Learn how to make Mashed Potatoes that are incredibly delicious, creamy and buttery! These Classic Mashed Potatoes are made with a handful of ingredients, resulting in the most delicious, whipped and fluffy potatoes you’ll ever try. You can’t go wrong with my mom’s version!
Mom’s Mashed Potatoes
I’m excited to share this recipe with you because it’s my mom’s classic recipe for mashed potatoes and of course I’m biased when I say, they truly are the best mashed potatoes in the world.
She’s been making these all my life, so you know you can trust this recipe! Mashed potatoes really are my favorite side dish, no ifs and/or buts about it. But this is the way my mom has been making these potatoes for years and it’s a no fail recipe.
What Makes My Mom’s Mashed Potatoes Special
What makes my mom’s recipe different? Well I’m sure it’s not much different than many of the mashed potatoes recipes out there, but it is a bit different than how I make mine, not so much in the ingredients, but the way we mash them.
Mom usually goes all out when she makes our Sunday suppers and her mashed potatoes are always light and fluffy and totally whipped. She always uses a mixer to whip them up. I’m a bit lazier than her and I just use a potato masher. Granted, my mashed potatoes aren’t as fluffy, but still good.
Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes – I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes or Russet Potatoes. See “FAQs & Expert Tips” for more info.
- Salt & Pepper – I usually use white pepper, but black pepper works as well, especially if you like to see the black specks in the potatoes.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter in most of my cooking and baking because this way I can control the amount of salt that goes in my food.
- Half and Half or Milk – My mom usually uses milk but if you would like these potatoes to be a bit creamier go with half and half cream which contains 12 % fat. You can even go ahead and use heavy cream which usually contains 38 % fat.
How To Make The Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- Prepare potatoes: Make sure all the potatoes are cut into equal size pieces so that they all cook at the same time. Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill it with cold water, enough to fully cover the potatoes. Add about 1 tsp of salt to the water and stir.
- Boil potatoes: Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain and add the rest of ingredients: Drain the potatoes and add them to the bowl of your mixer. Mix the potatoes using the whisk attachment on medium until mashed. Add the butter, half and half, white pepper and a pinch of salt.
- Mix until smooth: Mix the potatoes until smooth and fluffy. Taste for salt and adjust to taste.
FAQs & Expert Tips
FAQs
The best potatoes for mashing are higher starch potatoes like Yukon golds (my favorite) or Russets. These potatoes will result in the fluffiest, smoothest and most flavor-packed 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.
This is a very basic recipe I’m sharing with you here, however, you can add so many other ingredients, almost anything and they will taste incredible! Some options:
Cheese – any cheese like cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese
Chives – or 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. This is my husband’s favorite, it totally adds a little extra richness
Brown Butter – This adds such a rich nuttiness to the potatoes!
When we made these, we served them with my Garlic and Paprika Chicken as you can see in the photo above. It was a match made in heaven! In my honest opinion, you can serve mashed potatoes with just about ANY dish you can think of. In my house, the answer to what should we serve this with? It is ALWAYS mashed potatoes!
You better believe it! If you want mashed potatoes in a flash, the instant pot is the way to go! Alternatively, you can also make them in the crockpot! Check out my instant pot or my crockpot recipes.
Tips
- Potatoes: Use the right potatoes as Yukon golds or Russets. Make sure you cut your potatoes in cubes of equal size so that they cook at the same time.
- Salt your water: Just like you always salt your pasta water, you need to salt the water that the potatoes cook in. The starch granules swell and absorb water and salt. If you add salt while cooking the potatoes, you won’t need to add as much later on.
- Drain your potatoes well after cooking to avoid mushy potatoes.
- Butter: Let the butter come to room temperature before melting it into the hot potatoes or what I do is add the butter to the hot potatoes and it melts quickly.
- Using a mixer like my mom does will result in extra fluffy and whipped potatoes!
- Always taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.
- These potatoes are great for make ahead meals because they can be frozen for up to 10 months! See “Storing/Freezing” sections below for full instructions.
Leftover Mashed Potatoes?
Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Freezing
You can also freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 10 months.
