Buttery Mashed Potatoes

This Mashed Potatoes Recipe is smooth, silky and so creamy! Mashed potatoes are delicious on their own or are a perfect side dish for dinner.

Mashed Potatoes are tasty little devils. Delicious on their own and delightful with gravy. Plus they are so simple to make when you have the right techniques and right add-ins. Which I outline in this recipe! This is the ultimate mashed potatoes recipe for any holiday or regular dinner, with just the right balance of tang and creaminess. So, let’s make some taters!

Mashed Potatoes Recipe

This simple mashed potatoes 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 potatoes in this recipe because they are so reliable and tasty. Feel free to try other types of potatoes if you like those more. A popular one is golden potatoes but you could also do a blend of potatoes.
• 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. Ever tried mashed potatoes with it? Well, let me tell you, it’s in the life-changing category. I’ve never had potatoes quite as creamy and/or tangy.
• Whole Milk – Buttermilk in potatoes is a little too tangy for me and cream and butter together is a little too creamy, especially if you’re going to drown them in gravy. So I use whole milk. Feel free to make these as creamy as you’d like though!
• Salt and Pepper – season as you go and make sure to taste along the way so that you aren’t overdoing anything.

Tips and Tricks

Boiling. The number one thing I can attest to is to not overboil your potatoes. Overboiling makes really mushy potatoes that are kinda gross. The texture will be all wrong. So watch them closely and as soon as they are fork-tender, drain them!

Drying Before Mashing. In the instructions, it says to return the potatoes to the hot pan right after draining. Don’t skip this step! Doing this helps dry the potatoes out a tiny bit before mashing with other liquids. It’s another texture helper.

Mixing. Be careful when mixing because overmixing can easily turn the potatoes gummy. Bleck.

Mashing. If you have a favorite mashing machine, use it! Everyone likes different tools and different consistencies of mashed potatoes, so make these the way you and your family likes them. I used this potato masher. I like small lumps in my potatoes, so only a minute or two of mashing will do the job.

Mashed Potatoes Variations

Since mashed potatoes are 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.
• 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.

How to Make Mashed Potatoes

1. Peel potatoes (a great job for kiddos) and rinse them. Cut into even-sized pieces and place them into a large pot. I used the Calphalon Contemporary Bronze Edition Nonstick Stock Pot.
2. Cover with water and add a dash of salt. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain completely and place potatoes back into the hot pot.
3. Mash potatoes with butter, cream cheese, milk, salt, and pepper until desired consistency has been reached.
4. Serve warm with gravy.

Storing and Reheating

It is the fat from the cream cheese, butter and whole milk that helps these potatoes reheat well. So don’t skip out on these!

Storing. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing. The trick to freezing mashed potatoes is to eliminate as much air as possible. This is best done by scooping the cooled off mashed potatoes into a freezer bag then freezing.

Reheating. One way to reheat mashed potatoes is to reheat in the microwave, covered, for a couple of minutes. Stirring halfway through.

Or reheat on the stovetop. Stir occasionally, and add more butter/cream cheese/whole milk, if needed.

More Potato Recipes to Try!

• Twice Baked Potatoes
• Perfect Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
• Best Pan Fried Potatoes
• Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
• Delicious Potatoes Au Gratin
• Funeral Potatoes
• Crispy Potato Rosettes
• Cheesy Bacon & Potato Casserole

That’s it! Hope you all have a great day! Happy smashing!

5 from 41 votes

Print

Mashed Potatoes

This Mashed Potatoes Recipe is smooth, silky and so creamy! Mashed potatoes are delicious on their own or are a perfect side dish for dinner.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Thanksgiving

Keyword how to make mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 196 kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Idaho Potatoes
• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup whole milk
• salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Peel potatoes and rinse them. Cut into even-sized pieces and place them into a large pot.

2. Cover with water and add a dash of salt. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain completely and place potatoes back into the hot pot.

3. Mash potatoes with butter, cream cheese, milk, salt and pepper until desired consistency has been reached. Serve warm with gravy.

Nutrition Facts

Mashed Potatoes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 196 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 19mg6%

Sodium 77mg3%

Potassium 684mg20%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 250IU5%

Vitamin C 8.6mg10%

Calcium 67mg7%

Iron 1.3mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.