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Presenting my all-time favorite mashed potatoes recipe! These homemade mashed potatoes are perfectly rich and creamy, full of great flavor, easy to make, and always a crowd fave.
Friends! It has come to my attention that in nine years of blogging, I have somehow neglected to share with you my go-to recipe for this most classic of classic side dishes, which simply will not do with Thanksgiving — the ultimate celebration of side dishes — just around the corner.
So today, allow me to present my tried-and-true, back-pocket, made-’em-a-million-times, always-a-crowd-fave, all-time-favorite mashed potatoes recipe. ♡
Now of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion about exactly what constitutes the best mashed potatoes recipe. But if I’m the one put in charge potatoes for Thanksgiving, this recipe is my idea of perfection. These mashed potatoes are indulgently buttery, creamy, tangy, and made with a subtle hint of garlic (or you’re welcome to add much more, if you’d like). They are perfectly dense and thick (not the whipped and ultra-light variety). They feature not one, but two popular kinds of potatoes (whose skins you are welcome to leave on or peel off). They can be mashed as smooth or as chunky as you prefer. Oh, and they’re also incredibly easy to make ahead of time and reheat in the microwave if you have a busy menu lineup and would like to prep them ahead of time.
Basically, they’re total winners, and I’m pretty sure you’re going to love them too. So if you’re looking for a winning homemade mashed potatoes recipe, bookmark this one and my favorite mushroom gravy and let’s mash some potatoes together!
The BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe | 1-Minute Video
5 Tips For How To Make The Best Mashed Potatoes
Alright, before we get to the actual recipe, here are a few essential mashed potato tips to always keep in mind:
Use a blend of potatoes. Some people have a strong preference for starchy Russet potatoes or buttery Yukon golds, but I highly recommend using a 50/50 mixture of both! It’s a tip I picked up from The New York Times years ago, and I’m convinced that the mixture gives you the best of both worlds.
Avoid waterlogging your potatoes. Too much water is the enemy of mashed potatoes, but the good news is that it’s easy to avoid. Simply:
Cut your potatoes before boiling. I know, so many of us grew up boiling whole potatoes. But the problem is that large, whole potatoes cook unevenly. So instead, cut your potatoes into evenly sized smaller pieces for quick and even boiling.
Don’t overboil. Or maybe the tip should be, don’t multitask too much near the end of the potatoes’ cooking time. ;) You want to keep a close eye on them. As soon as a dinner knife can be inserted easily into a potato with minimal resistance, they’re ready to go.
Pan “dry” after cooking. Immediately after the potatoes have been drained, return them to the hot stockpot, and place it back on the hot burner over low heat. Hold the stockpot handles with oven mitts, and gently shake the pan for about 1 minute to release some of the steam and moisture from the potatoes. Then remove the pan from the heat and set it aside, and your potatoes will be ready to mash
Don’t overmix! In general, you want to stir the liquids into your mashed potatoes until they are just combined. Otherwise if you overmix, they can crossover into gummy territory, which is no good.
Season with salt along the way. We will use fine sea salt to season the potatoes both (1) in the water while they are boiling and (2) afterwards, when adding in the butter, milk and cream cheese. As always when seasoning a recipe, taste-taste-taste along the way while you are preparing the recipe, and add more salt as needed.
Invest in your preferred kind of masher. If you like slightly chunky mashed potatoes, I recommend this OXO masher. If you like smooth mashed potatoes, I recommend this smooth OXO masher.
Mashed Potato Ingredients
Ok, before we get to the full recipe at the bottom of this post, here are a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade mashed potatoes recipe:
Potatoes: As mentioned above, I’m a big fan of using a mixture of half Yukon gold potatoes and half Russets. It gives you the best of both worlds — starchy and waxy potatoes — and they cook alongside one another beautifully. Although you are welcome to use just one variety of potatoes, if you prefer.
Garlic: When serving these to a crowd, I like to add just 2-3 cloves to give just a subtle undertone of garlic to the recipe. But if making them for myself, I will toss in up to a dozen cloves. I adore good garlic mashed potatoes.
Butter: When I eat mashed potatoes, I go all-out and want them to taste nice and buttery. We don’t add as much butter here as many recipes do, because the other ingredients help to make them nice and creamy, but you are of course welcome to add in more butter if you would like. If you are eating dairy-free and/or vegan, feel free to use vegan butter.
