This homemade mashed potatoes recipe is so easy and oh so good! A classic side dish that is full of flavor and perfect for any weeknight meal. These take no time at all to whip up and you’re family is going to love this version!
Best Mashed Potatoes
The holiday seasons are coming up soon I’m so excited! Thanksgiving is first and it’s a time for thanks. It’s a time for reflection. It’s a time for rest. And oh my goodness it’s a time for FOOD FOOD FOOD! Like these Autumn Spice Sweet Mashed Potatoes and my Deviled Eggs. I so enjoy good food….gosh, who doesn’t? But these mashed potatoes y’all…
Like most families, we have a tradition here in the Mason household during the holidays. And no, it’s not me cooking for Thanksgiving. I actually don’t cook for Thanksgiving…I know, can you believe it? The girl who is all about food, has a food blog, and who caters doesn’t cook for Thanksgiving? Nope, I don’t. But I do cook for Christmas. I feed about 80 family members on Christmas Eve night and you better believe these are on the table! These are a family tradition for our Christmas meal.
5 Tips For How To Make The Absolute Best Mashed Potatoes
Just like there are multiple ways to skin a cat, there are multiple ways to make mashed potatoes. Here are 5 essential things you need to know in order to get the best results:
- Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes: This is the best mashed potato recipe because I use red potatoes. Red potatoes are less starchy so when mashed, they have more of a velvety texture. Rich, creamy and indulgently buttery, this is easily about to become your favorite side dish recipe.
- Don’t completely peel the entire potato. The nutrition is in the peelings so make sure you leave some of the peelings on. The peelings also add to the texture and taste delish.
- Cut the potatoes before boiling and fill the pot with just enough water. In my potato salad recipe, I boil the whole potato. In this recipe, I dice the potatoes and put them in a pot. Fill the pot with water, just enough to cover the potatoes.
- Boiling time: I don’t keep track of the actual minutes it takes to boil potatoes for this recipe, but the key is once a fork can smoothly penetrate through a potato, they’re done. Just don’t lose track of time because if you over boil the potatoes, they’ll be mushy when you mash them.
- Invest in both an electric mixer and a handheld masher. Depending on what main dish I’m serving with these mashed potatoes, I’ll switch up my method of mashing. With a savory homestyle chicken dish, like my One Pan Garlic Baked Chicken with Mozzarella, I like to use the electric handheld mixer because of the smooth velvety texture. But when I make a nice juicy steak, like my 10 Garlic Clove Marinated Grilled Filet, I like to use my handheld masher. I like a “chunkier” texture in my potatoes when eating steak.
Ingredients You’ll Need
A super simple recipe that only calls for 5 ingredients:
- 8 red potatoes – use a medium size red potato.
- unsalted butter – it’s all cream. Plus, we’re adding salt to this recipe so there’s no need to add any additional salt.
- milk – you can use whole milk or 2%.
- salt – adds to the flavor.
- pepper – intensifies the flavor.
How To Make Mashed Potatoes
- First, partially peel the red potatoes with a vegetable peeler. Leave about half the peels on. Rinse well to get rid of the extra starch and any dirt.
- Chop the red potatoes into cubes and place them into a medium pot. Fill with just enough water to cover the potatoes.
- Boil until done and then drain all the water.
- Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and add the milk, butter, salt, and pepper. There’s no need to melt the butter. Since the potatoes are still hot, the butter will melt as you mix.
- Mix on low speed, increasing to medium speed once the ingredients are well mixed.
- Grab a spoon and taste test. If you need more salt or pepper, add some. If you like your mashed potatoes to be more of a creamy texture, add a little more milk and butter.
- Serve warm and top with your favorite toppings, such as scallions, more melted butter, and bacon! Oh, and more butter, too.
Can You Freeze Mashed Potatoes?
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Can Mashed Potatoes Be Reheated?
Yes, they can be reheated multiple ways:
- In the Microwave – just place in a microwave safe container and cover. Heat for 2-3 minutes until heated through. If they are too thick in consistency, add a Tablespoon of milk before heating.
- In the Oven – place the potatoes in an oven safe dish and bake on 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until hot.
- In a Slow Cooker – the slow cooker is a wonderful mechanism for reheating food. Add the potatoes to the slow cooker and cover. Set the temperature to high and cook for 1 hour.
Other Potato Recipes You’ll Love
Looking for more potato recipes, check out these favorites:
- Zesty Italian Roasted Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Herb Roasted Garlic Potatoes
- Garlic and Herb Smoked Potatoes
Leave me a comment if you make these mashed potatoes! I can’t wait to hear how it goes! Make sure you’ve signed up to receive my weekly email for the latest and greatest recipes!
This homemade mashed potatoes recipe is so easy and oh so good! A classic side dish that is full of flavor and perfect for any weeknight meal. These take no time at all to whip up and you're family is going to love this version!
Take all 8 of the red potatoes and dice them into chunks. Make sure you leave some of the peel on the potatoes.
Once diced, rinse the potatoes in the strainer to get all the dirt off and extra starch and then add to a large pot.
Fill the large pot with just enough water so that the potatoes are covered. You'll want to make sure there is at least a half inch of water over the potatoes so they have room to boil.
Set the large pot of potatoes on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Let the potatoes boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, just until the potatoes are done.
Once the potatoes are done, drain the water and place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl.
Add in the butter, milk, salt ,and pepper and mix with an electric mixer until smooth and velvety. You may need to add in a bit more milk to ensure your potatoes are wet enough to mix.
Once the potatoes are mashed, add any additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in November 2017, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips in October 2019.
I have the perfect salted grassfed butter that is sitting in my freezer waiting for this recipe. It look so tempting even without any gravy, and you know that ‘s the sign of perfect mashed potatoes.
That butter sounds delish!! yeah these potatoes dont need any gravy…they are perfect without! But gravy is always really yummy though!
Aaaaaah, the great potato debate: smooth and velvety or mashed with lumps? My husband’s family is all about whipping the potatoes until they’re so smooth, you could practically drink them with a straw. Personally, I like mine lumpy and bumpy. The flavor is always great either way, though!
To be honest, I love both and I switch it up every once in awhile to break up the norm and provide some variety!!
It always melts my heart hearing about Thanksgiving traditions and how the recipes are shared in the family from generation to generation . Any yeah, from now on I will be making mashed potatoes only with red potatoes! Good tip!
It’s the secret to a successful batch of mashed potatoes! I’ll never use anything different again!
You feed EIGHTY family members on x-mas eve night… out of a home kitchen? You have some serious patience. And I love my family, but that is a lot of people to feed for a ‘day off.’ Mashed taters are one of my absolute favorite dishes and this looks great. I am gonna make this for Turkey day.
I know…it’s insane! But in a good way! I love to cook and I cater for many more when I do catering jobs so no biggie!