These creamy Mashed Potatoes are the best fluffiest and smoothest mashed potatoes! Extremely easy to make and ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes!
Mashed potatoes are everyone’s favorite side because it totally screams comfort food. Not only are they a must have for any special occasion like Thanksgiving or Christmas, they usually make it to our table for Sunday supper. How can they not be a favorite? They’re creamy, they’re delicious, loaded with milk and butter, what could be better?
There are tons of mashed potato recipes out there, but here’s a basic recipe that we should all have in our cooking repertoire. Once you’ve mastered the art of making this simple basic recipe, you can experiment with different ingredients to take mashed potatoes to the next level.
What potatoes are best
I’ve been making mashed potatoes for years, not going to tell you how many years, but quite a few. In all these years, I’ve always preferred two types of potatoes when making them. Russet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes.
There’s a reason for that. Russet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes will give you the creamiest, fluffiest and most flavorful mash.
Of course you can use other varieties of red or white skinned potatoes, but they will require more mashing in order for them to become creamy.
Ingredients
For the best, yet basic mashed potato recipe, you will require only 5 ingredients:
- Potatoes
- Milk
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
How to make mashed potatoes
As I mentioned, this is a very basic recipe, no fail but still results in super creamy and delicious potatoes. To start make sure you peel the potatoes and cut them into equal size cubes. This will ensure that they all cook evenly and at the same time.
Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 15 to 20 minutes until they are fork tender. Make sure you fill the pot with enough water, the potatoes have to be completely immersed in water.
I like to heat up the milk in the microwave until it’s warm but not boiling hot. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and place them in a large bowl. Add the butter to the potatoes and start mashing them with a potato masher. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer as well. Once smooth add the milk, salt and pepper and continue mashing until you reach your desired consistency.
Other ingredients you can add
Once you’ve mastered this basic recipe, you can add so many other ingredients, almost anything and they will taste incredible! Here are some options:
- Cheese – any cheese like cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese
- Chives
- Other fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme or parsley
- Bacon – yes bacon does make everything better
- Sour cream – it will make super creamy mashed potatoes
- Eggs – raw eggs that is, sometimes I love adding a raw egg to my potatoes, for a little extra richness
How to serve
The great thing about this comforting side dish is that it really does go well with anything. Here are a few suggestions:
Baked Chicken Breast
Garlic Soy Chicken
Chicken in Garlic and Herb Sauce
Pork Schnitzel
Swedish Meatballs
Leftovers
Store leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
You can also freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 10 months.
More great sides to try:
Craving More? Follow Along:
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 pounds potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet
- 6 tablespoon butter unsalted, at room temperature
- 1 cup milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper black or white
Instructions
- Peel and cut the potatoes in equal size pieces so that they all cook at the same time. Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill with cold water. Make sure there is enough water to fully cover the potatoes. Add about 1 tsp of salt to the water and stir.
- Cook uncovered about 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Heat the milk on the stove top or in the microwave until warm, but not boiling hot.
- Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a bowl. Add the butter and begin mashing using a potato masher. Pour in the milk and continue mashing until you reach the desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve while warm.
Tips & Notes:
- Store leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- You can also freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 10 months.
