Mashed potatoes are such a classic side dish. This Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe is made from really simple ingredients that you probably have at home all the time.
For more ideas of what to make, check out all of our recipes.
Mashed potatoes are a really funny recipe for me because they remind me of when I first moved out on my own. I had no idea how to cook. My mom really never taught us growing up. So I cooked things by instinct.
The trouble was, my instincts had no idea how to cook anything.
I knew that mashed potatoes used a mixer because we would sometimes beg my mom to let us use the hand mixer and also to let us lick the potatoes off the beaters like you do with cake batter. That’s all I knew. I didn’t own a mixer yet. And I didn’t know how to make mashed potatoes. But I went with vibes.
So I baked a potato (although, not long enough because who knew that potatoes take an hour to bake? Not me at that time), cut it open, took out the insides, added butter and mashed this partially raw potato with a fork, then put it on a plate.
You guys. I was so proud of these “mashed potatoes” that I took a picture of them. I probably still have it on an SD card somewhere.
A few months later, I was dating a guy who offered to cook me dinner because, well, he knew I wasn’t about to cook for him. And so, he said he was making mashed potatoes. Imagine my surprise when I saw him boiling water.
I tell you this whole long story because, if you found this post, it’s because you don’t know how to make mashed potatoes … yet. And that’s okay. I write about food and create recipes for a living now, but there was a time when I didn’t know how to make mashed potatoes.
So don’t ever feel bad about Googling how to make mashed potatoes, even if you think that’s simple and something everyone should know. People only know things because someone taught them. And now, I’m gonna teach you.
If you bought too many mashed potatoes for this recipe, we have a list of Budget-Friendly Potato Recipes with more ideas of what to do with the rest of the bag.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
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Creamy Mashed Potatoes Ingredients:
- 8 large potatoes
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
How To Make Creamy Mashed Potatoes:
Wash and peel your potatoes.
Chop them into large chunks.
You want to try to cut them as evenly as possible so they cook evenly. If you cut the potatoes into really small pieces, they’ll disintegrate as they boil, so be mindful of that.
Soak the potato pieces in cold water for 20 minutes to remove some of the starch.
Drain the potatoes.
Fill a large pot with water and the two tablespoons of salt.
Bring the pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Lower the burner to medium heat, add in the potato pieces, and simmer the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes.
Stir them occasionally.
While you’re stirring, starting at around 15 minutes, check the potato pieces to see if they’re fork tender. When they’re soft enough to be squished by the back of a fork, they’re ready.
Drain the potatoes.
Put the hot potatoes in a stand mixer bowl.
Add the butter and let is start to melt a little bit. Add in the heavy cream and sour cream.
Quick note: If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use whole milk instead. Although heavy cream makes mashed potatoes richer and creamier.
Mix on medium speed, about five minutes, until the potatoes are creamy and the melted butter is completely incorporated into the potatoes.
Add in the salt and stir the potatoes with a wooden spoon to fluff up the potatoes.
Serve them with an extra pat of butter on top.
Homemade Mashed Potatoes: Frequently Asked Questions
On their own, potatoes are really bland. And, even when you add butter and salt, the potatoes themselves don’t actually get seasoned. The only real way that you get any taste into your potatoes is by salting the water. As the potatoes boil, they’ll absorb some, but not all, of the salt. The potatoes absorb enough to get some flavor but not enough to taste salty.
Definitely peel the potatoes if you want to make creamy mashed potatoes. If you leave the skin on, it doesn’t dissolve and doesn’t incorporate into the potatoes. So you end up with rustic mashed potatoes that you’re chewing through. It’s not good.
I use Russet potatoes when I’m making mashed potatoes. Starchy potatoes, which Russet potatoes are, make the fluffiest mashed potatoes. Yes, you want to soak the potatoes to remove some of the starch, but you’re not removing it all.
Idaho potatoes are also a starchy potato and would work well. Yukon gold potatoes are semi-starchy and semi-waxy, so they’re not my favorite, but other people do use them.
Avoid using waxy potatoes like red potatoes because those will give you a really gummy mashed potato.
Heavy cream makes the creamiest mashed potatoes. It has a higher fat content than both heavy whipping cream and milk, so definitely go with heavy cream. If all you have is milk, whole milk is better than skim or fat-free milk. The latter two won’t add any fat into the potatoes, so you lose some of the richness.
If you’re using a skim milk, I suggest adding lots of butter into the potatoes before whipping them (like, a full stick rather than the 5 tablespoons this recipe calls for) to make up for the fat content.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer to whip the mashed potatoes. It may take a little longer, and you may end up with your hand feeling funny from holding the mixer (just kidding), but the hand mixer will work.
I don’t suggest using a potato masher, mostly because it will take a lot of work and you’ll end up with more of a clumpy than creamy texture.
It’s possible to overwhip mashed potatoes. Once they get fluffy and creamy, stop mixing. If you overwhip the potatoes, you start to release too much of the starch and they start to get a gummy texture.
Wait until any leftover mashed potatoes have cooled to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
The best way to reheat leftover mashed potatoes is in a small saucepan on the stove. Add a splash of heavy cream and some extra butter to revive them a little bit.
This is a classic mashed potato recipe. If you want, you can add in shredded mozzarella cheese, bacon pieces, and green onions to make these into Loaded Mashed Potatoes.
Mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish for a holiday meal, like ham or turkey. It’s also good for an every day dinner, like roast chicken.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are such a classic side dish. This Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe is made from really simple ingredients that you probably have at home all the time.
Ingredients
- 8 large potatoes
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Wash and peel your potatoes.
- Chop them into large chunks.
- Soak the potato pieces in cold water for 20 minutes to remove some of the starch.
- Drain the potatoes.
- Fill a large pot with water and the two tablespoons of salt. Bring the pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Lower the burner to medium heat, add in the potato pieces, and simmer the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir them occasionally.
- Drain the potatoes.
- Put the hot potatoes in a stand mixer bowl.
- Add the butter and let is start to melt a little bit. Add in the heavy cream and sour cream.
- Mix on medium speed, about five minutes, until the potatoes are creamy and the melted butter is completely incorporated into the potatoes.
- Add in the salt and stir the potatoes with a wooden spoon to fluff up the potatoes.
- Serve them with an extra pat of butter on top.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 389Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 34mgSodium 300mgCarbohydrates 64gFiber 7gSugar 4gProtein 8g
Have you tried this creamy mashed potato recipe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.