Milk: I always use whole cow’s milk in my mashed potatoes. But you are welcome to amp things up with half and half or heavy cream, if you prefer. Or alternately, you can use a lighter milk or plain plant-based milk.
Cream Cheese: I always grew up making mashed potatoes with cream cheese and enjoy the slight extra tangy and creaminess that it adds. Be sure that your cream cheese is room temperature and cut into small 1-inch chunks, for easy melting into the potatoes.
Fine sea salt: Which we will use to season the potatoes at different points while cooking. (If you only have iodized table salt on hand, note that its flavor is different and stronger so you will need to use a bit less.)
Toppings (Optional): I like to sprinkle on some chopped chives or green onions, for some extra color and freshness. Plus lots and lots of freshly-cracked black pepper. But feel free to add on what you’d like!
How To Make Mashed Potatoes
To make mashed potatoes, simply…
Cut the potatoes. Again, feel free to peel your potatoes or leave the skins on. (I always leave them on for the extra nutrients and flavor.) Then cut your potatoes into evenly-sized chunks, about an inch or so thick. Then transfer them to a large stockpot full of cold water until all of the potatoes are cut and ready to go.
Pro tip: If you are prepping ingredients for a big meal ahead of time, the potatoes can chill in the cold water for up to 4 hours before boiling. Just add a few ice cubes to the water to be sure that it stays cold.
Boil the potatoes. Once all of your potatoes are cut, be sure that there is enough cold water in the pan so that the water line sits about 1 inch above the potatoes. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon salt to the water. Then turn on high heat until the water comes to a boil. And boil the potatoes for about 10-12 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle of a potato goes in with almost no resistance. Carefully drain out all of the water.
Prepare your melted butter mixture. Meanwhile, as the potatoes are boiling, heat your butter, milk and an additional 2 teaspoons of sea salt together either in a small saucepan or in the microwave until the butter is just melted. (You want to avoid boiling the milk.) Set aside until ready to use.
Pan-dry the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the hot stockpot, and then place the stockpot back on the hot burner, turning the heat down to low. Using two oven mitts, carefully hold the handles on the stockpot and shake it gently on the burner for about 1 minute to help cook off some of the remaining steam within the potatoes. Then remove the stockpot entirely from the heat.
Mash the potatoes. Using your preferred kind of masher (see above), mash the potatoes to your desired consistency.
Stir everything together. Then pour half of the melted butter mixture over the potatoes, and fold it in with a wooden spoon or spatula until potatoes have soaked up the liquid. Repeat with the remaining butter. And then again with the cream cheese. Fold each addition in until just combined to avoid overmixing, or else you will end up with gummy potatoes.
Taste and season. One final time, adding in extra salt (plus black pepper, if you would like) to taste.
Serve warm. Then serve warm, garnished with any extra toppings that you might like, and enjoy!! ♡
Garlic mashed potatoes: To make your mashed potatoes extra garlicky, feel free to double or triple the amount of garlic added to this recipe. Or, feel free to roast a head of garlic while the potatoes are boiling and add the roasted cloves to the mash for extra-rich flavor.
Loaded mashed potatoes: To make loaded mashed potatoes, add in lots of shredded cheddar, crispy bacon and chopped green onions. And if you’d like to add a kick, sliced jalapeños are always a great idea!
Vegan mashed potatoes: To make these potatoes vegan, sub in vegan butter, plain almond milk, and vegan cream cheese (or omit the cream cheese entirely, if you would like).
Mashed sweet potatoes: To make mashed sweet potatoes, simply sub in sweet potatoes in place of your Russets and Yukon golds.
Mashed red potatoes: If you happen to be partial to red potatoes, this recipe will also work well using 100% red potatoes.
Good news — if you are interested in make-ahead mashed potatoes, there are a few different ways that you can prep this recipe ahead of time and then reheat it without sacrificing good texture. Feel free to:
Soak the uncooked potatoes for up to 4 hours: If you would like to prep just the raw potatoes ahead of time, they can hold in a stockpot (or large bowl) of cold water for up to 4 hours. You can either store this in the fridge, or just add in a couple of ice cubes every few hours to keep the water cold.
Make ahead and refrigerate, then rewarm: If you are cooking your mashed potatoes longer in advance, transfer them to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or an airtight lid (leaving at least an inch of space between the surface of the potatoes and the wrap/lid). Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Then you can either reheat the potatoes in the:
Microwave: Poke a few holes in the plastic wrap and microwave the potatoes on 75% power until hot, stirring every 3-4 minutes.
