This creamy mashed potatoes is the perfect side any occasion! It's creamy, buttery, and super velvety smooth. Pair it some gochujang foil-baked salmon and sautéed broccolini to completely an everyday meal or bring it to a potluck along with some kimchi mac and cheese to please a crowd. Plus, it's incredibly easy to make and the leftover mashed potatoes can be turned into a mean cheesy loaded potato bread!
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Creamy mashed potatoes ingredient notes
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
- Potatoes - For this creamy mashed potatoes recipe, gold potatoes are the ideal potatoes to use. They'll yield the smoothest, and creamiest texture compared to russet potatoes, which are better for fluffy mashed potatoes.
- Heavy cream - The addition of heavy cream adds richness and thins out the mashed potatoes to our desired consistency.
- Butter - Everything taste better with butter. This is very true for mashed potatoes, so don't be shy! Make sure to use unsalted butter so that you can control the seasonings. But if you only have salted butter on hand, reduce the amount of additional salt added.
- Salt - For seasoning the mashed potatoes.
How to make the best creamy mashed potatoes
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!
1. Boil potatoes. Place the potatoes into a pot and add enough water to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to keep it a high simmer. Let the potatoes cook until fork tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
🔍 How to tell if the potatoes are cooked: You can test the doneness of the potatoes by stabbing a piece with a fork, toothpick , or even a chopstick. If the utensil goes in easily without resistance, the potatoes are cooked.
2. Prepare cream and butter. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the butter and cream into a microwave safe container. Once the potatoes are cooked, microwave the cream until it's hot and the butter has melted. Alternatively, you can heat the cream and butter in a saucepan on the stovetop.
3. Mash the potatoes. When the potatoes are cooked, drain well and immediately mash them with a ricer, a mesh strainer, or a tamis (a drum sieve) while hot. If using a mesh strainer, press the potatoes through using a sturdy rubber spatula.
🌟Pro tip: To get the smoothest mashed potatoes consistency, pass the mashed potatoes through the meshed strainer again.
4. Incorporate cream and butter. Once the potatoes have been mashed, add the hot cream and butter along with the salt. If preferred, you can add the cream in two sessions for easier mixing.
Fold and stir the mashed potatoes gently until everything is well incorporated. DO NOT stir vigorously or over mix the mashed potatoes. It will result in a gummy potatoes.
5. Serve. Enjoy the mashed potato hot, and optionally, topped with a slab of butter and a few cracks of black pepper.
Storage
This creamy mashed potatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Make sure to allow the mashed potatoes to cool completely before covering and refrigerating.
To freeze: Transferring the mashed potatoes onto a parchment lined sheet pan, portioned to your desired size. You can use ice cream scoops to help with portioning. Freeze the sheet pan of mashed potatoes until hardened, then wrap well with cling wrap and transfer freezer bags or air tight containers. Keep frozen. Alternatively, you can simply freeze the mashed potatoes all in one freezer safe container.
Reheating
Leftover mashed potatoes can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Microwave method (our preferred method): Place the mashed potatoes into a loosely covered microwave safe container. Microwave in 30-45 second increments until hot, making sure to give the potatoes a quick stir in between. For this method, you can reheat even from frozen. Start microwaving at 1 minute increments until thawed, then reduce to 30-45 second increments until hot.
Stove top method: In a pot, add a small amount of cream (depending on how much mashed potato you're reheating) along with the mashed potatoes. Reheat over low to medium low heat until hot. Gently stir occasionally and if needed, add a little more cream if the mashed potato seems thick. For this method, frozen mashed potatoes need to be thawed in the fridge overnight before reheating.
FAQ
Potatoes cut into 1 inch chunks usually take about 12 to 15 minutes to boil. You can check whether the potatoes are done by stabbing it with a for or toothpick. If the fork or toothpick goes through easily without any resistance, the potatoes are cooked.
In our opinion, cream is always better for making mashed potatoes because it's creamier and richer than milk, which makes mashed potatoes extra tasty.
Yes! Leftover mashed potatoes can be frozen for later. See our "Storage" topic above for more details on freezing and reheating mashed potatoes.
Russet potatoes and gold potatoes are best for making mashed potatoes, but each potato yields difference results. For example, russet potatoes are great for making fluffy, rustic mashed potatoes, while gold potatoes are great for making smooth and creamy mashed potatoes, like for this creamy mashed potato recipe. But do avoid using waxy potatoes and fingerling potatoes.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds gold potato peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1¾ cups heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the potatoes into a pot and add enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring the it to a boil then reduce the heat to keep the water at a high simmer. Allow the potatoes to cook until fork tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the heavy cream and butter into a microwave safe container. Once the potatoes are cooked, microwave until the cream is hot and the butter has melted, about 1½ minutes.*You can also heat it up on the stovetop.*
- When the potatoes are cooked, strain it well and immediately press them through a mesh strainer or a ricer while hot. Optional: If you wish to achieve an extra smooth texture, pass the mashed potatoes through the meshed strainer again.
- Next, add the hot cream and butter mixture along with the salt. Gently fold and stir everything until well incorporated. *Make sure to not over mix or stir the potatoes too vigorously! It'll cause the mashed potato to turn gummy.*
- Serve the mashed potato while it's hot. If you'd like, top with a slab of butter and a couple cracks of black pepper.
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