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Perfect Mashed Potatoes can be yours when you follow this super simple recipe.
Today we’re showing you how to make Perfect Mashed Potatoes – that classic, comforting side dish to serve with just about any meal!
Making Perfect Mashed Potatoes is really very simple – in theory – but so many people (myself included) have sometimes struggled to get it right! There’s nothing worse than mashed potatoes that are too dry, too soupy, to pastey, or too lumpy!
In our opinion, the best mashed potatoes are light, fluffy and creamy with enough body to hold a ladle of gravy or melted butter in the crevices.
Tips for Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- Use a combination of potatoes – ideally Russet and Yukon Gold (or other yellow) potatoes. The Russets give your mashed potatoes a nice, fluffy texture, while the Yukon Golds add flavor and creaminess.
- The general rule of thumb is five to six ounces of raw potato per person. So, one pound of raw potatoes will make approximately three servings once the final recipe is complete.
- Don’t add too much liquid! Too much milk or cream in your mashed potatoes will result in overly-soft mashed potatoes. One cup milk or cream to four pounds of potatoes is a good starting point – you can always add more if you prefer.
Lumps or no lumps? Your choice!
- My husband Jack actually likes finding a few lumps in his mashed potatoes – so he prefers using a potato masher like this to mash his potatoes. This style of masher (with the wavy coils) gives you more flexibility in achieving the texture you prefer, versus potato mashers with the same size holes throughout.
- A potato ricer is a great alternative to a masher – although it does take more time, and you will have to handle hot-out-of-the-pot potatoes. A potato ricer (like the one shown below in the photo) works like a giant garlic press. You place the potatoes in the basket and then press them through the holes in the metal plate, right into a bowl. The ricer mashes the potatoes into a wonderfully light and even texture with no lumps.
- Lots of people whip their mashed potatoes with a mixer. This method definitely works too – and will give you super soft and creamy mashed potatoes. (Just don’t over do the whipping – you don’t want gummy mashed potatoes!)
More specifics for making Perfect Mashed Potatoes are listed in the recipe below.
You may enjoy these other mashed potato recipes:
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Boursin Cheese
- Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
2 teaspoons kosher salt to salt water
3 pounds Russet potatoes (about 4)
1 pound yellow potatoes such as Yukon Gold
1 cup whole milk or light cream
2 sticks salted butter (1/2 pound)**
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
**If you use unsalted butter instead, taste final mashed potatoes and add more salt as needed.
Instructions
Fill a 5-6 quart pot half full of cold water.
Peel the potatoes and as you peel them, place them in the cold water.
After all the potatoes are peeled, remove them one at a time and cut the Russet into 1-inch sized pieces and the yellow into ½-inch sized pieces. (The Russet cook quicker than the yellow so cutting the yellow smaller will assure that all the cut potatoes cook at the same time.)
As you cut them, put them back into the water. If needed, add more water so they are covered.
Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and bring to a boil. Time ten minutes then check one with a fork and if done, pour into a colander to drain. Ours took exactly ten minutes.
While potatoes are cooking place milk or cream along with butter, pepper and garlic powder in a small sauce pan and heat just until butter melts. Do not boil. Remove from heat.
Pour cooked potatoes back into the pot and place the pot back over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until any liquid on the bottom evaporates, about 30 seconds to one minute, no longer.
Off heat, add the contents of the sauce pan to the potatoes (no additional salt is needed) and mash using a potato masher to your desired consistency. We like ours with small lumps.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
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Excellent recipe and excellent advice. I’ve done this several times and have past this on to others.
Thanks Linda!