My homemade mashed potatoes are creamy, buttery and a family favorite served with many meals through the years.

Homemade mashed potatoes are the most common side dish to go with almost any meal. Learning to make them from scratch is a must for all new cooks and it’s an easy recipe.

They are the perfect side dish for most meals and a great comfort food.

The best mashed potatoes recipe can be adapted with a variety of seasoning and herbs and are the perfect side dish for most meals including weeknight dinner.

You can copycat any of your favorite restaurant recipes by adding the right toppings and ingredients. But first, you need the basic recipe for made from scratch mashed potatoes.

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Ingredients

• About 4 medium russet potatoes or Yukon golds
• About ½ cup milk, whole milk or 2%
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 Tbsp. onion powder, like this
• Salt and pepper to taste

How To Make Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Step 1

Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Rinse and drain in a colander in the sink.

It doesn’t matter how you chop the potatoes but the smaller they are the quicker they will get tender while boiling. You are going to mash them up until smooth in the end.

Step 2 Boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water from the faucet. Heat to boiling on high heat, then reduce to medium heat and boil potatoes until fork-tender, about 10 to 20 minutes.

Do not boil the water first and then add the potatoes. This will cook the outside of the potatoes too quickly.

Step 3

Drain potatoes in the same colander you used to rinse them. Less dishwashing is always nice. Return the drained potatoes to the saucepan for mixing.

Step 4

Add seasonings and butter. Stir until all of the butter is melted and seasonings are blended. Now use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash the potatoes until smooth.

You could also mash your potatoes using a hand mixer, a stand mixer, potato ricer, or a food processor. I like using my old-fashioned potato masher.

Step 5

Add the milk to your hot potatoes last as it will cool them down. Add a little at a time stirring between each addition. You can add more or less milk depending on how creamy you like your potatoes. It is always better to err on the side of caution by needing to add more rather than add too much.

See my tip below for keeping mashed potatoes warm.

Step 6

Transfer your potatoes into a pretty casserole dish. Serve and enjoy!

FAQ’s

How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm on Thanksgiving

Here is a neat kitchen hack to use on Thanksgiving day for keeping the mashed potatoes warm.

Place a slow cooker liner into your Slow Cooker. Add your freshly made mashed potatoes and set them to low heat. You will have warm potatoes throughout the meal.

Seasoning Variations for mashed potatoes

There are many options for seasonings. Ranch dressing mix, Garlic powder, fresh herbs, garlic, and herbs, white pepper instead of black pepper, cream cheese, sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon, and whatever your family enjoys most.

Experiment with these variations and find the seasoning and flavorings your family enjoys most and create your own homemade mashed potatoes recipe to serve again and again.

Do you peel potatoes before boiling?

Yes and No. It depends on the type potatoes you use.

If you want creamy and buttery mashed potatoes using Russet or Yukon gold potatoes, then yes, peel the potatoes. There would be a big mess of skins in your mashed potatoes which are no fun to eat and will interfere with the flavor of your dish.

If you are making those delicious red potatoes into mashed potatoes then, peel all but a little of the skin from the potatoes. Be sure to wash the potatoes first using a good vegetable brush like this one.

Some of the best made from scratch mashed potatoes ever are at Disney World and they are made with red potatoes with the skins on.

Can you use heavy cream instead of milk in mashed potatoes?

Yes, you can. Heavy cream will make the potatoes very rich. It may take more cream than milk as it makes the potatoes a bit heavier and not quite as creamy. If you want the flavor of heavy cream, I suggest you use both heavy cream and milk for a good creamy texture.

Simple ingredients and about a half-hour are all you need for this perfect side dish. Serve anytime, holiday meals and special occasions or a weeknight meal.

More Side Dish Recipes

Southern Potato Salad recipe, just like Moms. A must-have dish with baked ham and always on Easter.

Classic Homemade Hash Browns, a perfect side dish when you want breakfast for supper

Southern Carrot Souffle, easy recipe, great for special occasions like Thanksgiving dinner

Mom’s Squash Casserole recipe, a family favorite side dish for many years

15 Crockpot Sides Dishes for Thanksgiving