The Best Homemade Mashed Potatoes!

There’s nothing more American than homemade mashed potatoes! Rich and creamy, this recipe is easy to make and perfect for your holiday table or smothered by a stew or pot roast.

No Thanksgiving is complete without these on the table! I consider this recipe an essential for a holiday feast! These are a breeze to make using a stand-mixer and can easily be made ahead of time and kept warm in a slow cooker.

But mashed potatoes aren’t complete without gravy, right? If you are hosting the holiday meal and need a short cut for gravy, use Williams-Sonoma Turkey Gravy Base. Follow the directions but use vegetable broth instead of milk.

I use this gravy every Thanksgiving and it takes the stress out of making finnicky gravy! I’m sure there is a Southern ancestor clutching her pearls right about now, but I have no shame when it comes to this secret!

I make this ahead of time and keep in a smaller slow cooker until we are ready to serve. One less thing to worry about!

How Many Mashed Potatoes Per Person?

Most recipes will tell you to use about a half a pound of potatoes per person. That means, if you are making potatoes for 10 people, use 5 pounds of potatoes.

When you have other things on the plate, like green beans, turkey, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce and other side dishes…that seems like a lot of potatoes! I usually account for half of a potato per person, especially during with large holiday meals.

Ingredients for Mashed Potatoes

Here’s your shopping list!

• Potatoes – I use regular baking potatoes for this recipe. It’s just what I’ve always used, but you could use any variety of potato.
• Milk – Make sure you have full fat milk! It provides creamier flavors than its counterparts.
• Butter – Need I say more? Again, full fat is best here for maximum flavor. I prefer stick butter to margarine or spreads.
• Sour Cream – Full fat again! You want to max out the creaminess of this recipe. And I love the bite that comes with the sour cream.
• Mayonnaise – Mayo gives it another layer of tang. You can leave this out of the recipe if you prefer, but you will never know it’s in there!
• Garlic – I love the flavor garlic gives to the potatoes. It’s delicious and gives it a subtle flavor boost!

Variations

In addition to the ideas below, any type of potato will do!

• Garlic Mashed Potatoes – Amp up the garlic and double or triple the amount from this recipe.
• Loaded Mashed Potatoes – Your favorite kind of baked potato, but mashed! Load it up with cheese, bacon bits, chives, etc.!
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes – Swap baking potatoes for sweet potatoes and omit the sour cream and mayo for a healthier take on mashed potatoes!
• Mashed Red potatoes – If you prefer red potatoes, this recipe would be delicious with all red new potatoes.

How to Make Creamy Mashed Potatoes

First, I peel and quarter potatoes. This speeds up the cooking process and is easier to manage.

Place the potatoes in a large pot with room for the water and fill until the potatoes are covered. Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium and cover.

The potatoes are done when you can easily pierce the larger pieces with a fork – about 30 minutes or so. Some of the potatoes may fall apart, but that’s ok…we are mashing them up anyway! 

When the potatoes are done cooking, carefully strain them into a colander. Then, add them to a large bowl (or return to the pot) and mash with a potato masher, or with a handheld beater or place on a stand mixer.

Then, add in the butter, milk, mayo, and sour cream, and mix until well-combined.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Make Ahead Tips

If you are making these ahead of time, follow the recipe, then transfer them to a slow cooker. Place on warm until you are ready to serve. Occasionally, you will need to give them a stir (to avoid sticking to the sides). Add a little milk if they begin to look dry.

Recipe

Holiday Recipes