Buttery Mashed Potatoes

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 This Mashed Potatoes Recipe is smooth, silky and buttery! Mashed potatoes are delicious on their own or are a perfect addition to any dinner. This recipe is fancy enough for Thanksgiving to be paired with your Roasted Turkey and Gravy and yet, simple enough for any busy weeknight to go with my favorite beef stew. So so good!

Mashed Potatoes | My Favorite Carb

Mashed Potatoes are tasty little devils. After spending a good portion of my adult life in Idaho, I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of a spud. When made right, mashed potatoes can stand alone (because they’re that good) OR be enjoyed with soups, stews and roasted meats. Plus they are so simple and inexpensive to make.Today I’m sharing my ultimate mashed potatoes recipe, complete with my secret ingredient! This is my go-to, fail-proof, perfect for any holiday or regular dinner mashed potato recipe! I promise these will not let you down. So, let’s make some taters!

Main Ingredients Needed

This recipe requires only 5 ingredients, one of which takes these potatoes over the top. So gather up these ingredients to make the best mashed potatoes you’ve ever tasted.

• Potatoes – I used Idaho Russet potatoes in this recipe because they are starchy, mash smooth and readily available in most grocery stores. Other potatoes can definitely be used in place of the Russets, Yukon Golds being the preferred alternate.
• Salted Butter – mashed potatoes are meant to be buttery and delicious. You can use unsalted butter if you’d like, just make sure to season your potatoes accordingly.
• Cream Cheese – **this is my secret ingredient! Cream cheese adds creaminess and tang. Similar to how sour cream would, but adds a silky texture you can only get from cream cheese.
• Whole Milk – Since we’re already using butter and cream cheese, whole milk is the perfect addition to make these a little extra buttery without feeling heavy (like heavy cream would do). Buuuuuut, you are more than welcome to add half and half or heavy cream if that is your thing!
• Salt and Pepper – season as you go. Go heavier on the salt than the pepper.

How to Make Mashed Potatoes | Directions

There aren’t too many pitfalls when it comes to making buttery and delicious Mashed Potatoes. Honestly, it’s a super simple method used. I’ve highlighted the most important notes below so you can make your potatoes look and taste just as good as mine.

Step 1: Prep Your Potatoes

I wash and peel my potatoes with a sharp vegetable peeler. (This is the one I have and it works great!) After they are washed and rinsed, cut them into large, evenly sized pieces.

Step 2: Boil Your Potatoes

Add your cubed potatoes into a large pot of salted water and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until fork tender. My only note here is to be sure to not overcook your potatoes! Overcooking will water log your potatoes and give you a bit of a grainy texture that mashing won’t correct. As soon as they are fork-tender, drain them! Read more about How Long To Boil Potatoes.

Step 3: Dry Potatoes Before Mashing

In my recipe card instructions below, it says to return the potatoes to the hot pan right after draining. Don’t skip this step! Doing this helps “steam” the potatoes and remove any extra moisture. We don’t want to taste that starchy cooking liquid, so evaporating as much of it as possible really helps taste (and overall texture).

Step 4: Mash Your Potatoes!

This is a personal preference thing. I like mashing my potatoes by hand (my favorite masher here), but some choose to use a hand mixer or even a stand mixer! My only caution is don’t over mix! You can go from fluffy delicious potatoes to a gloopy, starchy mess in a hurry, especially when using an electric mixer. You should be fine if mashing by hand.

Variations

Since this is such a simple recipe, you can easily add different ingredients to fit your dinner style. Feel free to customize this recipe to your liking! Here are a couple of ideas to get you started.

• Garlic – for the garlic lovers and for the Italian style dishes. Try roasting your garlic beforehand for an extra-strong flavor. Or use my Garlic Mashed Potato Recipe found here.
• Sweet Potatoes – sweet potatoes are a seriously delicious alternative to Idaho potatoes and are still perfect for the holidays.
• Cajun Seasoning – this is a great way to spice up your potatoes. Add as much or as little as you want.
• Loaded Potatoes – I already have a recipe for this! Check it out here: Loaded Smashed Potatoes.

Making Mashed Potatoes Ahead

Storing 1-2 Hours Ahead

If you’ve made your mashed potatoes and you have to keep them warm until dinner, this is my favorite trick! Transfer the potatoes into a large, heatproof bowl and keep them over a pot of simmering water. Stir them occasionally and add in milk to keep them at the desired consistency you want. Top them with a pat or two of butter and some foil to keep the top from drying out and serve hot when you’re ready.

Storing 1-3 Days Ahead

So, you have your mashed potatoes ready and waiting in an airtight container in the refrigerator. What is the best way to reheat them? I like to transfer the mashed potatoes into a large bowl and microwave until warm. Every 30 seconds to 1 minute, stir and add splashes of milk where necessary. Once they are hot and to your desired texture, transfer them to a serving bowl, top with a few pats of butter and serve.

Freezing 1-2 Months Ahead

The trick to freezing mashed potatoes is to eliminate as much air as possible. Transfer completely cooled mashed potatoes into a freezer bag and seal, removing as much air as possible. Store in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat using the microwave method as outlined above.

Other Family-Favorite Potato Recipes:

• Twice Baked Potatoes
• Perfect Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
• Best Pan Fried Potatoes
• Delicious Potatoes Au Gratin
• Funeral Potatoes
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

Whether you are celebrating a holiday or just making these because you have a hankering for some seriously buttery mashed potatoes, I hope you love this recipe! Be sure to bookmark/save/print/pin/share because after you make these once, you won’t want to make another mashed potato recipe ever.

Have a great day, friends!