Crock-Pot: Transfer potatoes to a slow cooker and heat on “high” for 1 hour, covered, or until hot.
Instant Pot: Transfer potatoes to a pressure cooker and heat on the “warm” setting for 1 hour, covered, or until hot.
Oven: Transfer potatoes to a large stockpot and heat, covered, at 350°F for 30 minutes or until hot.
Other Favorite Potato Recipes
Looking for more potato recipes? Feel free to check out a few other faves here on the blog, such as:
These homemade mashed potatoes are perfectly rich and creamy, full of great flavor, easy to make, and always a crowd fave. See notes above for tips and possible recipe variations. And also, feel free to halve this recipe if you would like to make a smaller batch.
Ingredients
Scale
5 pounds potatoes (I use half Yukon Gold, half Russet potatoes)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
fine sea salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup whole milk
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
toppings: chopped fresh chives or green onions, freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
Cut the potatoes. Feel free to peel your potatoes or leave the skins on. Then cut them into evenly-sized chunks, about an inch or so thick, and transfer them to a large stockpot full of cold water.
Boil the potatoes. Once all of your potatoes are cut, be sure that there is enough cold water in the pan so that the water line sits about 1 inch above the potatoes. Stir the garlic and 1 tablespoon sea salt into the water. Then turn the heat to high and cook until the water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high (or whatever temperature is needed to maintain the boil) and continue cooking for about 10-12 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle of a potato goes in easily with almost no resistance. Carefully drain out all of the water.
Prepare your melted butter mixture. Meanwhile, as the potatoes are boiling, heat the butter, milk and an additional 2 teaspoons of sea salt together either in a small saucepan or in the microwave until the butter is just melted. (You want to avoid boiling the milk.) Set aside until ready to use.
Pan-dry the potatoes. After draining the water, immediately return the potatoes to the hot stockpot, place it back on the hot burner, and turn the heat down to low. Using two oven mitts, carefully hold the handles on the stockpot and shake it gently on the burner for about 1 minute to help cook off some of the remaining steam within the potatoes. Remove the stockpot entirely from the heat and set it on a flat, heatproof surface.
Mash the potatoes. Using your preferred kind of potato masher (I recommend this one in general, or this one for extra-smooth), mash the potatoes to your desired consistency.
Stir everything together. Then pour half of the melted butter mixture over the potatoes, and fold it in with a wooden spoon or spatula until potatoes have soaked up the liquid. Repeat with the remaining butter, and then again with the cream cheese, folding in each addition in until just combined to avoid over-mixing. (Feel free to add in more warm milk to reach your desired consistency, if needed.)
Taste and season. One final time, taste the potatoes and season with extra salt if needed.
Serve warm. Then serve warm, garnished with gravy or any extra toppings that you might like, and enjoy!
I make the same basic recipe as above all the time. I use buttermilk instead plus I mash or whip in parsley and chives. Then more for serving. Pass the gravy please. :-))
Love the combination potato tip and the roasted garlic suggestion. Plan to try it this weekend. Perfect comfort food for the looming holiday season!
Brittany —
It tastes so good but I was just wondering how many calories and what the servings size is I know it says it yields about 10-12 people but I want to know for one person
As someone who is not a “serious cook”, I appreciate the tips, shopping list and steps sections of your post. All I need to know is laid out in a simple fashion.
These look great! This year I am going to try this recipe with one little modification – I recently started cooking potatoes for mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot! I think it will quicken up the process, have less going on the stove, and keep the potatoes from getting too wet through boiling. Excited to try the potato blend and cream cheese! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Girl, you’ve out done yourself! I ADORE all of your recipes and always could not find the right way to make mashed potatoes, either they were way to watery or chunky. Just made this and it’s perfection, this recipe is now my back pocket kinda recipe too! Thanks so much!!
I adapted this for 2 servings. I used the garlic and cream cheese and followed the recipe as written. I enjoy your blog very much. I so appreciate your clear directions and all the tips and suggestions for variations. I added chives from my garden. I will make these again!
