I don’t know about you, but it seems like everyone in my family has their specialty when it comes to bringing food to family gatherings. Mine, it would seem, are making the best creamy mashed potatoes. 

Maybe you’ve experienced this, maybe not – but there are few things more delicious than mashed potatoes done well, and few things more disappointing than mashed potatoes done poorly. I can’t say that I’ve ever met anyone who’s described their ideal potato experience as “Lumpy, dry, and bland.” No thank you.

How to make the best creamy mashed potatoes

In my opinion, there are two keys to making perfect mashed potatoes: butter, and salt. Without enough of those two things, mashed potatoes are just not the same. Here are a few other tips to keep in your back pocket, however, to make sure your potatoes come out right.

1 – Remove the peels and blemishes

Potatoes can be very dirty, with lots of hidden dark spots and blemishes on them. The first step to making great potatoes, then, is to peel them cleanly and rinse them in cold water. Then, cut the potatoes into smaller chunks to make sure that the insides are clear of internal spots and to make sure that the potatoes will cook quickly.

2 – Cook the potatoes long enough

In order for mashed potatoes to come out right, the potatoes need to be very well cooked in order to become smooth and creamy. Boil your potatoes in hot water until a sharp knife inserted into one of the potato chunks slips in and out easily. 

3 – Boil the potatoes in salt water

For maximum flavor, cook your potato chunks in salt water.

4 – Use enough butter and salt

Once the salt water is drained off of the cooked potatoes, a lot of the salt will be lost. So, you’ll need to add a little extra – with a generous amount of butter, to give you the best flavor.

5 – Add milk gradually 

My recipe does recommend a particular amount of milk; however, since not all potatoes are the same, I recommend adding the milk gradually to make sure that you don’t get too much. Russet potatoes tend to be the most starchy, and require the greatest amount of milk (or sour cream, if you prefer) to become smooth. Other types of potatoes, such as red, white, or yellow potatoes, tend to have a creamier texture on the inside and require less milk to become smooth.

6 – Mix until very creamy

I like to beat my potatoes with a hand-held electric mixer (rather than a potato masher), for quite a while, until they are very smooth and fluffy. 

Preparing mashed potatoes ahead of time

As some of you may know, I come from a large family (I’m one of 12 kids) which means that family get togethers are only getting bigger every year. At the moment, I can usually get by with just one 10-lb bag of potatoes to serve my family… but I know it won’t be long before that amount gets doubled. With siblings getting married and babies being born, our numbers seem to multiply faster than almost seems possible.

That said, I’ve had to learn how to work ahead in order to prepare for large numbers of people without stressing myself out too much. I have three tips for you:

1. Use red potatoes for a crowd 
   Red potatoes, when they’re in good shape, have thin, clear peels which can be left on. This saves so much time! 
2. Cover the peeled, chopped potatoes in cold water with a fair bit of salt
   This will prevent the potatoes from oxidizing (turning brown/grey).
3. Prep the night before, if necessary
   Yes, you read that right! You can totally prepare your potatoes the day before, and then store them (fully covered in salt water) in a covered container in the fridge overnight. I like to put them right into the pot I want to cook them in, and then pull it out the next day and throw it on the stove. If you find that a few potatoes have some greyish spots on them the next day, that’s ok; it shouldn’t affect them poorly at all.

Choosing the best potatoes

My preference is to make my mashed potatoes with russet potatoes (a starchy, white potato) or red potatoes (a smoother, red skinned variety), but you can make delicious mashed potatoes with most varieties. As a general rule, I try to stay away from Yukon gold potatoes (yellow), since they can sometimes have an almost sweet flavor, which isn’t my personal preference.

How to make garlic mashed potatoes

I love making garlic mashed potatoes, especially for the holidays! To do this, all you have to do is put a few cloves of peeled garlic into the water with the potato chunks while you cook them, and then mash them into the potatoes when you add the other ingredients.

Keeping mashed potatoes warm

If you are preparing mashed potatoes to be served later, it can be tricky to keep them warm without losing texture or burning the edges. That said, I have found that the “Keep Warm” setting on my instant pot is perfect for this! I own an 8-qt (large) instant pot, and when I’m in charge of bringing potatoes to family gatherings, I just make them in the morning, fill up my instant pot, keep it warm, and voila. They’re perfect! 

A slow cooker on low would also work well for this.

Reheating mashed potatoes

My favorite way to re-heat leftover mashed potatoes is probably honestly to fry them in butter. You’ll get some browned crispy bits in there, but who doesn’t like that on a good potato? You can of course also microwave them, or warm them on low heat in the oven.

Best uses for leftover creamy mashed potatoes

I love using leftover mashed potatoes to make bread (add it to your regular bread dough with a little extra flour – about 1/4 cup per loaf of bread). You can also use them in your waffle or pancake batter, or mix them with an egg (and maybe some minced onion), and fry them into potato patties. Potatoes are hearty and flavorful– so don’t let them go to waste! 

Can you freeze leftover creamy mashed potatoes?

You can, although the texture will change slightly (they become a little more grainy). Use frozen and thawed mashed potatoes in bread or other baking (as mentioned above), or re-heat them in a pan on low heat in the oven or on the stovetop.

Troubleshooting

My potatoes are sticky/gummy: what went wrong?

I have found this to happen most often when I’m using old potatoes that have lost some of their initial crisp texture. It also seems to happen more (in my experience) with yellow potatoes, or other sweeter potato varieties.

You will need:

• Ingredients (see recipe card)
• Vegetable peeler
• Paring knife
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large pot
• Electric mixer
• Spatula

Here’s a picture that’s more obviously Christmas… Can you tell when I made these potatoes?

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

• Chicken Pot Pie
• Easy Tomato Meat Sauce
• Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
• Italian Sausage and Black Bean Soup

That’s it! I hope you found this post helpful, and this recipe delicious. Leave me a note in the comments if you make this recipe, and in the meantime I’ll ask: What’s your “Famous” dish to bring to holiday gatherings?

Bye for now,

Naomi

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