Side dishes are absolutely necessary to make main dishes shine! For more amazing side dishes, definitely need to check out these delicious recipes Brown Sugar Carrots, Roasted Parmesan Asparagus, and Lemon Butter Rice.
Best Mashed Potatoes
A good, basic mashed potato recipe is one that every home cook needs to have in their repertoire. These potatoes are the perfect side dish for those Sunday dinners. They are soooo buttery and creamy,
This is a great recipe to make if you are looking for just plain and simple potatoes that aren’t overly jazzed up or use a bunch of ingredients, (like these cheesy garlic mashed potatoes). Still good for holidays, just a little easier. Or try this flavorful twist, boursin mashed potatoes.
It may take a while to wash the potatoes, peel, cut, and boil them. But, the final product is completely worth every bit of work that goes into them!! Mash them with a potato masher, a food mill, or potato ricer for the potato texture you are looking for. Add seasoning (and a lot of butter) and voila! you have achieved greatness!
Why You’ll love this Recipe
- No oven needed: All you do is boil the potatoes and then smash them, you don’t even need an oven. Especially great when the oven space is limited during the holidays.
- Simple ingredients: Only a handful of ingredients are needed for this classic family favorite recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
- Potatoes: To make the best mashed potatoes, you want to use russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. I have also found that a combination of the two works out really well. We will be using large potatoes here.
- Butter: Unsalted butter works best here so that you can adjust the amount of salt added to the recipe.
- Cream Cheese: I like to use full fat block cream cheese or neufchâtel cheese.
- Half and Half: The half and half provides creaminess and loosens up the potatoes a bit. More or less may be used depending on how you like your potatoes. You can also use whole milk or heavy cream.
- Seasoning: pepper, salt or seasoning salt.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes
Here are the basic instructions for how to make the best mashed potatoes. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for full instructions and ingredient amounts.
Recipe Variations
- Add some shredded cheese.
- Mix in your favorite chopped herbs.
- Switch up the cream cheese for sour cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can mashed potatoes be made in advance? Yes, they can be made up two days in advance. When you are ready to eat them, just heat them up on the stove and mix in some cream or milk to help loosen them back up.
How to Store & Reheat
How to store leftovers? Let the mashed potatoes cool and put in an airtight container. They should last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Try these other side dish recipes!
- Green Bean Casserole
- Easy Stuffing Recipe
- Air Fryer Rosemary Butter Carrots
- Paula Deen Corn Casserole
- Air Fryer Cubed Sweet Potatoes
If you’ve tried this easy mashed potato recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes.
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Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 large russet potatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons salt , for the water
- 1/2 cup butter, unsalted, 1 stick
- 8 ounce cream cheese, package
- 1/2-1 cup half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or seasoned salt, if needed
Instructions
- Clean and scrub potatoes. Pat them dry, then peel them.
- Slice potatoes in half lengthwise.
- Add the cut potatoes to a large soup pot and cover with cold water. Salt heavily, around 2-3 tablespoons for 5 potatoes.
- Place on high heat and bring up to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium low. Cook until potatoes are tender all the way through when pierced with a fork, around 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
- Drain the potatoes completely. To dry the potatoes, place them back in the pot and put over high heat for about 30 seconds, this will help get rid of any excess moisture. Turn off the heat.
- Mash each of the potatoes with a potato masher. Then add butter and cream cheese, continue mashing. Add in half and half, salt or seasoned salt, and pepper, mash until well mixed and creamy. Taste to see if more seasonings are needed. Since the potatoes were cooked in salted water, you may not need to add more salt.
Recipe Notes
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- Add some shredded cheese.
- Mix in your favorite chopped herbs.
- Switch up the cream cheese for sour cream.
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Nutrition Information
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