Mashed Potatoes made to Perfection⭐️⭐️⭐️

Here is my all-time favourite mashed potatoes recipe! These homemade mashed potatoes are perfectly rich and creamy, full of great flavour, easy to make, and always a crowd fave.

This recipe is my idea of perfection. These mashed potatoes are indulgently buttery, creamy, tangy, and made with a subtle hint of garlic. They are perfectly dense and thick (not the whipped variety). It features potatoes (whose skins you are welcome to leave on or peel off).

MASHED POTATO INGREDIENTS

• Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes are recommended and Russets are also a great choice. You can use either kind or half and half.
• Garlic: Add just 2-3 cloves minced to give just a subtle undertone of garlic to the recipe.
• Butter: You want them to taste nice and buttery. This recipe doesn’t add as much butter as many recipes do, because the other ingredients help to make them nice and creamy, but you are of course welcome to add in more butter if you would like.
• Milk:  We use 2 percent milk in these mashed potatoes. However, if you prefer, you can enhance the taste by adding half and half or heavy cream.
• Cream Cheese: Cream cheese provides the slight extra tangy and creaminess. Be sure that your cream cheese is room temperature and cut into small 1-inch chunks, for easy melting into the potatoes.
• Fine sea salt: Which we will use to season the potatoes at different points while cooking.
• Toppings (Optional): I like to sprinkle on some chopped chives or green onions, for some extra colour and freshness.

HOW TO MAKE MASHED POTATOES

1. Cut the potatoes. Again, feel free to peel your potatoes or leave the skins on. (I always leave them on for the extra nutrients and flavor.)  Then cut your potatoes into evenly-sized chunks, about an inch or so thick. Then transfer them to a large pot.
2. Boil the potatoes. Once all of your potatoes are cut, be sure that there is enough cold water in the pot so that the water line sits about 1 inch above the potatoes. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon salt to the water. Then turn on high heat until the water comes to a boil. And boil the potatoes for about 10-12 minutes until a fork inserted in the middle of a potato goes in with almost no resistance. Carefully drain out all of the water.
3. Prepare your melted butter mixture. Meanwhile, as the potatoes are boiling, heat your butter, milk and an additional 2 teaspoons of sea salt together in a small saucepan until the butter is just melted. (Avoid boiling the milk.)  Set aside until ready to use.
4. Mash the potatoes.  Using your preferred kind of masher and mash the potatoes to your desired consistency.
5. Stir everything together. Then pour half of the melted butter mixture over the potatoes, and fold it in with a wooden spoon or spatula until potatoes have soaked up the liquid. Repeat with the remaining butter. And then again with the cream cheese. Fold each addition in until just combined to avoid over mixing.
6. Taste and season. One final time, adding in extra salt (plus black pepper, if you would like) to taste.
7. Serve warm. Then serve warm, garnished with any extra toppings that you might like and enjoy!

FAQS & TIPS

1. Use a blend of potatoes. Some people have a strong preference for starchy Russet potatoes or buttery Yukon golds. You may want to try using a 50/50 mixture of both! This mixture gives you the best of both worlds.
2. Avoid waterlogging your potatoes. Too much water is the enemy of mashed potatoes, but the good news is that it’s easy to avoid.
   • Cut your potatoes before boiling. Large, whole potatoes cook unevenly. So instead, cut your potatoes into evenly sized smaller pieces for quick and even boiling.
   • Don’t over boil. As soon as a dinner knife can be inserted easily into a potato with minimal resistance, they’re ready to go.
3. Don’t overmix! In general, you want to stir the liquids into your mashed potatoes until they are just combined. If you mix them too much, they might become gummy, which is undesirable.
4. Season with salt along the way. Use fine sea salt to season the potatoes both (1) in the water while they are boiling and (2) afterwards, when adding in the butter, milk and cream cheese.

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Mashed Potatoes made to Perfection

These homemade mashed potatoes are perfectly rich and creamy, full of great flavor, easy to make, and always a crowd fave.  See notes above for tips and possible recipe variations.  And also, feel free to halve this recipe if you would like to make a smaller batch.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 10 Servings

Calories 290kcal

Equipment

• 1 large pot
• 1 Potato masher

Ingredients

• 5 pounds potatoes Use half Yukon Gold, half Russet potatoes
• 2 large cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1 chopped fresh chives
• 2 chopped green onions topping
• 1 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper topping

Instructions

• Cut the potatoes. Peel your potatoes or leave the skins on. Then cut them into evenly-sized chunks, about an inch or so thick, and transfer them to a large pot.
• Once all of your potatoes are cut, be sure that there is enough cold water in the pot so that the water line sits about 1 inch above the potatoes. Stir the minced garlic and 1 tablespoon sea salt into the water. Then turn the heat to high and cook until the water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain the boil and continue cooking for about 10-12 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the middle of a potato goes in easily with almost no resistance. Carefully drain out all of the water.
• Prepare your melted butter mixture. While potatoes are boiling, heat the butter, milk and an additional 2 teaspoons of sea salt together either in a small saucepan until the butter is just melted (avoid boiling the milk). Set aside until ready to use.
• Mash the potatoes. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes to your desired consistency.
• Stir everything together. Then pour half of the melted butter mixture over the potatoes, and fold it in with a wooden spoon or spatula until potatoes have soaked up the liquid. Repeat with the remaining butter mixture, and then again with the cream cheese, folding in each addition in until just combined to avoid over-mixing. (Feel free to add in more warm milk to reach your desired consistency, if needed.)
• One final time, taste the potatoes and season with extra salt if needed.
• Serve warm, garnished with gravy or any extra toppings that you might like, and enjoy!