I saw Gordon Ramsay do this method with sweet potatoes and I thought I would try it with regular mashed potatoes and being an Irishman who eats everything potatoes even raw. (That comes from my mom’s mom). These are the best mashed potatoes I have ever tasted and everyone else I have served them too agree. So make your potatoes as usual. I never thought to mix different kinds , which I will be doing next. But I always used red and I leave the skin on. In a pan ,add butter and sauté red onions and throw in whole cloves of garlic to roast a bit as well. Once the garlic is slightly browned , remove them and mash them with a fork in a bowl and once the onions are cooked , I like them a little brown as well. Toss the garlic back in. Take your pan dried potatoes and throw them in with the onion and garlic with the heat on very low or off. Mash them in the pan and then add your milk and more butter if desired. Personally, I like to fold in a bit of shredded parm. Again that’s entirely up to you. This adds a great kick to the base potatoes.
TIP: I like unsalted butter because it’s really easy to over season with salted butter and unsalted butter is the way butter was originally made.
This is a great recipe, however, I have a few alterations. I cut up several sweet onions and have them in a separate pan, slowly cooking them with butter, salt and pepper until they are carmelized. I add them to the potatoes just before I am finished mashing them. I also use sour cream in place of the cream cheese. These have been a crowd pleaser for years!!!
Willy —
In other words you came here to posit your own recipe?
I have not tried this recipe yet but I am planning on using it this weekend for Friends giving do you think that it is something I can make the day before and re heat in the oven and then keep warm in the crock pot?
Jack —
The best mashed potatoes are just potatoes and a little bit of salt and pepper guess I just like potatoes
Can I reheat these in one of those half sheet aluminum pans if my pot isn’t oven safe?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try this recipe it looks perfect!
Mills —
I am making for tomorrow and definitely reheating! I’m sure they will taste just as good and I believe aluminum pans are the way to go! Happy Thanksgiving!
I just made these and they’re perfect! Delicious and decadent without being heavy and I love the addition of cream cheese instead of sour cream. Will be my go to recipe from now on. Thank you so much!!!
These are probably the best homemade mashed potatoes I’ve had. Super yummy. I think my cut up potatoes cooked faster than the Cook time listed in this recipe
Also do not believe websites that tell you that you can keep mashed potatoes warm in a crock pot for up to four hours – I did this and it wayyy over cooked mine. Next year I will use the same recipe but only keep them warm in crock pot for up to 1.5 hr or less
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving with half Russet and half gold potatoes. I left the skins on the gold. It turned out great! Such a good flavor and texture. Will definitely make again!
My best mashed potatoes ever! I did have to make them dairy free due to an allergy, so I used Oatmilk and Kite Hill cream cheese. The methods in the recipe definitely produce amazing mashed potatoes!
Ali, you have done it again! I made these mashed potatoes for the first time for my daughter’s birthday party. The recipe was easy to follow and the mashed potatoes were an incredible hit with everyone! So much so that I was asked to make them three days later for our families Christmas celebration. I did add a fresh spring of rosemary to mine as I appreciate that flavor but it’s not needed. The mashed potatoes came out so creamy, flavorful, and felt indulgent. Thankful to have another delicious recipe from gimme some oven in my arsenal.
I didn’t grow up in a mashed potato making house (more like microwave the premade stuff-which I have no issue with) and I’ve found trying to make them on my own has been difficult with mixed results. This recipe is perfect. I just dialed down the amount to make much less to use up some potatoes and ingredients on hand and this was the perfect formula to make them. Thank you!
Made these tonight and they came out super good. I only used half of the cream cheese that the recipe called for, because that’s what we had and they were great. I love your suggestion on mixing the butter with the milk beforehand, instead of just dumping all the wet ingredients over the drained potatoes and then mashing – flavor was better and I found that I didn’t need as much milk or butter than I usually do.
Gotta give credit where credit is due. Came upon this recipe and decided to give it a try. So glad I did. I’m not much of a cook but these were easy to make and the most creamy and flavorful mashed potatoes I’ve made thus far.
When I make mashed potatoes I NEVER have even one tiny lump of unmashed potato. Growing up I watched my mother cook, and she perfected every recipe. She considered having even one lump in her mashed potatoes a mortal sin. Same with her gravy…no lumps! I mash, mash and mash some more until I have nary a lump.
Restaurant’s need to specify on their menus whether their potatoes are mashed with NO lumps or smashed. My palate is unable to tolerate smashed potatoes.
