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creamy mashed potatoes in a white bowl garnished with parsley.
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4.68 from 53 votes

Mashed Potatoes

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!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes recipe
Servings: 8
Calories: 222kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds potatoes peeled and cut into cubes (I used Yukon gold)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoon butter unsalted, at room temperature
  • 1 cup half and half cream or milk
  • ½ teaspoon 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

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Drain your potatoes well after cooking to avoid mushy potatoes.
  4. 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.
  5. Using a mixer like my mom does will result in extra fluffy and whipped potatoes!
  6. Always taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.
  7. These potatoes are great for make ahead meals because they can be frozen for up to 10 months!
  8. Store leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 975mg | Fiber: 5g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 26.2mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 7.3mg