Mashed Potatoes Recipes (How to Make Mashed Potatoes)
This is the BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe! These homemade mashed potatoes are rich, creamy, buttery, and super easy to make—a must-have side dish for any holiday table!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Russet potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 stick butter plus more for topping
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare potatoes - Peel potatoes and chop into chunks approximately equal in size for even cooking.
- Cook potatoes - Transfer potatoes to a large stockpot and sprinkle with approximately 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until potatoes are fork-tender, approximately 20-25 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the size of potato chunks). Remove from heat and drain then return back to the pot.
- Heat the milk and butter - Add the butter, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until hot stirring often.
- Mash the potatoes - Meanwhile, use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Pour the heated milk and butter mixture in with the mashed potatoes and continue to mash and mix until desired texture and consistency is reached. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve - Transfer potatoes to a large serving bowl and top with additional butter, cracked black pepper, and chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
- What are the best potatoes to use? Russet, Idaho, or Yukon gold. Unsure which one to use? Try a mix!
- You are going to need salt. How much exactly depends on you, but potatoes by themselves are bland. I typically salt the water that the potatoes are being boiled, add salt to the potatoes after they are drained, add salt to the butter and milk mixture, and add additional salt to taste.
- Don't be shy about butter. I added an entire stick (equal to 8 tablespoons of butter) to this recipe, plus some on top. I know it seems like a lot, but that's the point of creamy, buttery mashed potatoes. If you're making this recipe dairy-free or vegan, swap out the regular butter for a vegan butter substitute. Feel free to use salted or unsalted butter.
- I used whole milk. Skim milk is too watery.
- Sour cream is super important. It's creamy, tangy, and delicious. My dad always added loads of sour cream to their mashed potatoes, and they were incredible. Feel free to add more or less sour cream according to your own personal preference. Substitute with Greek yogurt if preferred.
Nutrition
Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 137mg | Potassium: 1014mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 507IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg
