These Creamy Mashed Potatoes are simply addicting! The smooth texture, buttery flavor, and hint of fresh garlic really takes this classic side dish and elevates everything else you serve with it. No special tools needed!
You can't really have a holiday spread without mashed potatoes. They go well with all sorts of protein choices, and I can personally eat a big bowl by itself, with some homemade gravy on top. Although these are really simple ingredients, my preparation methods maximize flavor and texture without doing too much - so you can focus on making multiple dishes at once.
This year, I'm doing a video series for small batch potlucks like Friendsgivings, or smaller holiday crowds. Click the link for Thanksgiving dinner ideas or Christmas brunch recipes to see the full spread! And of course, this recipe goes pairs well with proteins and veggies year-round!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $0.51
- Total Cost (about 8 servings): $4.09
- Those Other Guys: $5.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes - Grab a bag of Russets for the base of our mashed potatoes. Even though we're peeling them, don't forget to wash and scrub with a vegetable brush!
- Milk & Cream - A mixture of both hot milk and heavy cream give the smooth, dreamy texture you want in mashed potatoes. I used unsweetened almond milk and non-dairy cream here, but any variation is fine.
- Salt & Pepper - For a good base side dish, we keep it simple with the seasonings.
- Garlic - We're going to infuse the garlic flavor into the warmed milk/cream! You can use whole cloves and smash them yourself to release the flavor, or use garlic paste.
- Sour Cream - Stir this in towards the end. If you don't have sour cream, unsweetened Greek yogurt is a great substitute!
- Butter - Butter is a big part of what makes a good mashed potato recipe great. I suggest using real butter or ghee, instead of margarine.
Variations and Substitutions
Milk & Cream Substitutes: You can use dairy or non-dairy versions of your milk and cream. We always have plain Greek yogurt in the fridge, and that's a great substitute for sour cream!
Mashed Potatoes Made with Red Potatoes: This recipe for Roasted Garlic Red Skin Mashed Potatoes uses red potatoes and the skins for a delicious treat.
Skin on or Off?: This recipe can be made either way. Keeping the skin on gives you more texture plus extra fiber! Just be sure to thoroughly scrub the outside of your potatoes. They come from the grocery store super dirty.
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy: The classic combination! Make a quick Homemade Gravy and serve on the side in a gravy boat...or pour it right on top.
How to Easily Make Creamy Mashed Potatoes (Without a Mixer)
Step 1: Wash and scrub your Russet potatoes. Peel, and chop into even-sized pieces.
Add to a large pot with salted water and boil for 20-25 minutes, until fork tender.
Step 2: Meanwhile, melt butter on low heat and add in smashed garlic cloves.
Our goal is to infuse the butter with garlic flavor.
Step 3: After a few minutes, pour in the milk and heavy cream and continue to warm the liquid.
Step 4: Once the potatoes are ready, drain them and add back to the pot.
Season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Slowly add the warmed cream mixture to the potatoes (removing the garlic cloves).
Use a potato masher to begin mashing your veggies.
Step 6: Continue to stir and mash until the mashed potatoes are creamy and silky smooth.
Top with fresh herbs like parsley or chives, and serve hot!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Boil the mess out of your potatoes! After boiling, the potatoes should be so soft you can easily slice them with a fork or spoon without a lot of pressure. This is what helps get super smooth mashed potatoes without using a hand mixer or even a ricer!
- Don't skip the infusion step. To get a really even garlicky flavor throughout your dish, make sure to gently infuse your garlic into the butter! And yes, you'll need more butter than you think.
Recipe FAQs
Great question! I used to have the same opinion before testing this recipe, because I really don't like to dirty more dishes than necessary.
The answer is all about incorporation. When you pour cold milk and cream on top of the hot potatoes, the drastic temperature change can lead to a lumpy, almost gluey texture.
When you slowly add hot liquid to hot potatoes, it incorporates much better and creates a smoother finished texture. Trust me, it's worth it!
I recommend Russets for this particular recipe, which is more like the restaurant-style mashed potatoes (silky smooth, creamy and buttery.)
I have another recipe for mashed potatoes using red potatoes on Coined Cuisine! You could also use Yukon golds as a substitute.
For this recipe, no! A potato masher or even a good wooden spoon will give us the creamy texture we want. No hand mixer required!
If you have one, feel free to use it, however. With a ricer, you wouldn't even need to spend time peeling the potatoes... the skin will stay in the machine while the potato flesh will slide through the holes.
Other Potato Side Dishes You'll Crave!
If you tried this Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Creamy Dreamy Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Vegetable Brush
- Vegetable Peeler
- Chef's Knife
- Dutch Oven
- Potato Masher or potato ricer
- Sauce Pot
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cloves fresh garlic or garlic paste
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt plus extra for boiling potatoes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- fresh parsley or chives optional, for garnish
Instructions
- To begin, wash your russet potatoes and peel the skins.3 pounds russet potatoes
- Cut the peeled potatoes into even-sized pieces, then add to a large Dutch oven.
- Pour enough water over the potatoes to cover them, and add a good amount of salt to the water.
- Boil the potatoes on high for at least 20 minutes, until they are very fork tender.
- Meanwhile, in a small sauce pot, melt the butter and sauté the garlic on low heat until fragrant. Use a fork to smash the garlic cloves into the butter; this will infuse the flavor more.4 tablespoons salted butter, 3 cloves fresh garlic
- Pour in the heavy cream, and milk into the garlic butter sauce pot. Stir well, and continue to simmer.¼ cup milk, ½ cup heavy cream
- When your potatoes are done, drain them and add them back to the pan - but remove the pan from the hot stove burner.
- Season the boiled potatoes with salt and pepper.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Remove the garlic cloves from your pot and set aside. Slowly pour the warmed butter and milk onto the potatoes, using a potato masher to get a smooth texture.
- Stir in the sour cream using a wooden spoon, and top with optional fresh parsley or chives. Enjoy!2 tablespoons sour cream, fresh parsley or chives
elizabeth says
served this with my famous meatloaf for dinner and it was absolutely delicious! easy to make as well.
Shani W. says
Thank you so much for your review Elizabeth! 🙂