Easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes
This recipe for creamy mashed potatoes is the only recipe you’ll need. These potatoes are creamy, flavorful and easy to make. Made with only need 5 ingredients, plus salt and pepper. My mom has made this recipe for my family for as long as I can remember. They are absolutely perfect every single time. These homemade mashed potatoes are guaranteed to be a family favorite.
Type of Potato for Mashed Potatoes
For this creamy mashed potato recipe, I used 5 lbs. of russet potatoes. Russet potatoes are great because they offer a starchy, creamy texture that’s hard to resist. My mom always used russet potatoes, so I am not going to deviate from her recipe.
That said, you could also use Yukon gold potatoes. They are more buttery than russet potatoes, but equally delicious. Some people even enjoy using a mix of both. It’s whatever you prefer. Just be sure to wash, dry and peel them.
About this Mashed Potato Recipe
In a small saucepan, heat butter and cream. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the mixture, stir well. You do not want the cream to boil. You want it to be warmed through. Once warmed, remove from the heat.
Wash, dry and peel your potatoes, cut them into cubes. You’ll want them to be about 1-inch in size so they can cook evenly in the water. Cutting the potatoes before cooking them ensures that they do not overcook or get watery.
Once the potatoes are cut, quickly rinse them under cold water, then add them to a large stock pot and cover them with water. You’ll want the water to be about 1-inch above the potatoes. Season the water with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil. Once the water is boiling, they’ll only need about 10-12 minutes to cook through. They should be fork tender with little resistance when poked.
Mashing or Ricing the Potatoes
Once they reach this texture, they are ready to drain. Once you drain the water, add the potatoes back into the hot pot, and immediately begin ricing the potatoes into a large bowl. Add half of the warm butter / cream mixture to the bottom of the bowl to prevent the riced potatoes from getting cold and starchy.
If you do not have a potato ricer now is the time to get one. Potato ricers make the smoothest, most creamy mashed potatoes of all time. You simply add the hot potatoes into the ricer (a few pieces at a time) and press them through.
The potato ricer creates very small smooth strands that blend perfectly with the warm butter and heavy cream. Just be sure the potatoes are hot when you rice them, otherwise you run the risk of the potatoes getting starchy and gummy.
Once all the potatoes have been pressed through the ricer, add the sour cream and the remainder of the butter / cream mixture and slowly fold everything together. Use a spatula to gently fold the ingredients together. Do not overwork the potatoes. Season with salt, cracked black pepper and chives to taste.
Option to mash the potatoes how you would normally mash them if you do not have a potato ricer!
Optional Add-Ins
This recipe is for traditional creamy mashed potatoes. However, you can get creative. Optional add-ins include,
- Creamy roasted garlic, I suggest using 2 cloves for a slight garlic flavor.
- Cream cheese, you can use this in place of sour cream.
- Grated parmesan cheese, you can use this in addition to sour cream, butter and milk.
- Creme fraiche, you can use this instead of sour cream.
Storage
Store any leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through. You can also reheat the potatoes in a pan. Just be sure to add some milk to help reconstitute the potatoes so they are creamy and smooth again.
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Easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. russet potatoes, or Yukon Gold, wash, dry, peel and cube – rinse under cold water before adding them to the pot
- 1 cup heavy cream, or whole milk
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, reserve 2 tablespoons for the top of the hot potatoes
- ¼ cup sour cream
- salt, to taste
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chives, chopped small plus extra as garnish
Equipment
- 1 potato peeler
- 1 potato ricer
- 1 pot to boil the potatoes
- 1 colander
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 serving bowl
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and cube the potatoes. Rinse the cubes under cold water to remove excess starch.
- Add the cubes to a large stock pot and cover them with water. The water should be 1-inch above the potatoes. Season the water with 1 teaspoon salt.
- Bring the water to a boil and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- While the potatoes are boiling, add 6 tablespoons of butter, 1 cup heavy cream and 1 teaspoon salt to a small saucepan. Simmer until warmed through, but not boiling. Set aside.
- Drain off the water using a colander and add the potatoes back into the hot pot. Add about half of the warm butter and cream to a large bowl and begin ricing the potatoes into the mixture. Make sure the potatoes are hot when you rice them! See above for details.
- Once the potatoes have been run through the ricer, add the sour cream and the remainder of the butter / cream mixture. Use a spatula to gently fold everything together.
- Do not overwork the potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and chives to taste. Add the extra 2 tablespoons of butter to the top.
- Serve warm.
One Comment on “Easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes”
We made these for Thanksgiving! They were delicious! Very easy and the texture and taste was perfect.