. Adding the butterfat to the potatoes before adding the cream, half-and-half, or milk, coats the potato starches and acts as a barrier to ensure your mashed potatoes won’t turn out gummy, sticky, or overmixed.

Whip ‘em with a mixer. The real secret to great mashers is how you mash them. I’ve used a ricer, but it’s a bit of a pain and my muscles never seem strong enough. I’ve used a masher and gotten a tasty mashed potato but always have a few potato chunks. A few minutes on medium speed should do the trick.

What Makes a Better Mashed Potato

There are a few easy but tried and true tricks I swear by for making better mashed potatoes:

Use Yukon golds for the smoothest, creamiest texture. The best potato for mashed potatoes is a starchy potato and Yukon golds fit the bill. Avoid using waxy potatoes like red potatoes or russet potatoes, which result in a pasty mash since they need to be creamed more to achieve the desired texture.

It’s important that you salt the water the potatoes cook in. This flavors the potatoes themselves and prevents you from having to add lots of salt later on.

Heavy cream will make for the creamiest mashed potatoes, but whole milk or half and half will also work. Don’t use anything with less fat than whole milk, otherwise, your potatoes won’t be as flavorful or creamy.

I prefer using unsalted butter in my homemade mashed potatoes because I like to know exactly how much salt is in them. If you’re using salted butter, give your potatoes a taste before you stir in any extra salt — you don’t want them to turn out too salty!

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How to Make Mashed Potatoes Even Creamier

If you’re someone who loooooves the cream, cream in ⅓ cup of the following ingredients for an extra creamy spoonful. Adding this extra fat keeps the potatoes from drying out when reheating as well.

Sour cream
Greek yogurt
Cream Cheese

What Can I Add to My Mashed Potatoes

Roasted cloves of garlic
Olive oil (use in place of the butter; just note this will change the flavor and texture a bit)
Cheddar cheese, mascarpone, gorgonzola, or blue cheese (I love this recipe)
Bacon or pancetta
Chopped green onion
Caramelized onion
Fresh herbs, such as chives, thyme, or rosemary

see more:31 Days of Comfort Food Favorites to Make Now

Can I Make Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time

Yes, it’s a fact that you don’t have to wait ‘til the last minute to make your mashed potatoes. Here’s how to make mashed potatoes ahead and serve hot when needed.

Make them earlier the day of and then keep still-warm potatoes warm on the stove by placing them in a bowl, covering them with foil or plastic wrap, and setting the bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler. They’ll stay warm this way for a few hours, just be sure to watch so you don’t run out of water in the pot.

see more:31 Days of Weeknight Chicken Dinners to Make Now

How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes

To reheat mashed potatoes, make them 2 days ahead of serving, and then:

Reheat mashed potatoes on the stove: Gently rewarm the potatoes over low heat with 1-2 tablespoons of dairy to loosen them and add more moisture to the potatoes so they don’t turn gluey or stick to the bottom of the pan. Low and slow is the ticket here.

Reheat mashed potatoes in the microwave: Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat on half-power for about 5 minutes. Reheating at a lower temp is the key to keeping your microwaved potatoes from drying out and getting stiff.

Reheat mashed potatoesin the oven: Place the potatoes in a medium-sized baking dish, spreading in an even layer, and then warm them in the oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. Add more butter if desired.

What to Serve With Mashed Potatoes to Make a Meal

Mashed potatoes are the little black dress of side dishes and go with just about everything. They’re especially good with:

Juicy Roast Turkey Breast
30-Minute Creamy Mushroom and Leek Chicken Breasts
A Healthier Meatloaf With Tomato Glaze
Braised Pork Roast in Almond Milk
Filet Mignon with Porcini Mushroom Compound Butter
Honey Mustard Chicken
Stuffed Pork Chops
Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon Rosemary Butter

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo andtag me on Instagramwith #foodiecrusheats.

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How to Make THE BEST Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

How to make THE BEST mashed potatoes recipe and how long to boil the potatoes for easy mashed potatoes that are creamy, buttery, and rich.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword potatoes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 146kcal

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt , divided
4 tablespoons butter , cut into chunks
⅓ cup half and half , or cream, or milk
½ teaspoon black pepper , freshly ground
chives , minced

Instructions

Scrub the potatoes clean and add to a deep pot. Completely cover the potatoes with water, about ½ inch above the potatoes. Bring the potatoes to a boil and add ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Boil the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are very easily pierced with a fork and the skin pulls away from the potato where cut.
Drain the potatoes, and while still hot, use a paper towel to wipe the skin away from the potatoes, then add back to the warm pot.
Gently smash the hot potatoes with the tines of a hand mixer and add the butter to the potatoes. Cover with a lid for the butter to melt, about 3-4 minutes.*
Add the half and half or other liquid dairy to the pot and set it in the kitchen sink so the potatoes don't fly around the kitchen while whipping. Cream the potatoes with the hand mixer until smooth, rotating the pot counter-clockwise as you mix. Don't over mix the potatoes. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and black pepper to taste, and add more dairy to get the consistency you like best.
Add more butter if you'd like, and garnish with minced chives, green onion, or serve plain.