Christina- the (not so often) cook trying recipes —
Reply
At first seeing that this recipe called for 5 pounds of potatoes I thought I would be making too much, but honestly it was perfect for 4 people with a small container filled of leftover.
I am a beginner at cooking and the recipe was extremely simplistic and myself, my boyfriend, and friends LOVED them!
(only alteration was using 1 cup of half and half over the cup of heavy cream)
Already making them again for tonight’s dinner for my family!
I made these mashed potatoes exactly as the recipe stated except I swapped 1% milk for whole. These were absolutely divine. So good that you don’t even need any gravy or anything extra to make ‘em good! Will making these time and time again.
Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made! I put the potatoes through a ricer after drying to make them extra light. Also, If you aren’t serving them immediately, save 1/3 cup of the water the potatoes were boiled in and add before serving to make them fluffy.
This was my first time ever making mashed potatoes, and I’m so glad I clicked on this recipe!! Clear, straightforward, and simple. I used red potatoes and peeled half, left the skin on half. It was the perfect ratio. Ended up adding garlic salt to up the garlicky taste but man they were YUMMY!
This recipe turned out better than expected! I used half heavy cream and extra garlic with the skins on and they are some of the beat potatoes I have ever had!! They could be served in any nice restaurant!
I was looking for a basic mashed recipe because it’s been so long since I made them. I love your “Feel free to…” parts. They relax you letting you know not everything has to be exactly a certain way. I also like the full fat ingredients. Fat is flavor. Thanks. I’ve added this site to my favorites now.
I am making this for thanksgiving and need to transfer it 20 min in the car then want to keep it warm so we can eat. Has anyone put the mashed potatoes in a crock pot on low to keep it warm so it can stay hot? I don’t want it to turn out dry
Lindsay —
It says you can put it in a crockpot on high for up to an hour, but I’m scared to try it!
yummy nummy in my tummy ima kid so uh i cant make this hehe aw Gordon Ramsay do this method with sweet potatoes and I thought I would try it with regular mashed potatoes and being an Irishman who eats everything potatoes even raw. (That comes from my mom’s mom). These are the best mashed potatoes I have ever tasted and everyone else I have served them too agree. So make your potatoes as usual. I never thought to mix different kinds , which I will be doing next. But I always used red and I leave the skin on. In a pan ,add butter and sauté red onions and throw in whole cloves of garlic to roast a bit as well. Once the garlic is slightly browned , remove them and mash them with a fork in a bowl and once the onions are cooked , I like them a little brown as well. Toss the garlic back in. Take your pan dried potatoes and throw them in with the onion and garlic with the heat on very low or off. Mash them in the pan and then add your milk and more butter if desired. Personally, I like to fold in a bit of shredded parm. Again that’s entirely up to you. This adds a great kick to the base potatoes.
TIP: I like unsalted butter because it’s really easy to over season with salted butter and unsalted butter is the way butter was originally made.
Looks yummy!~ Maybe you could put kimchi in the mashed potatoes!
I make the same basic recipe as above all the time. I use buttermilk instead plus I mash or whip in parsley and chives. Then more for serving. Pass the gravy please. :-))
Love the combination potato tip and the roasted garlic suggestion. Plan to try it this weekend. Perfect comfort food for the looming holiday season!
It tastes so good but I was just wondering how many calories and what the servings size is I know it says it yields about 10-12 people but I want to know for one person
As someone who is not a “serious cook”, I appreciate the tips, shopping list and steps sections of your post. All I need to know is laid out in a simple fashion.
These look great! This year I am going to try this recipe with one little modification – I recently started cooking potatoes for mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot! I think it will quicken up the process, have less going on the stove, and keep the potatoes from getting too wet through boiling. Excited to try the potato blend and cream cheese! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Girl, you’ve out done yourself! I ADORE all of your recipes and always could not find the right way to make mashed potatoes, either they were way to watery or chunky. Just made this and it’s perfection, this recipe is now my back pocket kinda recipe too! Thanks so much!!
I adapted this for 2 servings. I used the garlic and cream cheese and followed the recipe as written. I enjoy your blog very much. I so appreciate your clear directions and all the tips and suggestions for variations. I added chives from my garden. I will make these again!
