February 17, 2026

Cooking Heavenly

Cooking Heavenly

The BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe


This Basic Mashed Potatoes Recipe is creamy and fluffy and prepared in a flash! Comply with my suggestions and methods for one of the best mashed potatoes you’ll ever make.

Ultra Creamy and Fluffy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Everybody’s favourite facet dish for the vacations appears to be a traditional Mashed Potatoes recipe. It’s no marvel, with the buttery and silky clean texture, these potatoes pair completely with roasted turkey, ham and even prime rib.

The Greatest Mashed Potatoes Recipe

There isn’t any fancy substances concerned on this traditional recipe for mashed potatoes, it’s extra concerning the methodology used.

Substances Wanted

Right here’s the essential listing of substances you’ll have to make one of the best mashed potatoes. As at all times, you’ll find the total listing of substances listed within the printable recipe card below.

  • Russet Potatoes or Yukon Gold Potatoes – I like to recommend peeling not less than 50% of the russet potatoes for one of the best texture. Yukon gold potatoes have a really skinny pores and skin so you will get away with leaving peels on.
  • Butter – melted salted or unsalted butter will work.
  • Milk – warmed milk is the important thing to creating silky, scrumptious potatoes
  • Salt & Pepper – season to style as you go!
Cover the potatoes with cool, salted water before bringing to a boil.

How To Make Stovetop Mashed Potatoes

Begin by washing and peeling your potatoes. For this recipe I’ve peeled the potatoes 100% of the best way, however typically I like to depart half the peels on for some added texture. It’s your alternative!

Quarter your potatoes in order that they’re about the identical dimension. This helps them to prepare dinner extra evenly.

Place your potatoes in a big pot and cowl with cool water, simply till the potatoes are lined.

Season with 3/4 tsp salt and convey the pot to a boil, till the potatoes are fork tender.

Drain the potatoes properly and return to the new pot.

Make sure you drain the boiled potatoes really well before mashing

Pour in heat milk, melted butter then season with salt, pepper and my private favourite – a little bit little bit of garlic powder.

Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes to your required consistency.

PRO TIP: Keep away from utilizing an electrical mixer when whipping your potatoes. Over whipping the potatoes will make them further starchy, making a gooey, sticky texture. We’re on the lookout for mild and fluffy right here!

What Kind of Potatoes To Use?

For this recipe I’m utilizing the traditional Russet Potato (or baking potato). It’s tremendous reasonably priced and produces an excellent consistency.

My different favourite potato to make use of for mashing is the Yukon Gold potato. The skins are so skinny that you simply don’t even have to peel them previous to cooking! Both one would work nice.

4 Ideas For How To Make The BEST Mashed Potatoes:

  1. Boiling the Potatoes – The way you begin out could make a giant distinction in the long run. With a purpose to get that excellent consistency, be sure to chop your potatoes BEFORE BOILING. It will assist guarantee even cooking of the potatoes. I normally quarter the potatoes so they’re all about the identical dimension.
    • Begin with cool water that’s been salted, then deliver the combination to a boil.
    • Boil simply till the potatoes are fork tender, don’t allow them to overcook!
    • For this recipe – as soon as the water begins to boil, it ought to solely take about quarter-hour, relying on how huge your potatoes are minimize.
  2. Draining the Potatoes – An excessive amount of water within the potatoes could make for a gritty and grainy mashed potato texture. Be certain to empty the potatoes properly, then toss them again into the drained (sizzling) pan and allow them to sit for an additional couple of minutes to essentially let the moisture evaporate.
  3. Heat Milk & Butter – Don’t shock your sizzling taters with chilly milk and butter! Warmth up your milk (microwave is okay) and butter earlier than including to the freshly drained potatoes.
    • I like to make use of entire milk and salted butter.
    • You may additionally substitute the milk with cream for a extra indulgent dish.
  4. Don’t Over Combine! – Put money into hand masher (this is the one I use) and solely mash till the specified consistency is reached. If you happen to over mash the potatoes you possibly can find yourself with a gummy consistency which is disagreeable.
    • You may additionally use a potato ricer if desired.
    • Keep away from utilizing a hand mixer or stand mixer.

How A lot Potatoes Ought to I Make?

