Perfect Mashed Potatoes are dreamy, creamy and down right delicious. You will never need another mashed potato recipe again!
This is a tried and true generation from generation recipe! Perfectly dense but not too thick. Buttery, creamy, fresh and season to absolute mashed potato heaven!
I mean seriously, all I want is to dive fork first into this beautiful bowl. Fluffy, creamy, drizzled with a divine gluten free gravy, does it get any better?
Plus, my great grandmother and grandmother always used a “special” ingredient to make these extra delicious. Wanna guess? A little bit of sugar! My grandmother also said it just added a perfect touch to these starchy potatoes and she is right!
This is a classic holiday side dish. But in our house we make these once a month because my boys (husband and son) go bananas for these Perfect Mashed Potatoes.
Of course the mashed potatoes are fantastic with your traditional turkey dinner but we loved it served with Grilled Chicken, Steak, and BBQ Thai Pork Tenderloin.
Most recipes call for the traditional starchy Russet or Idaho potato. I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes for their extra creamy and light texture. Bonus I do not even have to peel the potato.
Yukon Gold’s are also perfect for Crispy Smashed Potatoes, baked, or even in breakfast casseroles. Just so yummy!
There are so many fun ways to jazz up the Perfect Mashed Potatoes. Let me show you how to take the traditional mashed potatoes and create some fun new ways to eat this dish.
Need a DAIRY FREE OPTION for mashed potatoes? Check out the Different Ideas for Mashed Potatoes or Tips for Success section for subsitutions.
Different Ideas for Mashed Potatoes
- Cajun Mashed Potatoes: My Louisiana Husband loves this one! Add Tony’s Seasonings instead of the salt and pepper. Old Bay seasoning is also perfect!
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes: This one is divine! Add your favorite cheese to the mix. I love a good Horseradish Cheddar, but gouda, goat cheese, Boursin, and even blue cheese are amazing!
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Instead of a stick of regular butter, add a stick of Garlic and Herb Butter.
- Bacon Mashed Potatoes: I mean who doesn’t love bacon? Sprinkle some on top for a little extra crunch or even better……
- Loaded Mashed Potatoes: Take that bacon, add some cheddar cheese, sliced spring onions and you have potato perfection! Can you tell what is my favorite. 🙂
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Just substitute your Russet, Idaho, Red or my favorite Yukon Gold potatoes for sweet potatoes and you will have an entirely different but delicious Perfect Mashed Potatoes.
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes: This is actually quite simple. Add you have to do is substitute the butter for a nondairy/vegan option. Miyoko Butter is a great option. Instead of milk you can use canned coconut milk. This will give it such a creamy and velvet texture to your mashed potatoes. And Violife cream cheese, it is a favorite in our house.
Ok, have I convinced you there are so many reason to love these Perfect Mashed Potatoes? I think we can agree that these creamy, smooth, and buttery bites of heaven are worth making!
Let’s get started!
Jump to:
How to make perfect mashed potatoes
- First, slice potatoes into 1 inch cubes.
- Then place potato cubes into a large pot and cover with water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. Place the lid on top and turn your stove to high heat.
- Boil the potatoes til fork tender. Place a fork in a potato. If you can easily pierce the potato and it is tender, that is perfect. The time depends on how many pounds of potatoes you have. Should take between 20-30 minutes once it starts to boil.
- Next drain the potatoes very well and place them in a mixing bowl. Add room temperature butter and a block of cream cheese.
- The heat of the potatoes will help to mix everything together. Place your hand held mixer or stand mixer in the bowl and start to “mash” or blend together.
- Add salt, pepper, and sugar (my grandmother’s “secret” ingredient) to the bowl and mix again.
- Finally add the half and half (coconut milk for dairy free) and mix until everything is creamy and perfect!
- You can either serve in that dish or place in a pretty dish and serve nice and warm!
Tips for success
- DAIRY FREE OPTIONS: If you need a dairy free option, it is quite simple. All you need to do is swap the butter for a vegan or nondairy option. I like to use ghee or Miyoko vegan butter. Instead of half and half use unsweetened canned coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk. Either work just great. The coconut milk is a similar texture to the half and half because of the fat content. Violife is a fantastic option for a nondairy cream cheese.
- Same sure to slice the potatoes the same size. This will help to get an even cook time and to ensure all your potatoes are cooked nice and tender.
- I find it helpful to have a colander inside the actual pot. Click the link for an example. I feel it is easier when dealing with hot water. It is also perfect for spaghetti noddles.
- Make sure to really drain those potatoes. We do not want excess water in the pot. Shake the pot and release the extra steam also. Trust me it does make a difference.
- Season along the way! Place 2 teaspoons of salt in the water while the potatoes are boiling.
- You can easily prep and make these Perfect Mashed Potatoes ahead of time. That especially helps when you are trying to prep for your holiday dinners. Mashed Potatoes can be made up to 48 hours in advance! They reheat perfectly!
How to store and reheat mashed potatoes
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
They are so many ways to reheat Mashed Potatoes. You can reheat them in the microwave, oven, and even the slow cooker. This is perfect when you need to make these ahead of time. Below are instructions on how to do each option.
REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS:
MICROWAVE:
Reheating the entire dish: place the microwave safe dish in the microwave with a glass lid and heat for 3-5 minutes. Make sure to check and stir them halfway through. Add a little butter and half and half if they are slightly dry.
Reheating a single serving: Place mashed potatoes on a microwave safe dish. Reheat 45-60 seconds or until nice and warm all the way through.
OVEN: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the potatoes in an oven safe dish with a glass lid. Bake for 30 minutes to reheat. Double check to make sure the potatoes are nice and warm throughout.
SLOW COOKER: Place the Mashed Potatoes in a slow cooker on low heat. Reheat for 2 hours or until nice and warm throughout.
I hope you have enjoyed my version of Perfect Mashed Potatoes. If you have tried the recipe, please leave a comment and review below.
Check out some of my other yummy side dishes:
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Potatoes I prefer Yukon Gold
- 1 stick Butter
- 1 block Cream Cheese
- 1/2 cup Half and Half
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Salt +2 teaspoons of salt for the water
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- First, slice the potatoes in cubes. Make sure they are all about the same size.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover them with water and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Turn your stove to high heat. Place a lid on the pot.
- Once they have been boiling for 30 minutes, pierce them with a fork. They should be tender and fall apart. If not keep cooking until they reach that point.
- Then drain the potatoes very well. Try not to have any excess moisture. Shake the colander really well and it will help to release the steam.
- Next place cooked potatoes in a large bowl. Add butter and cream cheese, with a hand held mixer or stand mixer beat on medium speed until it is all incorporated. Then add salt, pepper, and sugar. Mix well. Finally add the half and half and beat until it is creamy and fluffy. Serve warm.
Notes
- DAIRY FREE OPTIONS: If you need a dairy free option, it is quite simple. All you need to do is swap the butter for a vegan or nondairy option. I like to use ghee or Miyoko vegan butter. Instead of half and half use unsweetened canned coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk. Either work just great. The coconut milk is a similar texture to the half and half because of the fat content.
- Same sure to slice the potatoes the same size. This will help to get an even cook time and to ensure all your potatoes are cooked nice and tender.
- I find it helpful to have a colander inside the actual pot. Click the link for an example. I find it easier when dealing with hot water. It is also perfect for spaghetti noddles also.
- Make sure to really drain those potatoes. We do not want excess water in the pot. Shack the pot and release the extra steam also. Trust me if does make a difference.
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