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These creamy mashed potatoes are ultra-fluffy, velvety, and rich. They have so much richness and flavor – a perfect side dish for any meal.
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Table of Contents
- Why you will love this simple mashed potatoes recipe!
- Ingredients for the Best Mashed Potatoes
- How To Make Homemade Mashed Potatoes
- Recipe Notes and Tips for the Best Mashed Potatoes
- How Many Potatoes Do You Need Per Person
- What To Serve Them With
- How To Make Them Dairy-Free
- More Easy Side Dishes
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
There are so many ways to make homemade mashed potatoes. Some people use only butter, some only milk, and some like to mash them with the skin on or add garlic and spices. I prefer to peel the potatoes. You can make them more chunky or creamier if that’s how you like them. Today, I am sharing with you a recipe for the creamiest mashed potatoes. They are so delicious and buttery, they melt in your mouth.
They are great for the holiday table and everybody will be asking for more. If you make them for a holiday like Thanksgiving, you can place them in the slow cooker and keep them warm until they are ready to serve. Also, this recipe is so easy to make, it has only 3 main ingredients. The other ingredients are salt, pepper, and water for boiling.
Why you will love this simple mashed potatoes recipe!
- Great for a crowd: The Yukon Gold mashed potatoes are perfect for a crowd or a large gathering. And it can be easily doubled.
- Simple ingredients: You only need a handful of ingredients to make this side dish. These savory and creamy potatoes taste absolutely delicious!
- Make ahead: This is a great option if you are planning a big feast and it’s perfect for weekly meal prep. The recipe can be made ahead of time and reheated.
Ingredients for the Best Mashed Potatoes
- Potatoes: I prefer to use Yukon Gold potatoes, but you could also use other types of potatoes like Russet potatoes. Peel them and chop them in large chunks before cooking.
- Butter: I add some butter to make them super creamy and smooth.
- Milk: I prefer to use organic whole milk but you can also use heavy cream, coconut milk or almond milk if you prefer.
- Seasonings: I use only salt and black pepper. And add some chopped fresh parsley, chives or green onions just before serving.
How To Make Homemade Mashed Potatoes
- Place chopped potatoes in a medium pot, add water and boil on high heat on the stove. When they start boiling, cook for 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 15 – 20 minutes until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove the pot from the stove and discard the water. Add butter, milk, salt and black pepper to the potatoes and mash with a potato masher until potatoes are creamy.
- Serve warm.
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Recipe Notes and Tips for the Best Mashed Potatoes
There is a fine line between creamy and gluey potatoes. I have tried several different ways, and here are my tips for the perfect mashed potatoes.
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes – I found that Yukon gold potatoes were perfect. They are naturally creamier than Russet potatoes and have a slight buttery flavor.
- Cut potatoes in large cubes to reduce the cooking time
- Rinse the potatoes – rinsing the potatoes before boiling them helps to intensify their creamy texture without making them gluey.
- Use lots of butter – I used 3/4 cup of butter (1 1/2 sticks). Soften the butter or add it directly to the hot potatoes, but don’t use melted butter.
- Don’t overmix them – mixing or mashing the potatoes for too long will make them gluey.
- I prefer to use potato masher to make creamy potatoes but you could also use a mixer or potato ricer. I wouldn’t recomment to use a blender or a food processor.
- If you use a hand mixer to whip the potatoes, mix at low speed so you don’t overmix them.
- To make garlic mashed potatoes, you can mix in some roasted and mashed garlic cloves (or a whole head of garlic for bigger quantities) for more flavor.
- You can also make Instant pot Mashed Potatoes.
How Many Potatoes Do You Need Per Person
You will need about1/2 lb of potatoes per person, especially since most people tend to pile up on potatoes. When they are fluffy and creamy, they go fast. If you happen to have any leftovers, you can always check out some of my other potato recipes: Potato Patties and Easy Skillet Shepherd’s Pie.
4 people – 2 – 3 pounds
6 people – 3 – 4.5 pounds
12 people – 6 – 9 pounds
If you are wondering how many potatoes you need for 10 people, use about 5 – 7.5 lb or 10 – 15 potatoes. And adjust the amount accordingly if you are making mashed potatoes from scratch for 15, 20, or 30 people.
What To Serve Them With
You can serve these easy mashed potatoes with most types of meat or protein – poultry, beef, pork, lamb. Also, they go great with seafood. Therefore, the options are endless.
I love to serve these potatoes with baked chicken, beef, and pork. For example, you can serve them with my Pork Tenderloin or Meatloaf recipe. The result is an easy comfort food dinner!
How To Make Them Dairy-Free
While a lot of recipes call for milk, if you don’t want to use milk, you can substitute it with coconut milk or almond milk.
More Easy Side Dishes
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Creamy Mashed Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped in chunks
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¾ cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- fresh parsley, optional
Instructions
- Place chopped potatoes in a medium pot, add water and cook on high heat on the stove. When they start boiling, cook for 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 15 – 20 minutes until they are soft when pierced with a fork.
- Remove pot from the stove and discard the water. Add butter, milk, salt and black pepper to the potatoes and mash with a potato masher until potatoes are creamy.
- Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes – I found that Yukon gold potatoes were perfect. They are naturally creamier than Russet potatoes and have a slight buttery flavor.
- Cut potatoes in large cubes to reduce the cooking time
- Rinse the potatoes – rinsing the potatoes before boiling them helps to intensify their creamy texture without making them gluey.
- Use lots of butter – I used 3/4 cup of butter (1 1/2 sticks). Soften the butter or add it directly to the hot potatoes, but don’t use melted butter.
- Don’t overmix them – mixing or mashing the potatoes for too long will make them gluey.
- I prefer to use potato masher to make creamy potatoes.
- If you use a mixer to whip the potatoes, mix on low speed so you don’t overmix them.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary with ingredients, brands, and portion sizes. For accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this recipe is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. I am not a doctor or a dietitian. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance regarding your diet or health. For more details, please read my full disclosure page.
That’s how I do mine. But I use both butter and milk.
I also use both butter and milk, it gives the potatoes that creamy and velvety texture.
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!
Neli, thanks! Very tasty potatoes turned out. Very cool photos!
Definitely going to be my side dish to bring to the Thanksgiving Day party!