Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Mashed potatoes are so easy to make and can be the perfect side dish to so many mains for both weeknight dinners and special occasions.
This recipe keeps the mashed potatoes creamy and rich with the addition of cream and butter, without overloading them, by balancing the cream with milk and starchy potato water. It’s buttery soft and delightfully smooth, and especially enjoyable on those cold fall or winter evenings.
Ingredients
To make these mashed potatoes, you’ll need the following:
- Potatoes – 2 pounds of potatoes. The best potatoes for this recipe are Yukon Golds in the U.S. and Maris Piper or all-purpose potatoes in the UK. Russet/Idaho potatoes also work.
- Cream – 1/3 cup heavy cream (double cream). The cream adds richness to the potatoes.
- Milk – 1/2 cup milk (whole milk/full-fat milk). The milk adds creaminess while keeping the potatoes lighter.
- Butter – 3 tbsp unsalted butter (unsalted so you can control how much salt to add to the potatoes).
- Reserved Potato Water – after boiling the potatoes, reserve 1 cup of the starchy potato water so you can adjust the consistency of the mashed potatoes. The starchy water is great to help balance the mashed potatoes, so they’re not overloaded with cream and butter. Different types of potatoes will absorb different amounts of liquid (e.g. Russet potatoes take more liquid than Yukon golds), which is why it’s good to have up to 1 cup of starchy potato water in case you need more liquid for the right consistency.
- Salt – flaky sea salt or kosher salt, to taste.
Instructions with Photos
Step 1. Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler. As soon as you peel a potato, add it to a bowl of cold water. Once you’ve peeled them all, drain them and cut them into large chunks.
Step 2. To a large pot, add the potato chunks, cover with cold water by about 1 inch over, and add 1 tbsp of kosher salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, and turn it down to a simmer once the water is boiling. Continue simmering until the potatoes are tender. It will be about 10 minutes to bring to a boil, and then 15-20 minutes of simmering time. Check if the potatoes are cooked by inserting a knife through the middle of the biggest chunks. If the knife goes in and out easily, then they are fully cooked.
Step 3. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the starchy potato water. Mash the potatoes (ideally passing them through a potato ricer). If you don’t have a potato ricer, you can use a potato masher. If using a potato masher, avoid overmixing the potatoes so they don’t get gluey.
Step 4. Warm up the milk, cream, and butter in a small pot over the stove over medium heat, stirring frequently so the bottom doesn’t burn, until the butter has melted. Add the mixture to the mashed potatoes in stages, mixing with a spatula to combine.
Step 5. After incorporating the milk, butter, and cream into the mashed potatoes, add some potato water if you want to adjust the consistency. I use about 1/4 cup of potato water for the consistency you see in the photos. Taste the potatoes and add more salt to taste.
Mashed potatoes like these are a great base for so many dishes, including this honey mustard chicken, this fish with lemon-butter sauce, these pork chops, and this yogurt-marinated chicken.
If you make it and love it, let me know in a review. I’d also love to know what you paired it with in the comments.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of potatoes note 1
- 1/3 cup heavy cream double cream or whipping cream
- 1/2 cup milk whole milk/full-fat milk
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter unsalted so you can control how much salt to add to the potatoes
- 1 cup reserved potato water note 2; you won't need it all.
- flaky sea salt or kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler. As soon as you peel a potato, add it to a bowl of cold water. Once you’ve peeled them all, drain them and cut them into large chunks.
- To a large pot, add the potato chunks, cover with cold water by about 1 inch over, and add 1 tbsp of kosher salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, and turn it down to a simmer once the water is boiling. Continue simmering until the potatoes are tender. It will be about 10 minutes to bring to a boil, and then 15-20 minutes of simmering time, more or less depending on how big the chunks are. Check if the potatoes are cooked by inserting a knife through the middle of the biggest chunks. If the knife goes in and out easily, then they are fully cooked.
- Drain the potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the starchy potato water. Mash the potatoes (ideally passing them through a potato ricer). If you don’t have a potato ricer, you can use a potato masher. If using a potato masher, avoid overmixing the potatoes so they don’t get gluey.
- Warm up the milk, cream, and butter in a small pot over the stove over medium heat, stirring frequently so the bottom doesn’t burn, until the butter has melted. Add the mixture to the mashed potatoes in stages, mixing with a spatula to combine.
- After incorporating the milk, butter, and cream into the mashed potatoes, add some potato water if you want to adjust the consistency. I use about 1/4 cup of potato water for the consistency you see in the photos. Taste the potatoes and add more salt to taste.
Notes
Don’t forget to save this creamy mashed potato recipe to one of your boards.
