Creamy Mashed Potatoes (Printable Format)
Velvety, fluffy mashed potatoes with warm dairy and herbs, perfect for comforting meals.
# What You Need:
→ Potatoes
01 - 2.6 lbs Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
→ Dairy
02 - ½ cup whole milk, warmed
03 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
04 - ¼ cup heavy cream, warmed
→ Seasonings
05 - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
06 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Optional Additions
07 - 2 tablespoons chopped chives or parsley for garnish
# How-To Steps:
01 - Place peeled and chunked potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt.
02 - Bring water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook potatoes until very tender, about 15–18 minutes.
03 - Drain potatoes thoroughly and return them to the warm pot. Let steam dry for 1 to 2 minutes to remove excess moisture.
04 - Using a potato masher or ricer, mash potatoes until smooth and free of lumps.
05 - Gradually blend in warm milk, cream, and butter until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
06 - Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as desired. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with chopped chives or parsley if preferred. Serve hot.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- These mashed potatoes taste genuinely buttery and cloud-like without any weird grainy texture that ruins everything.
- They're ready in under 40 minutes, which means you can make them on a weeknight without losing your mind.
- Once you nail the technique, you can adapt them however you want—add garlic, cream cheese, or keep them simple and perfect.
02 -
- Warm your milk and cream before adding them, or you'll end up with cold spots and a texture that feels off—I learned this the hard way by wondering why my potatoes kept coming out lumpy.
- Don't skip the steaming-dry step after draining, because any extra water left in the pot will make your mashed potatoes taste thin and watery instead of rich and substantial.
- Stop mashing once they're smooth—overmixing releases too much starch and turns them into wallpaper paste, which is its own special kind of kitchen disaster.
03 -
- Use a ricer if you own one—it gives you the most reliably smooth, luxurious texture with almost no effort.
- Keep your pot, bowl, and serving dish warm by running hot water through them before you start, so the potatoes stay at their creamiest instead of cooling down halfway through.