Classic Mashed Potatoes
59 Comments
Updated Apr 03, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Mashed potatoes are a classic side dish recipe that stand the test of time. They’re irresistibly creamy and buttery, making it hard to stop at one serving. And while they’re easy to make, I do have a few tips so you can learn how to make homemade mashed potatoes perfectly.
I love a good mashed veggie side dish. Whether that’s mashed sweet potato or mashed cauliflower or mashed butternut squash. But nothing beats a side of classic mashed potatoes that’s ultra creamy and perfectly salted with a sprinkle of fresh herbs on top. And that’s exactly what this recipe delivers!
Making mashed potatoes isn’t hard, but there are a few tricks to making this “the best” mashed potato you’ve ever had. So read through the post before you start cooking to make sure you don’t miss anything. And once you serve this to guests, I guarantee you’ll be on mashed potato duty for a Thanksgiving side dish from here on out.
Easy Mashed Potatoes Ingredients
- Potatoes: Starchy potatoes, like Russet potatoes, are best for creamy mashed potatoes. These brown-skinned spuds are naturally buttery and fluffy when cooked. But if you’re not a fan of Russet, Yukon gold potatoes make a great alternative. They’re also naturally creamy, and not quite as waxy as new potatoes.
- Milk: Whole milk is what makes these mashed potatoes extra creamy. The key here is to use warm milk to keep the consistency smooth and temperature of the potatoes warm. For a dairy-free option you can swap in your favorite plant-based milk (just know that it won’t be quite as creamy).
- Butter: For this recipe, it’s best to stick to unsalted butter since we’re mixing in salt and black pepper. Plus, unsalted butter gives you more control over how salty you want your potatoes. For a dairy-free option, use a vegan butter alternative.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Mashed Potatoes
Peel and dice the potatoes. Peel the potatoes using a hand peeler (it’s much easier than a straight peeler) and dice them into large chunks or cubes.
Boil the potatoes. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Drop the potatoes in and let them cook for about 15 minutes, until they’re fork tender.
Warm the milk and butter. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter and milk in a saucepan until the mixture is warm. Alternatively, you could also melt and warm this mixture in the microwave. Then, drain the potatoes in a colander, place them back into the hot pot, and pour the butter milk mixture on top.
Mix and mash. Start mashing with a hand masher until it’s fluffy and creamy. If it’s not creamy enough, just add a bit more milk as you go. Then, season it with salt and pepper. Remember to taste test to see if it needs more salt!
Common Questions
It’s best to mash the potatoes while they’re still hot, straight from the pot. It’ll result in a much creamier texture than if you were to mash them cold.
You can use milk (at any percentage), heavy cream, or half and half. The higher the fat content the creamier and more luscious the mashed potatoes. But if you want to reduce the fat content, stick with regular milk.
That creamy texture and simple flavor complements just about any main dish from roast chicken and turkey to prime rib and filet mignon. Mashed potatoes are also a great base for pot roast or short ribs (it’s delicious when oozy sauce drizzles into the mashed potatoes!). And don’t forget you can make cottage pie or shepherd’s pie with it!
Flavor Variations
I love to top these mashed potatoes with an extra pat of butter and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. But here are a few more delicious ideas!
- Make it garlicky: Add freshly minced garlic into the warmed up milky butter so it infuses the mixture. You could also stir roasted garlic right in with the mashed potatoes towards the end.
- Add bacon: Toss in crispy oven baked bacon bits, because it’s never a bad idea to add more bacon, right?
- Add some greens: Mix in cooked leafy greens such as cabbage or kale to turn them into colcannon (an Irish favorite). You could also chop fresh herbs and stir them in for a light and herby flavor.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- To store: Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Perfect for heating up a quick side dish along with any main throughout the week.
- For freezing: Want to save this for the future? Freeze it in freezer-safe containers and store iti for up to 3 months!
- To reheat: Mashed potatoes are best reheated in the microwave, just give them a stir and reheat until warmed through. And if you want to add some “fluff” back into them, add a splash of milk while you reheat.