I saw Gordon Ramsay do this method with sweet potatoes and I thought I would try it with regular mashed potatoes and being an Irishman who eats everything potatoes even raw. (That comes from my mom’s mom). These are the best mashed potatoes I have ever tasted and everyone else I have served them too agree. So make your potatoes as usual. I never thought to mix different kinds , which I will be doing next. But I always used red and I leave the skin on. In a pan ,add butter and sauté red onions and throw in whole cloves of garlic to roast a bit as well. Once the garlic is slightly browned , remove them and mash them with a fork in a bowl and once the onions are cooked , I like them a little brown as well. Toss the garlic back in. Take your pan dried potatoes and throw them in with the onion and garlic with the heat on very low or off. Mash them in the pan and then add your milk and more butter if desired. Personally, I like to fold in a bit of shredded parm. Again that’s entirely up to you. This adds a great kick to the base potatoes.
TIP: I like unsalted butter because it’s really easy to over season with salted butter and unsalted butter is the way butter was originally made.
Really terrific
Definitely going to be my side dish to bring to the Thanksgiving Day party!
Yum! Definitely going to try this!
This is a great recipe, however, I have a few alterations. I cut up several sweet onions and have them in a separate pan, slowly cooking them with butter, salt and pepper until they are carmelized. I add them to the potatoes just before I am finished mashing them. I also use sour cream in place of the cream cheese. These have been a crowd pleaser for years!!!
In other words you came here to posit your own recipe?
I have not tried this recipe yet but I am planning on using it this weekend for Friends giving do you think that it is something I can make the day before and re heat in the oven and then keep warm in the crock pot?
The best mashed potatoes are just potatoes and a little bit of salt and pepper guess I just like potatoes
Can I reheat these in one of those half sheet aluminum pans if my pot isn’t oven safe?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try this recipe it looks perfect!
I am making for tomorrow and definitely reheating! I’m sure they will taste just as good and I believe aluminum pans are the way to go! Happy Thanksgiving!
I just made these and they’re perfect! Delicious and decadent without being heavy and I love the addition of cream cheese instead of sour cream. Will be my go to recipe from now on. Thank you so much!!!
Yes, these are the best!
Great recipe
These are probably the best homemade mashed potatoes I’ve had. Super yummy. I think my cut up potatoes cooked faster than the Cook time listed in this recipe
Also do not believe websites that tell you that you can keep mashed potatoes warm in a crock pot for up to four hours – I did this and it wayyy over cooked mine. Next year I will use the same recipe but only keep them warm in crock pot for up to 1.5 hr or less
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving with half Russet and half gold potatoes. I left the skins on the gold. It turned out great! Such a good flavor and texture. Will definitely make again!
My best mashed potatoes ever! I did have to make them dairy free due to an allergy, so I used Oatmilk and Kite Hill cream cheese. The methods in the recipe definitely produce amazing mashed potatoes!
ALI, thanks! Very tasty potatoes turned out. Very cool photos!
Just made this for dinner! Oh my gosh it’s not making it to the table! Everyone is eating it out of the pot! Including my 5 and 4 year old!
Ali, you have done it again! I made these mashed potatoes for the first time for my daughter’s birthday party. The recipe was easy to follow and the mashed potatoes were an incredible hit with everyone! So much so that I was asked to make them three days later for our families Christmas celebration. I did add a fresh spring of rosemary to mine as I appreciate that flavor but it’s not needed. The mashed potatoes came out so creamy, flavorful, and felt indulgent. Thankful to have another delicious recipe from gimme some oven in my arsenal.
Made this for the 5th plus time. Didn’t change one thing- and double the garlic as suggested-recipe is the best. Thank you!
I was looking for something like this! Just got a kilo of potatoes!
I didn’t grow up in a mashed potato making house (more like microwave the premade stuff-which I have no issue with) and I’ve found trying to make them on my own has been difficult with mixed results. This recipe is perfect. I just dialed down the amount to make much less to use up some potatoes and ingredients on hand and this was the perfect formula to make them. Thank you!
Made these tonight and they came out super good. I only used half of the cream cheese that the recipe called for, because that’s what we had and they were great. I love your suggestion on mixing the butter with the milk beforehand, instead of just dumping all the wet ingredients over the drained potatoes and then mashing – flavor was better and I found that I didn’t need as much milk or butter than I usually do.
These are to die for!
Thank you for making a killer mashed potatoes recipe easy enough for even me to make. These were sooo good! Your instructions worked like a charm :)
Used this as a topping for a Shepherds pie – worked for me!
