For those who prefer the classic way of messing your plate in this holiday season – you won’t want to miss this creamy mashed potato. Easy, buttery, perfectly seasoned, and impossible to resist eating it straight out of the pot, homemade mashed potato was never so simple to make and totally mouthwatering!
Now of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion about exactly what constitutes the best mashed potatoes recipe. But if we’re the one put in charge potatoes for Christmas, this recipe is my idea of perfection. These mashed potatoes are indulgently buttery, creamy, tangy, and made with a very subtle hint of garlic (which you’re welcome to amp up, if you’d like). They are perfectly dense and thick (not the whipped and ultra-light variety). They feature not one, but two popular kinds of potatoes (whose skins you are welcome to leave on or peel off). They can be as smooth or as chunky as you prefer. Oh, and they’re also incredibly easy to make ahead of time and reheat in the microwave if you have a busy menu lineup and would like to prep them ahead of time.
Choosing of Potatoes – Russet Potatoes
For us, we shop at the wet market more often than the supermarket as the price is rather cheaper. However, there are times that we preferred the supermarket a lot more especially when come to purchasing a selected type of ingredients. We often have mistaken Yellow Potatoes and Russet Potatoes by their appearance in the wet market, so it’s hard to the differential without labels. They might look similar but one is waxy and another is light and creamy. Therefore when coming to mashed potatoes, we preferred the latter.
For mashed potatoes, usually, we go with Russets as they are a floury potato with a light and fluffy texture. The skin becomes chewy when cooked. These are commonly used for baked, mashed and roasted potatoes.
How to make Mashed Potatoes?
Mashed Potatoes are super simple to make with very few ingredients. You can make them in the Crock Pot or Instant Pot, but we really do think the best mashed potatoes are a simple classic.
The real key to making the best creamy mashed potatoes is to get the consistency right.
- Drain Well: We usually let them sit about 5 minutes or so to completely drain or even drain well and put them back in the warm pot for a few minutes to make sure all liquid is evaporated.
- Mash by Hand: Use a hand masher or a potato ricer. Using a hand mixer, stand mixer or food processor can break down the starches in the potatoes and cause a very gluey or gummy texture. You can still get buttery smooth creamy mashed potatoes mashing by hand.
- Butter is Your Friend: There are places you can skimp on the butter and this is not one of them. We like to use salted butter and lots of it (but you can use unsalted season yourself). Butter helps your mashed potatoes get a creamy… well, buttery texture.
- Heat Your Cream: Heat your milk/cream before adding. This keeps the potatoes hot and absorbs better. Add cream/milk a little a time to get the right consistency.
Cream cheese, garlic, and butter added to homemade mashed potatoes can add a delicious tang! You can really add whatever toppings you love the most, mashed potatoes are very forgiving!
How long to boil the potatoes for mashing?
Potatoes should always be placed in cold salted water and brought to a boil, this helps them cook evenly. The length of time you need to boil the potatoes entirely depends on how big they are cut.
We quarter our potatoes and boil them about 20 minutes. To check if your potatoes are ready, use a fork and if it is easy to pierce the potato, it is done.
Can you Freeze the Mashed Potatoes?
You sure can, frozen mashed potatoes reheat pretty well in the oven with a little milk. To freeze, scoop them into a plastic freezer bag and press flat (this helps them defrost and reheat evenly)! When you reheat them, add about a tablespoon of milk per cup of potatoes and stick them in the oven to reheat.
In a blink of an eye a week of December has already passed and it’s almost time to meet up friends and family members to celebrate the occasion . For those who prefer the traditional, this creamy mashed potatoes is for you. We’re pretty sure you’re going to love them too. So if you’re looking for a solid homemade mashed potatoes recipe, bookmark this one. And when you’re ready, let’s make a batch together!
xoxo, Angela
Creamy Mashed Potato
Presenting my all-time favorite mashed potatoes recipe! These homemade mashed potatoes are perfectly rich and creamy, full of great flavor, easy to make, and always a crowd fave.
Ingredients
2 kg potatoes russet or Yukon gold
1/3 cup salted butter
1 cup milk or cream
salt & pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
Spring of thyme
Methods
- Peel and quarter potatoes, place in cold salted water.
- Bring to a boil and cook uncovered 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.
- Heat milk, butter, thyme and bay leaves on the stove top until warm.
- Begin mashing. Pour in liquid a little at a time while using a potato masher to reach desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
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