More Potato Side Dishes
- Scalloped Potatoes: The perfect side dish for when you’re craving something extra cheesy and potato-y.
- Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes: Nail a simple yet delicious side of crispy roasted potatoes with this recipe.
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole: The nutty crumble topping is what makes this version so special.
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes: I’m a big fan of roasted sweet potatoes and often meal prep them for the week.
- Baked Sweet Potato: The vibrant orange of baked sweet potatoes always brightens up any meal.
There’s no doubt you’ll be making mashed potatoes on the regular once you’ve memorized the recipe. Once you do, I’d love to hear how this turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community.
Classic Mashed Potatoes
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes
- ½ cup milk, or more for a creamier texture
- ¼ cup butter
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Peel and dice the potatoes. Peel the potatoes using a hand peeler and dice them into large chunks or cubes.
- Boil the potatoes. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Drop the potatoes in and let them cook for 15 minutes, or until they’re fork-tender.
- Warm the milk and butter. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter and milk in a saucepan until the mixture is warm. Alternatively, you could also melt and warm this mixture in the microwave. Then, drain the potatoes in a colander, place them back into the hot pot, and pour the butter milk mixture on top of the potatoes.
- Mix and mash. Mash the potatoes with a hand masher until you've reached your desired consistency. You can always add more milk or butter for a creamier consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish and serve. Scoop the mashed sweet potatoes into a bowl, add a pat of butter, sprinkle with chopped parsley (optional) and serve!
Lisa’s Tips
- You can certainly make this recipe dairy-free and vegan by using a plant-based milk and butter alternative.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted December 2019, but updated to include new information and photos.
Basic, yet best mashed potatoes! The ratios are perfect (I like to use Yukon gold or yellow potatoes for my preference). I like to peel and dice and put into cold water first, and then I can let them sit for an hour or two if I’m trying to do some ahead of time prep (maybe more beneficial for russet or a starchier potato). This recipe is my go-to!
Hi Stefanie – Can’t beat classic mashed potatoes like this! Glad you enjoyed it.
Lisa,
Can you use unsweetened almond milk instead of milk! for the mashed potatoes
Hi Aileen – That’s fine! It might just be a teeny bit less creamy, but still delicious nonetheless.
These potatoes were delicious! I hadn’t used my ricer in so long (not sure why) and that, combined with the warmed up milk and butter, made them so creamy!
So happy you loved them, Anne!
I’m making these the day before. Is it still important to add warm milk and butter? Thanks in advance!
Yes, that just makes it easier to blend them. Enjoy!
Thank you, Lisa! Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to you to!
Also, it would be harder to judge how much water is needed to cover the potatoes without being too much if you put the water in the pan first to boil.
Hi, I’m new to your blog and enjoy it! I’ve made mashed potatoes many times but never ever thought to melt the butter and warm the milk first before adding it, definitely trying this! I am curious as to why your video shows you adding the potatoes and then water to the pan before boiling, but the written recipe says to add the potatoes to the boiling water. I learned years ago to add vegetables that grow below ground to cold water and above ground to boiling water. Not to mention, you would need to be very careful adding the potatoes to boiling water. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks for sharing!
Is the butter unsalted or salted? Can’t wait to try these this weekend, thank you
Hi Debbie – I use unsalted butter, and then salt to my liking. Enjoy!
I’ve been making mashed potatoes a long time. And I have to say mine are pretty awesome. So awesome in fact I use pretty much exactly the same recipe as Lisa. But you know what I haven’t been doing that made Lisa’s even better and more awesome. I’ve never heated the milk. So simple. So stupid. But luckily we all have Lisa. So here’s to even more awesome potatoes. Some times I get a bit cheesy and bang some parmesan in there. Just for fun. But I like to keep it simple. And that’s why I love Lisa’s cooking.
Sometimes, the littlest things can make the best-mashed potatoes! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I have always made mashed potatoes this way except for the potatoes, will try making them with russets, I always use Yukon gold, and to mash them a ricer is the way to go makes them nice and creamy:)
Yes, a ricer is a great tool! Thanks, Cheryl!