Gotta give credit where credit is due. Came upon this recipe and decided to give it a try. So glad I did. I’m not much of a cook but these were easy to make and the most creamy and flavorful mashed potatoes I’ve made thus far.
When I make mashed potatoes I NEVER have even one tiny lump of unmashed potato. Growing up I watched my mother cook, and she perfected every recipe. She considered having even one lump in her mashed potatoes a mortal sin. Same with her gravy…no lumps! I mash, mash and mash some more until I have nary a lump.
Restaurant’s need to specify on their menus whether their potatoes are mashed with NO lumps or smashed. My palate is unable to tolerate smashed potatoes.
At first seeing that this recipe called for 5 pounds of potatoes I thought I would be making too much, but honestly it was perfect for 4 people with a small container filled of leftover.
I am a beginner at cooking and the recipe was extremely simplistic and myself, my boyfriend, and friends LOVED them!
(only alteration was using 1 cup of half and half over the cup of heavy cream)
Already making them again for tonight’s dinner for my family!
I made these mashed potatoes exactly as the recipe stated except I swapped 1% milk for whole. These were absolutely divine. So good that you don’t even need any gravy or anything extra to make ‘em good! Will making these time and time again.
simply awesome, my kids love the recipe
Butter and milk go into mine and I put onion powder ,garlic powder, salt and pepper lots of black pepper! Very good!
Could the cream cheese be added to milk and butter and made into a sauce?
I used this recipe for the quantities but used my pressure cooker. Mashed potatoes done from cutting to plating in less than 10 min!
sounds delicious
So good!
I made this recipe. I covered it with bechamel sauce and baked it for 15 minutes. Love it. Thanks for the recipe ☺️
Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made! I put the potatoes through a ricer after drying to make them extra light. Also, If you aren’t serving them immediately, save 1/3 cup of the water the potatoes were boiled in and add before serving to make them fluffy.
Your website is among one of my favorite features for useful tips. Thanks for sharing
This was my first time ever making mashed potatoes, and I’m so glad I clicked on this recipe!! Clear, straightforward, and simple. I used red potatoes and peeled half, left the skin on half. It was the perfect ratio. Ended up adding garlic salt to up the garlicky taste but man they were YUMMY!
This recipe turned out better than expected! I used half heavy cream and extra garlic with the skins on and they are some of the beat potatoes I have ever had!! They could be served in any nice restaurant!
I was looking for a basic mashed recipe because it’s been so long since I made them. I love your “Feel free to…” parts. They relax you letting you know not everything has to be exactly a certain way. I also like the full fat ingredients. Fat is flavor. Thanks. I’ve added this site to my favorites now.
Loved this recipe! Adding this as my main mashed potato recipe- i definitely added more garlic but it came out perfect!
Is it salted or unsalted butter
I am making this for thanksgiving and need to transfer it 20 min in the car then want to keep it warm so we can eat. Has anyone put the mashed potatoes in a crock pot on low to keep it warm so it can stay hot? I don’t want it to turn out dry
It says you can put it in a crockpot on high for up to an hour, but I’m scared to try it!
yummy nummy in my tummy ima kid so uh i cant make this hehe aw Gordon Ramsay do this method with sweet potatoes and I thought I would try it with regular mashed potatoes and being an Irishman who eats everything potatoes even raw. (That comes from my mom’s mom). These are the best mashed potatoes I have ever tasted and everyone else I have served them too agree. So make your potatoes as usual. I never thought to mix different kinds , which I will be doing next. But I always used red and I leave the skin on. In a pan ,add butter and sauté red onions and throw in whole cloves of garlic to roast a bit as well. Once the garlic is slightly browned , remove them and mash them with a fork in a bowl and once the onions are cooked , I like them a little brown as well. Toss the garlic back in. Take your pan dried potatoes and throw them in with the onion and garlic with the heat on very low or off. Mash them in the pan and then add your milk and more butter if desired. Personally, I like to fold in a bit of shredded parm. Again that’s entirely up to you. This adds a great kick to the base potatoes.
TIP: I like unsalted butter because it’s really easy to over season with salted butter and unsalted butter is the way butter was originally made.
Sounds delicious! I’d love to try this for Thanksgiving. I’m wondering roughly how many this recipe serves? I didn’t see it anywhere.
Thank you.
This makes a really large batch with approximately 10-12 servings. Feel free to halve the recipe if needed! :)