Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes (How to Make Mashed Potatoes)
Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes are light, fluffy, and creamy delicious! The secret to making the best creamy mashed potatoes is in our 4-ingredients and the way we mash them. Whether you need an extra side for the holiday table, or for a quick weekend dinner, this is the recipe on How to Make The BEST Creamy Mashed Potatoes! Super easy and one you cannot mess up!
Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes…
- These mashed potatoes are guaranteed to be your favorite side dish to serve with your front-runner dishes.
- Perfect side dish for any holiday, large gathering, or casual dinner party.
- This recipe is very simple, no-fuss to make – and yet, it is loaded with a ton of flavor!
- Best of all, no need for any extra dairy or ingredients to add additional calories and fat to this recipe.
What makes these mashed potatoes better than other recipes?
Too many recipes for mashed potatoes are loaded with a ton of cream cheese, heavy cream, and buttermilk.
Plus, all that “unnecessary” calories and fat only weigh it down.
It’s just not healthy for anyone.
Our recipe for mashed potatoes is both delicious and light for the entire family to enjoy!
These Creamy Mashed Potatoes are not only easy to make, but also very flavorful and fluffy.
We bet these mashed potatoes will be the first side dish everyone will ask for seconds.
Serve them alone or with your favorite gravy on top.
They are SO GOOD!! You’ll just have to try them.
How To Make the Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes?
For this recipe, there are 4 main ingredients.
(Follow along with our step-by-step directions, or jump down to the bottom for our full recipe card!)
Ingredients Needed for Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes:
- POTATOES – choose Russet, Idaho, or Golden Potatoes, and you will need at least 5 large potatoes.
- BUTTER – you will need at least 4 tablespoons and extra to taste.
MILK – 1% low-fat milk, and you will need about 1 cup of milk
- SEASONINGS – some salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste.
*For Dairy-Free?
Use chicken or vegetable broth in place of milk. Also, use vegan butter or olive oil in place of dairy butter.
How Many Potatoes Needed?
- How many potatoes do we need? As a side dish, it’s best to count 1 large potato per person, per serving.
- Then add one extra potato to make sure there is enough for those who adore mashed potatoes.
Directions To Make The Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes:
1. First, gather the potatoes needed. Then peel and coarsely chop the potatoes. (See my notes below).
2. Next, place the potatoes into a ( 4 or 5 quarts) medium-sized saucepot filled with water. Add some salt to the water, about 1/2 teaspoon. Bring to a boil and boil the potatoes for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until a fork can easily slide through the potato.
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander and transfer them back into the pot. Toss in the butter.
4. Start to mash the potatoes with a potato masher and do this in the same pot. Pour in the milk (or broth for dairy-free) and continue to mash them until the milk gets completely absorbed into the potatoes.
5. Add in some salt and black pepper. Taste, and adjust the seasonings.
6. Final step, use a hand-held mixer and blend the potatoes on a medium speed until the potatoes are smooth and creamy about 2 to 3 minutes. You can use a hand-held immersion blender as well. Then transfer mashed potatoes to a serving dish or platter and serve.
Can we warm up the liquid?
Yes, you can warm up the milk (or broth) before adding it to the potatoes. This will ensure the potatoes will be warm and ready to serve.
To Make Ahead…
- Make the mashed potatoes and leave them in the pot, covered, and on the stove until you are ready to serve them.
- When ready to serve, turn on the “lowest” heat, and stir the potatoes until they become warm enough to your liking.
- If you prefer, you can stir in additional milk and add more butter to your desired consistency.
Great Options for Leftovers…
We love leftovers and have many options to turn them into another delicious side or meal! Here are a few recipes you can make with leftover mashed potatoes:
- Potato-Cauliflower Soup – allows you to use mashed potatoes to make a creamy soup quickly and easily!
- Mashed Potato Cakes (Croquettes) – allows you to whip up these potato croquettes in minutes! Perfect little side, and freezes well too!
- Mom’s Best Mashed Potato Pie – a delicious side dish that is baked into a small casserole with a few additional ingredients. It is divine!
Finally, More Comfort Side Recipes…
- Mom’s Best Mashed Potato Pie
- Mashed Cauliflower (Vegan)
- Sweet Mashed Potatoes with Mascarpone
- Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Cauli-Potatoes
- Mashed Potato Cakes (Croquettes)
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes (How to Make Mashed Potatoes)
Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes are light, fluffy, and creamy-delicious. The secret to making the best creamy mashed potatoes is in our 4-ingredients and the way we mash them. A simple, easy, and healthy side dish to serve with your favorite entrees.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
- 5 large Russet or Idaho potatoes - peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 4 Tbps. butter and extra (to taste)
- 1 cup of 1% low-fat milk, plus extra if needed
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters or more. Toss the potatoes into a medium-size, or 3-quart pot. Fill with water just enough to be leveled or above the potatoes.
- Toss in 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the water and bring water to a boil. Boil the potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a fork will go through the potatoes easily.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander. Then return the potatoes back to the pot. Toss in the butter and begin to mash them with a potato masher. Mash them until well mashed.
- Next, pour in the milk. You can warm the milk before adding them into the potatoes, or you can turn on the heat under the potatoes (on lowest heat) and continue to mash until the milk gets completely absorbed by the potatoes.
- Taste the mashed potatoes and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Final step: Use a hand-held immersion blender or a hand-held mixer and blend the potatoes on medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes, until they are perfectly smooth and creamy.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4 to 6 servingsServing Size:
1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 8.3gCarbohydrates: 29.9gFiber: 4.3gProtein: 4.4g
…Thanks for PINNING!
Nutrition FactsServing size: 1 cup Servings: 6Amount per serving Calories207% Daily Value*Total Fat 8.3g11%Saturated Fat 5.2g26%Cholesterol 22mg7%Sodium 277mg12%Total Carbohydrate 29.9g11%Dietary Fiber 4.3g15%Total Sugars 4.2g Protein 4.4g, Vitamin D 26mcg132%Calcium 67mg5%Iron 1mg5%Potassium 786mg17%.
i have to say i’ve heard the best mash is made with equal parts potato to butter! oh yeah!!
yes, but you can still make awesome mashed potatoes with less butter, and I have to tell you Sherry, these are outstanding! Try them! And let me know.
Since I’ll be using yellow potatoes, so they are not as large as russet, are we talking about 4 lbs of potatoes here? Thank you and I can’t wait to make!
Hi Patricia! Good question. I always measure one large potato per person and then add in one extra to not be short (when using large ones). But with yellow potatoes which are smaller, yes, I would agree to use 4 pounds here.
Also, to be sure… I always count two small potatoes per person. And even toss one extra in. Our mom always advised it’s better to have extra than fewer. 🙂
Thanks so much for contacting us, and we hope you will continue to try our recipes.
Enjoy!!
Mashed potatoes are a must on our holiday table! So simple but so delicious.
Thank you, Susan! Enjoy the weekend! 🙂