Yummy classic mashed potatoes!
What is the best method to keep these warm if it will sit out for a couple of hours?
I would wrap it with foil on top.
I’ve been making mashed potatoes for over 50 years and wondered why sometimes they’d be creamy and other times, meh. This recipe showed me my mistake – sometimes I’d add cold milk and butter. What a difference heating the milk and butter before adding to the potatoes makes!!!
Glad this post was helpful to create the perfect batch of mashed potatoes!
great recipes especially the scalloped potatoes
Thanks so much Bernadette!
what can I substitute for milk?
You can use dairy-free milk as well, like almond milk or oat milk.
I made these at Christmas and they were excellent.
Thanks Daisy! A bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes is always the best during the holidays. :)
Delicious!!! I used vegan butter as we are both GF an d DF and they came out so good! Roasted garlic was a great suggestion. Next time I may do cameralized onions as well (like my mom used to).
Caramelized onions would be a delicious addition to this :)
The Best Mashed Potatoes!
Yay! Glad you love these mashed potatoes Shirley :)
Best mashed potatoes ever! I have never actually followed a recipe for mashed potatoes because it seems like a simple dish, but I’ve learned that sometimes it’s the seemingly simple things that are hardest to get just right. I think the game changer is pouring the butter milk mixture over the potatoes and then mashing. Perfect texture, not overly buttery or creamy, just right for me!
It’s definitely the little things that count, especially when it comes to simple recipes :)
These are soooo good and the instructions and tips are so helpful. I used half russet and half Yukon gold and this made an incredible combination. I will make these every year for thanksgiving now!
Wonderful! Glad you’ve found a winning mashed potatoes recipe :)
My go to recipe for mashed potatoes! My husband and I love how simple and delicious it is to make.
I always struggle with the proportions in mashed potatoes, resulting in gummy or lumpy mashers. Not this time! These were PERFECT! Creamy and delicious!
Glad this recipe gave you the perfect bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes :)
I can’t wait to make these mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving this year! I do have a serving portion question…..we will have 9 people for dinner and your recipe says 10 servings. But, only 2 lbs of potatoes? I would think you would need at least 4-5 to serve 10? Maybe we just like double serving sizes ;)
Thank you!!
Hi Alison – If you’re party will most likely eat more than that, I would double the recipe :)
Thank you!!!
These Definitely Are the Best Mashed Potatoes I’ve ever made! SO delicious!
Love your tips and your never-fail recipes!
Hi Danielle- Happy to hear you loved these mashed potatoes!
Hello Lisa,
I love your recipes and every one I’ve tried has been delicious! Thank you! Just wondering which milk you usually use when you make this? If I remember right, you’re dairy free.
Hi Michele – I’m so glad to hear you’re loving all the recipes so far! As for this one, I made it with macadamia nut milk (which was what I had leftover in my fridge), but you can use any non-dairy milk for this!
This is almost the same as my mashed potatoes recipe. All the add ins make this even better, especially the bacon bits!
Hi Anita – You can never go wrong with bacon :)
I love all your tips in your mashed potato recipe, plus the options to switch things up. A bowl of mashed potatoes is comfort food at its best!
Hi Deanne – I would have to agree completely :) Mashed potatoes are the best during the winter months!
Your recipes are so reliable! Just made a batch for dinner, with leftovers going in the freezer for later. Thank you for including basics, even mashed potatoes aren’t intuitive!
Hi Pearl- There’s nothing ever wrong with brushing up on basic recipes such as mashed potatoes! Glad you loved it :)
There is nothing better than fluffy mashed potatoes with butter. Yours look fantastic no leftovers on this one as everyone had seconds!
Hi Adriana – I definitely did not have any leftovers after making this one!
Love your photos – your mashed potatoes look so creamy and dreamy!
Hi Jill – Thanks so much! :)
These mashed potatoes topped with all that melted butter, the perfect side dish for Sunday dinners!
Hi Sharon – It really is the best complementary side dish :)