Making The BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe

These mashed potatoes are the best; they’re delightfully buttery and creamy, simple to cook, and the ideal side dish for every meal.

For total excellence every time, I’ve included all of my best advice and a thorough “how to make mashed potatoes” instruction.

How to Make Always Perfect Mashed Potatoes?

The finest part of any Thanksgiving or holiday meal is the potatoes (and stuffing), which are also the ideal side dish for nearly anything.

They pair particularly well with gravy, sauces, and foods like Swiss steak, beef tips, and Salisbury steak.

I’ve listed my go-to advice for making consistently creamy, fluffy potatoes below.

Nobody can resist them because they are so buttery and creamy, and anyone can make them perfectly.

Because this mashed potato recipe is straightforward, it goes well with nearly anything.

They are fantastic on their own, with turkey and gravy, at holiday meals, and just as excellent as regular comfort food.

Which Potatoes Make the Best Mashed Potatoes?

Due to their high starch content, Idaho or Russet potatoes are the ideal kind of potatoes to use for potatoes. Another excellent choice is Yukon gold potatoes, which have a slightly more buttery and less starchy feel.

You can leave some of the skin on the Yukon gold potatoes to add some texture. The tough skin of russet or Idaho potatoes needs to be removed first.

Mashed potato ingredients

There are no other cheeses in these potatoes, but feel free to add them if you want to vary the flavor. Below, I’ve included a few of my favorite modifications.

Butter: There are genuinely no alternatives in this case. For these fluffy potatoes, use plenty of genuine butter. Although unsalted butter works and the potatoes can be salted to taste, I prefer salted if I have it.

I make this dish with warmed whole milk, but if you have cream on hand, that also works. For the greatest potatoes, don’t forget to heat the dairy.

Seasonings: To keep this recipe as straightforward as possible, I only add salt and pepper.

Chop a couple of cloves of garlic and add them to the boiling potatoes if you’d like a little bit of it. Also fantastic in this recipe are chives (add with the butter).

Pro Advice for Excellence

Even though making homemade potatoes is simple, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure they turn out perfectly.

Drain Totally or Even Well: I normally let them sit for approximately 5 minutes to completely drain or even drain well before re-heating the pot to ensure that all liquid has evaporated.

Mash by Hand: For the creamiest potatoes, use a hand masher or a potato ricer. An electric mixer, stand mixer, or food processor can be used, but if the potatoes are overmixed, they may break down their starches and result in a sticky texture.

INCLUDE BUTTER There are some things where you can cut corners, but this is not one of them.

I enjoy using a lot of salted butter (but you can use unsalted season yourself). Butter gives food a creamy, buttery feel.

Heat the Cream: Before adding, warm the milk or cream in a microwave or small saucepan. The potatoes stay hot and absorb better because of this. To achieve the ideal consistency, gradually add more cream or milk.

Making Mashed Potatoes

• Making potatoes is quite easy and only requires a few ingredients. You can also make potatoes in an Instant Pot or Crock Pot.
• Potato Peeling: Peel the potatoes (per the recipe below).
• Cut into quarters and add to a big saucepan of cold, salted water (cold water helps to ensure they cook evenly).
• Potatoes should be boiled until they are fully cooked. Depending on how large they are sliced, the potatoes must be boiled for a specific amount of time. I quarter my potatoes before boiling them for 15 minutes. Use a fork to probe your potatoes to see if they are soft to see if they are ready!

Mash the Potatoes: After thoroughly draining, mash the potatoes using a hand masher, adding warmed milk, melted butter, and salt and pepper as directed in the recipe below.

Add-Ins for Mashed Potatoes

These traditional buttery potatoes can be modified by adding any of the following:

Greek yogurt, sour cream, or cream cheese

Gouda, Cheddar, or Parmesan

garlic powder or roasted garlic, caramelized onions

Fresh herbs, ranch dressing, and chicken broth

Add more butter, chives, herbs, or thinly sliced green onions as a garnish.

Storage of Leftovers

The leftovers reheat fairly well in the oven with a little milk and can be frozen. Scoop them into a freezer bag made of plastic, then flatten it (this helps them thaw quickly).

Add roughly a tablespoon of milk per cup of potatoes when you reheat them, then bake them (or microwave stirring occasionally).

They are a simple side dish that pairs well with roast turkey, crock pot pork chops, and mushroom Salisbury steak.

1. Place potatoes that have been peeled and quartered in a saucepan of cold, salted water.
2. Bring to a boil, add the garlic cloves (if using), and simmer the food uncovered for 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Good drainage
3. The milk should be warmed either on the stovetop or in the microwave.
4. Mash the potatoes after adding butter. Using a potato masher, add a small amount of warm milk at a time until the required consistency is achieved.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Notes

Drain Thoroughly: I typically leave them to sit for around five minutes to fully drain, or even drain well and return them to the warm pot for a few minutes to ensure that all liquid has evaporated.

Mash by Hand: For the creamiest potatoes, use a hand masher or a potato ricer.

The starches in the potatoes can be broken down and result in a gummy texture when using a hand mixer, stand mixer, or food processor, but they can also be used.

INCLUDE BUTTER There are some things where you can cut corners, but this is not one of them. I enjoy using a lot of salted butter (but you can use unsalted and seasoned potatoes to taste). Butter gives food a creamy, buttery feel.

Before adding, warm up the cream and milk. The potatoes stay hot and absorb better because of this. To achieve the ideal consistency, gradually add more cream or milk.

To Move Forward

Make the mashed potatoes as directed below and let them cool fully. Once it has cooled, keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you’re ready to use it.

Spread the potatoes into a casserole dish that has been oiled and top with butter to heat them before serving.

For around 35 to 40 minutes, bake the potatoes at 325°F until the butter melts (you may need more or less time based on the shape of the dish and the number of potatoes). Bake uncovered if you want a crust that is browned.

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