No holiday meal would be complete without a big bowl of creamy dreamy mashed potatoes
These are the BEST mashed potatoes, incredibly buttery and creamy, easy to make, and the perfect addition to every meal.
I’ve included all of my best tips and a complete “how to make mashed potatoes” guide for absolute perfection every time!
How to Mashed Potatoes That Are Always Perfect
Mashed potatoes (and stuffing) are the best part of any Thanksgiving or holiday meal and the perfect side with almost anything! They go especially well with sauces, gravy or things like Salisbury steak, beef tips, or Swiss steak.
- Below I’ve shared my favorite tips and tricks for creamy and fluffy mashed potatoes each and every time.
- They are so buttery and creamy, nobody can resist (and anyone can perfect them)!
- This mashed potatoes recipe is simple so it’s perfect alongside almost anything.
- They are great on their own and of course, served with turkey and gravy, holiday meals, or just as good ol’ comfort food.
The Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes
The best potatoes to use for mashed potatoes are Russet potatoes or Idaho potatoes because of their high starch content. Yukon gold potatoes are another good option, the texture of Yukon gold is a bit more buttery and not quite as starchy.
If using Yukon gold potatoes, you can leave some of the skin on for a bit of texture. Russet or Idaho potatoes have tough skin that should be peeled first.
Tip: If time allows, the potatoes can be baked for 1 hour at 400°F. You can scoop out the potato flesh and save the skins for making potato skins!
Ingredients in Mashed Potatoes
These mashed potatoes have no additions of cheeses but feel free to stir in additions to change up the flavor. I’ve added some of my favorite variations below.
- Butter – This is one place where there really are no substitutes. Use real butter for these creamy spuds, and plenty of it. I prefer salted if I have it but unsalted butter works and the potatoes can be salted to taste.
- Cream/Milk – I use warmed whole milk in this recipe, but cream also works if you have it on hand. Remember to heat the dairy for the best potatoes.
- Seasonings – Again, keeping this recipe simple, I simply add salt & pepper. If you’d like a little bit of garlic, chop a few cloves and let them boil with the potatoes. Chives are great in this recipe too (add with the butter).
Pro Tips for Perfection
While a homemade mashed potatoes recipe is easy to make, here are a few tips to make sure they’re absolutely perfect.
- Drain Well: I usually let them sit for about 5 minutes or so to completely drain or even drain well and put them back in the warm pot for a few minutes to make sure all liquid is evaporated.
- Mash by Hand: Use a hand masher or a potato ricer for the creamiest potatoes. An electric mixer, stand mixer or food processor can work but it can also break down the starches in the potatoes and cause a gummy texture if they are overmixed.
- Add BUTTER! There are places you can skimp on the butter and this is not one of them. I like to use salted butter and lots of it (but you can use unsalted season yourself). Butter adds a creamy and… well, buttery texture.
- Heat the Cream: Heat your milk/cream in a small saucepan or the microwave before adding. This keeps the potatoes hot and absorbs better. Add cream/milk a little a time to get the right consistency.
How To Make Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes are super simple to make with very few ingredients. You can make Crock Pot or Instant Pot mashed potatoes as well.
- Peel the Potatoes: Peel the potatoes (per the recipe below).
- Cut into quarters and place into cold salted water in a large pot (cold water helps to ensure they cook evenly).
- Boil the Potatoes: Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. The length of time you need to boil the potatoes depends on how big they are cut. I cut my potatoes into quarters and boil them for about 15 minutes. To check if your potatoes are ready, use a fork to poke the potato and see if it is tender!
- Mash the Potatoes: Once well-drained, mash with the potatoes with a hand masher and with melted butter, warmed milk, and salt & pepper per the recipe below.
To Make Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time
Follow the recipe below and allow the mashed potatoes to cool completely. Once cooled, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To Heat the Potatoes for Serving
Spread them into a greased casserole pan, dot with butter if desired and cover. Bake at 325°F until the butter melts and the potatoes are heated through, about 35-40 minutes. If you’d like a browned crust, bake uncovered.
Things to Add to Mashed Potatoes
You can leave these as classic buttery potatoes or add any of the following:
- Sour cream, Greek Yogurt, or cream cheese
- Cheddar, parmesan, or gouda
- Roasted garlic or garlic powder, caramelized onions
- Ranch mix, fresh herbs, chicken broth
- Garnish with extra butter, chives, herbs or thinly sliced green onions.
Freezing Leftovers
You can freeze leftovers and they reheat pretty well in the oven with a little milk. Scoop them into a plastic freezer bag and press flat (this helps them thaw quickly). When you reheat them, add about a tablespoon of milk per cup of potatoes and place them in the oven to reheat (or microwave stirring occasionally).
They are an easy side dish and go perfectly with Mushroom Salisbury Steak, Crock Pot Pork Chops, and of course a roast turkey!
Got Leftovers?
I have four words for you. Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes.
- Loaded Mashed Potato Egg Rolls
- Shepherd’s Pie – Family favorite!
- Colcannon Recipe (Cabbage and Potatoes)
- Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole – Great side dish
- Baked Potato Soup – Creamy and amazing!
Did you love this easy recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!
The Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds potatoes russet or Yukon gold
- 3 cloves garlic optional
- ⅓ cup melted salted butter
- 1 cup milk or cream
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and quarter potatoes, place in a pot of cold salted water.
- Add cloves of garlic (if using) & bring to a boil, cook uncovered 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain well.
- Heat milk on the stove top (or in the microwave) until warm.
- Add butter to the potatoes and begin mashing. Pour in heated milk a little at a time while using a potato masher to reach desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Drain Well: I usually let them sit about 5 minutes or so to completely drain, or even drain well and put them back in the warm pot for a few minutes to make sure all liquid is evaporated.
- Mash by Hand: Use a hand masher or a potato ricer for the creamiest potatoes. A hand mixer, stand mixer or food processor can work, but it can also break down the starches in the potatoes and cause a gummy texture.
- Add BUTTER! There are places you can skimp on the butter and this is not one of them. I like to use salted butter and lots of it (but you can use unsalted and season potatoes to taste). Butter adds a creamy and... well, buttery texture.
- Heat the Cream: Heat your milk/cream before adding. This keeps the potatoes hot and it absorbs better. Add cream/milk a little a time to get the right consistency.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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So delicious!
Using Russet Potatoes followed the recipe and all the hints exactly..and a Success!
An easy no fail recipe!
Great potatoes for thanksgiving dinner!
They th3 best
Just made these a day ahead for Thanksgiving. Very good recipe, but what was most helpful to me as I have always been a cook, is the explanation why you don’t use a mixer for mashed potatoes. Explains why at times they seemed a little on the gummy side. Thank you!
I have been making mashed potatoes for 40 years and have often struggled with inconsistency as I “winged it.” This is the best basic recipe I have ever used. Great info on amounts of ingredients and the tip about melting the butter. I must be a slow learner but I’ll never stress again over messing up my mashed potatoes!
It has taken me one hour to leave a comment. Every time I go to do so, I am thrown off the site!! What’s that about??!! Anyway, I like your recipe, but how about giving the amount per serving. Is it one cup, a half cup?? What?? I have friends coming with diet restrictions, and I need to know how large the serving is with your table of nutrients. Thanks!
Hi Karen, I am sorry for the technical issues you experienced. We do try to include a serving size when possible. For this recipe a serving is approximately ½ cup. We also recommend using an app like MyFitnessPal to accurately calculate nutritional information based on serving size though as ours is only an approximate based on the ingredients we used. I hope that helps!
Just used this brilliant recipe. Everything turned out delicious. Thanks for sharing.
What is the best Potato for making this recipe, Yukon gold or Russet? Can you use a combination of both?
I personally prefer russet (especially with turkey dinner), they have more starch and they’re fluffier. Yukon gold is a bit more buttery in texture.
Wow this was my first time making mashes potatoes so I decided to try this recipe first and everything came out delicious!! I’m not a big cooker but I like making delicious easy meals. So worth the try!
I can’t seem to find the recommended amount of milk/half and half – and the recipe doesn’t show it when I go to print. How much do I need?
You will need 1 cup of milk or cream. The ingredients list has two columns (the milk is on the right column). Enjoy!
This is a lovely recipe and the tips and notes are excellent! I would eat at your home anytime! Thanks!
Yummy
I always seem to not get the salting part right with mashed potatoes. How much salt do you use in the water to boil and add afterwards? I use salted butter. I will also be making 5
pounds of potatoes.
Hi Julie, it’s always based on personal preference but I would say 1-1.5 tablespoons of salt can be added to the water when you’re boiling 5 pounds of potatoes. Then when you are mashing the potatoes, begin with adding a smaller amount of salt and add more if you need to. Try around 1/2 teaspoon per pound to start, then go from there. Let us know how they turn out!
I don’t usually write reviews but this recipe forced me to this! Oh my… this recipe is absolutely delicious and definitely a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing this with us. So so so good!
Thanks so much Sofia, glad you enjoyed it!
I used half the amount of potatoes, same amount of butter, and about 2/3 of the cream. They turned out amazing!!! My boyfriend was floored. Thank you for this amazing recipe. I also followed all the tips!
I’m so excited to make this for Thanksgiving! Looks delicious. If I make it morning of, how do you recommend I prepare it so I can reheat 4-5 hours later? Should I do a full cook-through and then reheat with some milk/butter?
Hi Ari, to make mashed potatoes ahead of time, follow the recipe and allow the mashed potatoes to cool completely. Once cooled, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. To reheat, spread them into a greased casserole pan, dot with butter, and cover. Bake at 325°F until the butter melts and the potatoes are heated through, about 35-40 minutes. If you’d like a browned crust, bake uncovered. I hope that helps!
in Russia, in the village, my grandmother sometimes added cracklings with fried onions instead of butter and called it lumps
These mashed potatoes were PERFECT. They were so delicious and creamy. Can’t wait to make again. Might be the best I’ve ever made. I love your recipes so much (especially your egg salad) and I’m so glad I tried this one out tonight.
Love the sounds of this recipe! Also the reheat version sounds perfect for serving a crowd on time for big dinners! With the Slightly crispy topping…sounds delicious!
OMG! I’m so glad to have found this recipe. I followed the recipe and my potatoes came out so good! Thank you so much! Blessings