Repurposing Your Leftovers
Don’t ever throw away the leftovers! Use them in the following recipes:
More Great Recipes To Try
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Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lbs potatoes peeled and cut into cubes (I used Yukon gold)
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp butter unsalted, at room temperature
- 1 cup half and half cream or milk
- ½ tsp white pepper (or black pepper)
Instructions
- Prepare potatoes: Make sure all the potatoes are cut into equal size pieces so that they all cook at the same time. Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill it with cold water, enough to fully cover the potatoes. Add about 1 tsp of salt to the water and stir.
- Boil potatoes: Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain and add the rest of ingredients: Drain the potatoes and add them to the bowl of your mixer. Mix the potatoes using the whisk attachment on medium until mashed. Add the butter, half and half, white pepper and a pinch of salt.
- Mix until smooth: Mix the potatoes until smooth and fluffy. Taste for salt and adjust to taste.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Potatoes: Use the right potatoes as Yukon golds or Russets. Make sure you cut your potatoes in cubes of equal size so that they cook at the same time.
- Salt your water: Just like you always salt your pasta water, you need to salt the water that the potatoes cook in. The starch granules swell and absorb water and salt. If you add salt while cooking the potatoes, you won’t need to add as much later on.
- Drain your potatoes well after cooking to avoid mushy potatoes.
- Butter: Let the butter come to room temperature before melting it into the hot potatoes or what I do is add the butter to the hot potatoes and it melts quickly.
- Using a mixer like my mom does will result in extra fluffy and whipped potatoes!
- Always taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.
- These potatoes are great for make ahead meals because they can be frozen for up to 10 months!
- Store leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Hi Jo!
Absolutely delicious. So creamy, light and fluffy. My first time and definitely going to make it again.
Glad you liked them!
I can’t wait to try this recipe with adding raw eggs! I’ve never done that before. How many eggs do you use?
Just 1. 🙂
Do you think it tastes better if you make and then serve right away or can you make them 1 or 2 days before without compromising taste?
Hi Mel! I always think mashed potatoes are best if served right away, however you can store them in the fridge for a day or two and then just reheat them in the microwave or oven before serving.
Have you ever added cream cheese to mashed potatoes? Try it sometime. I bet you’ll like it. My husband makes ours and they are swoon worthy.
That sounds amazing! We’ll have to try it.
Yummy!
I have always used evaporated milk when I make mashed potatoes it has a creamy texture and taste like half & half. I always get compliCments on my potatoes
I made your garlic and smoked paprika chicken with the slow cooker mashed potatoes for dinner last night. OMG everything was sooooooo good. The chicken was fall off the bone tender and the marinade was full of flavour and had just the right amount of heat for a cool autumn night. As for slow cooker mashed potatoes – where have you been all my life?! My daughter is a mashed potato fiend so you can be sure I will be sending this recipe to her.
These are not the first of your recipes I have fallen in love with but I thought it was about time I said thank you. Between you and Nagi, I never have to look further than your sites when I am looking for dinner or dessert ideas. Awesome!!!!!!!
Thanks, Carol! That’s so sweet of you!
Jo,
Like you, mashed potatoes are my favorite side dish, in fact my family almost drools as they are brought to the table.
I grew up on a farm where foods of all kinds were plentiful from where our vegetable gardens & meats were raised kindly & well fed. Many of our meals found all family members together eating at the very large table. When the foods were discussed & who would make them my aunt was the only one who ever made the mashed potatoes. The creams & butters were more than plentiful & she used huge amounts freshly churned butter & BUTTERMILK. Our aunts legacy continues at holidays when we converge from around the world to celebrate together & you should hear the stories that each of us relates. I love your mashed potato recipe & will definitely make them sometime but our aunts “no recipe, just by looks” potatoes will always hold us in god stead.
Yes I totally understand the no recipe mashed potatoes, my mom’s is like that, but I figured you guys wanted some exact measurements. LOL Interesting though, I’ve tried all sorts of things in my mashed potatoes, but how have I never tried buttermilk, on my to do for next time I make them. 🙂
Seriously, nothing beats mom’s mashed potatoes, right? That photo with the chicken on top is killing me!! Thanksgiving here we come 🙂
Mom’s food is always the best!
This sounds exactly the way my Dad made them except he used a good old hand masher!
Thanks for all your posts Jo!
My pleasure, Sherry!