Making mashed potatoes for a crowd and undecided how a lot you’ll want to organize? Comply with this helpful chart to ensure you have simply the correct quantity!

*As a facet dish, it’s best to plan on utilizing 1/2 pound of potatoes per individual.

  • 8 folks – 4 kilos of potatoes (12 oz milk + 6 tbsp butter)
  • 10 folks – 5 kilos of potatoes (15 oz milk + 8 tbsp butter)
  • 12 folks – 6 kilos of potatoes (18 oz milk + 10 tbsp butter)
  • 14 folks – 7 kilos of potatoes (21 oz milk + 12 tbsp butter)
  • 20 folks – 10 kilos of potatoes (30 oz milk + 16 tbsp butter)
  • 25 folks – 13 kilos of potatoes (40 oz milk + 20 tbsp butter)

When doubtful, at all times make extra. Mashed potatoes are nice as leftovers, and excellent for recipes like my Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes.

Pour warm milk and melted butter into the cooked potatoes

How To Retailer and Reheat Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are tremendous straightforward to prep forward after which reheat later, making it an excellent merchandise to examine off your listing a day or two early.

Retailer Mashed Potatoes

Positioned cooked potatoes in an air tight container within the fridge as much as 4 days forward of time. Or freeze for as much as 1 month.

I really like to make use of my Souper Cubes for simple freezing and portioning.

Reheat Mashed Potatoes

Microwave: Cook dinner for two minutes, stir, then prepare dinner one other 2 minutes and stir. Preserve doing this till heated via.

Stovetop: Pour sufficient milk into the underside of the pot to coat and convey to a simmer. Steadily stir within the potatoes till the they’re heated via. Add extra milk to succeed in desired consistency if desired.

Immediate Pot: Add sufficient milk to cowl backside of pot. Flip the moment pot to “heat” setting and add potatoes, stirring each quarter-hour till heated via.

Sluggish Cooker: Coat sides of crockpot with butter then add sufficient milk to cowl the underside of the crockpot and stir within the mashed potatoes. Set to LOW and stir each hour.

Use a hand masher to mash the potatoes to your desired consistency

What To Serve With Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are one of the crucial standard facet dishes in America. You actually can’t go mistaken having them as a facet dish to any considered one of these most important dishes…

The BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Extra Basic Potato Recipes To Strive

In search of extra methods to organize potatoes? I’ve acquired you lined with these spectacular spud recipes.

Stovetop Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Prepare for the BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe you’ve ever made with this straightforward and engaging recipe!

A close up of mashed potatoes

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The BEST Basic Mashed Potatoes Recipe

These creamy and fluffy Mashed Potatoes are easy and straightforward to make with excellent outcomes every time!

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook dinner Time25 minutes

Whole Time40 minutes

Course: Facet Dish

Delicacies: American

Servings: 8

Energy: 288 kcal

Creator: Shawn

Substances

  • 4 lbs. Russet Potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
  • 6 tbsp. butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups entire milk, heated until heat
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

  • Place peeled and quartered (be sure they’re all about the identical dimension) potatoes in a pot and fill with cool water until it reaches the highest of the potatoes. Add 3/4 tsp salt and convey pot to a boil.

  • Cook dinner potatoes simply till they’re fork tender, ought to take about quarter-hour as soon as it reaches a boil. Drain the potatoes in a strainer for a couple of minutes to essentially take away water, then add again to the new pot and let sit for an additional couple of minutes to get all of the moisture out.

  • To the potatoes add the melted butter and heat milk. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes till the milk and butter have been absorbed and potatoes are creamy. *Don’t mash or combine too lengthy or they’ll flip gummy in texture.

  • Season with the remaining salt, garlic powder and black pepper and stir. Style and add extra seasonings if desired.

Notes

For a reasonably presentation, prime with melted butter and freshly chopped parsley!

Vitamin

Energy: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 6g | Fats: 11g | Saturated Fats: 7g | Ldl cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 546mg | Potassium: 1011mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 351IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg

Key phrases: Buttery, Creamy, Simple, Fluffy, Mashed Potatoes

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Ultra Creamy and Fluffy Mashed Potatoes Recipe perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas side dish!