• Side Dishes
  • Creamy Mashed Potatoes

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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.

    homemade mashed potatoes in a serving bowl

    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.
    close up image of mashed potatoes in a bowl

    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.
    process images of making 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!

    a scoop of creamy potatoes on a serving spoon

    Potatoes Are Healthy

    While potatoes are not paleo or low-carb, they are healthy because they are a whole food that hasn’t been processed and is rich in nutrients and loaded with vitamins – vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium and they are a good source of fiber and carbohydrates. Since potatoes are so good for you and relatively low in calories and sodium, some people are losing weight with the potato diet (eating only potatoes for months). I consider everything healthy that you can plant yourself in your garden and eat right away. Because potatoes are high in carbs, I tend to eat in moderation and not overindulge in potatoes. Even though that can be really hard when they are so good – so creamy and rich.

    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.

    homemade mashed potatoes from scratch in a serving bowl

    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.

    More Easy Side Dishes

    Creamy Mashed Potatoes
    5 from 13 votes
    Print Review Pin It!

    Creamy Mashed Potatoes

    These creamy mashed potatoes are ultra-fluffy, velvety, and rich. They have so much richness and flavor – a perfect side dish for any meal.
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 507kcal

    INGREDIENTS

    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.

    TIPS & NOTES

    There is a fine line between creamy and gluey mashed potatoes. I have tried several different ways, and here are my tips for the perfect creamy 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.
    • If you use a mixer to whip the potatoes, mix on low speed so you don’t overmix them.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 1238mg | Potassium: 1261mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1165IU | Vitamin C: 32.3mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 9.2mg
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Keyword 4th of July, Christmas, Comfort Food, Easter, Egg-Free, Gluten Free, Nut-Free, Thanksgiving
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    Comments

    Candy Powell

    5 stars
    That’s how I do mine. But I use both butter and milk.

    MARYANA

    5 stars
    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!

    Nazar Veselovich

    5 stars
    Neli, thanks! Very tasty potatoes turned out. Very cool photos!

    Meghan McMorrow

    5 stars
    Definitely going to be my side dish to bring to the Thanksgiving Day party!

    Ela

    5 stars
    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!!

    Pol

    5 stars
    Nothing more comforting than creamy mashed potatoes! These look amazing!

    Vita Malinova

    5 stars
    Mashed potatoes are such wonderful comfort foods especially in this weather. These look lovely and very inviting. 🙂

    Dara Whitelaw Michalski

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness, this is the most beautiful potato dish I’ve ever seen!

    Veena Azmanov

    5 stars
    This is an awesome lunch recipe, Neli! Can’t wait to prepare such an easy and palatable dish.

    Kat

    5 stars
    Wow! You made these potatoes look so beautiful and enticing. These may just make an appearance at my table…

    Melissa @Insiderthekitchen.com

    5 stars
    Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had ? Thank you for the recipe!

    annie@ciaochowbambina

    5 stars
    Velvety potato perfection! I can never say no to mashed potatoes! These look divine!

    Vicki | farmhousekitchensandfrenchpears

    5 stars
    Great recipe!

    Paul Newsome

    Creamy mashed potatoes are NOT American cuisine, they are global!

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      🙂 I know Paul! My recipe card allows me to pick only one country, there wasn’t an option for ‘global’. 🙂 But I agree with you, they are international cuisine. I will ask the developer to update the cuisine options on the recipe card.
      Anyhow, thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoy these creamy mashed potatoes if you try them soon. 🙂

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