The BEST Mashed Potatoes

Want to know how to make light, fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes? This is the BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe and you will love them! They come out perfectly creamy every single time. They are easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner, but so delicious you can make them for all of your holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter too. You’ll never look for another way to make these whipped potatoes!

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Can we take just a moment and revel in all that is mashed potato? I mean, don’t you want to just dive mouth-first into this lovely bowl of creamy goodness? I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to share basic mashed potatoes with you.

It was all I could do when shooting photos of this easy mashed potatoes to keep the fingers of my little ones from dipping into this potatoey goodness! How could I blame them?!!! Just look at how amazing these taters look!

I mean, I was ready to grab a big spoon and hide in the corner huddled up and keep these all to myself! That would be bad, huh? I’m a Mom. I need to teach my children how to share. But does it have to start now? ?

Ingredients for Mashed Potatoes

• Yukon gold potatoes – You could substitute russets, make sure they are scrubbed well and you can leave the skin on if desired
• Butter – We used salted butter at room temperature to melt into the potatoes as we mashed them, a little extra can be put on top of the potatoes at the end.
• Milk – Make sure it is warm to help the potatoes stay warm while mashing.
• Sea salt, pepper
• Parsley or chives (optional)

Optional Add-Ins

• Onions – green onions, shallots or chopped red onion. We recommend adding these to the water when you boil the potatoes
• Chives
• Fresh Herbs – Thyme, parsley or rosemary all all great ways to mix it up
• Cream Cheese
• Bacon
• Roasted Garlic
• Parmesan Cheese

3 Steps to Prepare

• Prep Potatoes – Wash, and peel potatoes if desired and then quarter them.
• Cook Potatoes – Place quartered potatoes in large pot with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until potatoes pierce easily with knife. drain off liquid.
• Mash – Add butter to potatoes and begin mashing with your potato masher. Pour in a little of the warmed milk at a time while mashing to achieve desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh parsley and chives if desired.

Expert Tips

• Yukon gold potatoes make the BEST mash; they are creamy without being too starchy. You can also use Russets if you desire.
• Make sure your potatoes are scrubbed well you can even leave the skin on if you choose!
• Red or white potato varieties are waxy and require most mashing to become creamy. This cold lead to the dreaded “potato paste” instead of the light, fluffy mashed potatoes we all love!
• Make sure when you quarter the potatoes they are all the same size so they cook evenly.
• Don’t overcook the potatoes or they will become sticky or gluey.
• Mash the potatoes when they are HOT, do not wait until they cool down. When they are hot they will be easier to cream and not be as apt to get lumpy.
• The best option to mash is using a hand masher. This prevents the starches breaking down which happens when you used a hand mixer or stand mixer.
• Taste, taste, taste! Because you’ll be adding the liquid a bit at a time (never add it all at once!) taste as you go. That way you’ll know if they need more butter, salt or pepper.
• Make sure to warm your milk before you add it! This helps them stay warm while you are mashing them.
• Finish with a flourish, swirling the potatoes into creamy mountains and crevices. Then dot additional butter here and there. A sprinkle of chives or parsley makes it as pretty as it is delicious!

No time to make these on the big day? No problem! Make them ahead and reheat the potatoes in the oven, delicious! If you’re looking for more easy potatoes recipes, here are a few of my favorites! Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potato Casserole, Twice Baked Potato Casserole, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Potato Casserole, Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.

And if you somehow manage not to eat all of your delicious mashed potatoes, you can repurpose them later in this leftover Mashed Potato Soup!

WATCH THE STEP BY STEP VIDEO FOR THIS RECIPE BELOW:

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Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

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5 from 24 votes

Mashed Potatoes

Easy homemade mashed potatoes that are light and fluffy every single time!

Prep:15 minutes mins

Cook:15 minutes mins

Total:30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
• ▢ 1/2 c. salted butter softened
• ▢ 1 c. milk warmed
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp sea salt finely ground
• ▢ 1/2 tsp pepper
• ▢ parsley or chives optional

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Instructions

• Peel potatoes and quarter them. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until easily pierced with a knife about 15 minutes. Drain well. 
• Add butter to potatoes and begin mashing with your potato masher. Pour in a little of the warmed milk at a time while mashing to achieve desired consistency.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chives or parsley if desired.

Tips

• Yukon gold potatoes make the BEST mash; they are creamy without being too starchy. You can also use Russets if you desire.
• Make sure your potatoes are scrubbed well you can even leave the skin on if you choose!
• Red or white potato varieties are waxy and require most mashing to become creamy. This cold lead to the dreaed "potato paste" instead of the light, fluffy mashed potatoes we all love!
• Make sure when you quarter the potatoes they are all the same size so they cook evenly.
• Don't overcook the potatoes or they will become sticky or gluey.
• Mash the potatoes when they are HOT, do not wait until they cool down. When they are hot they will be easier to cream and not be as apt to get lumpy.
• The best option to mash is using a hand masher. This prevents the starches breaking down which happens when you used a hand mixer or stand mixer.
• Taste, taste, taste! Because you'll be adding the liquid a bit at a time (never add it all at once!) taste as you go. That way you'll know if they need more butter, salt or pepper.
• Make sure to warm your milk before you add it! This helps them stay warm while you are mashing them.
• Finish with a flourish, swirling the potatoes into creamy mountains and crevices. Then dot additional butter here and there. A sprinkle of chives or parsley makes it as pretty as it is delicious!

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 204kcal (10%), Carbohydrates: 23g (8%), Protein: 5g (10%), Fat: 10g (15%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Cholesterol: 27mg (9%), Sodium: 461mg (20%), Potassium: 780mg (22%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 335IU (7%), Vitamin C: 20.7mg (25%), Calcium: 84mg (8%), Iron: 5.9mg (33%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.