Notes

*Adding the butterfat to the potatoes before adding the cream, half-and-half, or milk, coats the potato starches and acts as a barrier to ensure your mashed potatoes won’t turn out gummy, sticky or overmixed.

Nutrition

More Foolproof Potato Recipes You’ll Want to Make

How to Make the Best Potato Salad(one of my most popular recipes)
The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes
Easy Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
The Best Buttery Parsley Potatoes (and only 3 ingredients!)
Buttermilk Blue Cheese Potatoes
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Heavenly Funeral Potatoes
Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes

Tools You’ll Need for This Recipe

Electric Hand Blender
Deep Stainless Sauce Pan With Lid(I use mine for everything)

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How to Make THE BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe | foodiecrush.com (2024)

FAQs

What do professional chefs use to mash potatoes? ›

The very best mashed potatoes start with a ricer, a relatively inexpensive piece of kitchen equipment that forces your cooked food through tiny holes. "If you don't have a ricer, you could use a stand mixer, a hand mixer and you could even use a whisk if you've cooked your potatoes properly," Harvey said.

Get More Info ›

Is milk or cream better for mashed potatoes? ›

Use heavy cream or half-and-half for rich, creamy potatoes like you get at fancy steakhouses. Whole milk, light sour cream, or plain yogurt work well if you want to reduce the fat.

What adds flavor to mashed potatoes? ›

Garlic: When serving these to a crowd, I like to add just 2-3 cloves to give just a subtle undertone of garlic to the recipe. But if making them for myself, I will toss in up to a dozen cloves. I adore good garlic mashed potatoes. Butter: When I eat mashed potatoes, I go all-out and want them to taste nice and buttery.

Learn More ›

Does soaking potatoes in cold water make better mashed potatoes? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Why put a raw egg in mashed potatoes? ›

Adding egg yolks to a pot of mashed potatoes is an easy, dairy-free texture and taste upgrade that doesn't require any special techniques. The yolks harbor all the flavorful fats and emulsifying components and will thus effectively unify the fat and water in potatoes, translating to a smoother, uniformly creamy pot.

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Is it better to use a masher or mixer for mashed potatoes? ›

If you want lumpy and light-but-creamy, mash by hand (a ricer-like masher will produce the lightest, least chunky results). If you want gummy (...are those of you out there?), go with the food processor. If you want dense, hefty, and uniform, break out an electric mixer.

Get More Info Here ›

Are russet or white potatoes better for mashed potatoes? ›

The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are a starchy varieties like russet, Idaho or Yukon gold. Starchy potatoes are best for mashed potatoes because they have a fluffy, almost airy texture that breaks down easily.

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Should I melt the butter before putting in mashed potatoes? ›

A word about butter: Don't melt butter before stirring it into the potatoes because the milk solids and fat will separate. You can add cold butter to your hot potatoes since the butter will melt as a whole and distribute the fat and milk solids evenly.

Tell Me More ›

Is it better to add cold or hot milk to mashed potatoes? ›

For the very best result every time, always gently warm the butter and milk before adding to the potatoes, rather than adding cold dairy straight from the fridge. Here's why: Warm dairy is absorbed faster and more easily, with less stirring than its cold counterpart.

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Why do people add sour cream to mashed potatoes? ›

Sour cream adds a little bit of tangy flavor and a boost of richness to mashed potatoes. It's a fun change from the standard milk or cream and butter combo usually flavoring mashed taters. You can even try your hand at making homemade sour cream from heavy cream!

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Why are Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes so good? ›

Made with fresh real potatoes, butter, and milk, Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes tastes like homemade. We put extra care into making our mashed potatoes rich and creamy to deliver that homemade flavor you expect.

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Why soak potatoes before cooking mashed potatoes? ›

If you don't rinse and soak the potatoes in water, all that starch that is naturally in potatoes will cause your mashed potatoes to become gluey and gummy. So rinse and soak the potatoes to remove as much of the starch as possible. The less starch the potatoes have, the fluffier and lighter they will be!

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Why add baking soda to mashed potatoes? ›

Just a pinch of baking soda is all you need to create mashed potatoes as soft as clouds. When you add baking soda, it reacts with the heat of the dish and the acid in the milk or cream to create small air pockets throughout the mash. These air bubbles translate to light and airy bites. Yum!

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How do you make mashed potatoes not taste bland? ›

Just as when cooking pasta, generously seasoning the water will help pack in more flavor. If you forgot to do it before adding the potatoes, you can season them generously once you've drained them.

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How to make mashed potatoes that aren t bland? ›

Not salting the water.

Leaving salt out means you're starting off with bland potatoes. Follow this tip: Begin the process of seasoning your mashed potatoes by adding salt to the water when cooking the potatoes. You won't have to add as much salt later and, most importantly, you won't find yourself with bland potatoes.