Quick & Easy Mashed Potatoes — 😋💛 Buttery, creamy, PERFECT mashed potatoes that rival your favorite restaurant’s version but EASY and made with just 5 ingredients!! The quintessential holiday side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a great family-friendly weeknight comfort food side dish!!
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Easiest Mashed Potatoes Recipe
If you’re a fan of buttery, creamy mashed potatoes that you thought only grandma or a five-star steakhouse could execute to perfection, I’m here to share my tips for success for how to make the best mashed potatoes.
Turns out, it’s not quite as easy as throwing some potatoes in water and then mashing them up with butter and cream in order to yield the best possible results — almost that easy, but not quite.
However, this post will guide you through what to do and not do. If you’re already a mashed potato pro, feel free to scroll down to the recipe and skip my chatter, photos, and advice.
Ingredients for Simple Mashed Potatoes
This is the simplest ingredients list and that’s what makes them so good. Real food, simply prepared, and kept simple.
To make these easy mashed potatoes from scratch, all you need are the following ingredients:
- Potatoes
- Unsalted butter
- Half-and-half
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes
Making easy mashed potatoes is a quick process that anyone can master. Just make sure to follow my advice for mashed potato success!
Let’s go over how to make basic — but perfect! — mashed potatoes:
- Cube your potatoes, put them in a large pot of cold water, drain the water once, refill with more cold water, and bring to a boil with a lid on the pot which will take about 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and allow the potatoes to rapid simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until done.
- Drain, return the potatoes to the pot, and shake them around in the pot vigorously. This will break them up a bit and will help to release excess steam and water, which you don’t want or need in your final dish.
- Set the pot over medium heat for about a minute to help cook off any of the final amount of water that was released.
- Add butter, half-and-half, salt, pepper, stir, and mash. Voila, you’re ready to dig in!
Recipe FAQs
Mashed potato purists will say that you should use 100% Russet potatoes. The reason for this is that they are really starchy and it’s probably the most traditional. However, it’s a nice option to mix half Russet potatoes with half Yukon Gold potatoes which are more buttery and a bit waxier. The two combined make a wonderful batch of mashed potatoes.
When a fork or a dinner knife easily punctures the potatoes, they’re done. Don’t forget about them and keep them going longer! Overboiling breaks down the potatoes, water logs them, and won’t yield the creamiest mashed potatoes. They’ll taste a little, well, watered down.
I recommend a good old-fashioned potato masher for classic mashed potato consistency and texture. If you prefer smoother mashed potatoes with less texture, then this smooth potato masher is your ticket. If you want them even smoother, then look for a potato ricer.
Yes, you can keep the skin on. However, for my family and me, no skins allowed and we peel our potatoes.
It is best if you cube your potatoes into about 1 to 1.5-inch chunks and boil the chunks.
I actually use half-and-half, which is a mixture of half whole milk and half heavy cream. For us, this is the perfect middle ground.
If you want to lighten them up, you could use all whole milk or possibly a non-dairy milk if you’re trying to keep them dairy-free or vegan. You’d want something thicker in my opinion like cashew milk rather than rice milk for instance.
I personally don’t do this, as I prefer to salt the simple mashed potatoes to taste once they’re cooked.
You’ll want to add the roughly cubed potatoes to a pot of cold water and bring the whole pot to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork.
Gluey or gummy potatoes means your basic mashed potatoes contain too much starch OR you overworked them while mashing. To avoid this, use Russet potatoes that have been covered with water and drained before being re-covered with water and boiled. This removes a bit of the starch prior to boiling the potatoes.
Also make sure to use an actual potato mashed (or ricer) to mash the potatoes and not a food processor, which will overwork the potatoes.
If your mashed potatoes seem at all dry, chances are you didn’t follow my recipe and tried getting away with less butter or half and half! Use the full amount of butter and half and half (or milk) for the creamiest mashed potatoes.
Recipe Variations to Try
I would add the following items in when you’re adding in the melted butter and half-and half, with the exception of the garlic:
- A couple cloves of garlic, finely minced (for this option, cook the garlic in the saucepan with the melted butter and cream so that raw garlic taste mellows)
- Chives
- Other fresh herbs you have on hand from making turkey (rosemary, sage, parsley, etc.)
- Shredded cheese such as Parmesan or sharp cheddar, or chunks of blue cheese or goat cheese
- Cooked bacon bits
Storage and Reheating
In the fridge: Let cool, then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
In the freezer: Let mashed potatoes cool completely, then seal in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container. These easy mashed potatoes will last up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, place in fridge overnight to thaw or reheat from frozen in the oven (transfer to a baking dish first).
To reheat: I recommend reheating them gently in a pot over low heat until warm (you may need to add a splash of milk or cream). You could also reheat larger servings in a slow cooker or Instant Pot.
What to Serve with Mashed Potatoes
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Quick and Easy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks (or a mixture of half Russet and half Yukon Gold potatoes)
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, 3 sticks or 24 tablespoons
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half, whole milk or heavy cream may be substituted*
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large stockpot, cover with 2 inches cold water, drain the water (removes starch), and refill with more cold water to cover by 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil over high heat with a lid on the pot which will take about 10 minutes.
- Once the water is boiling, remove the lid, and allow the potatoes to rapid simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes over medium-high heat, or until done. The potatoes are done when you can easily pierce with a fork or dinner knife. Don’t overboil the potatoes once they are done.
- While the potatoes are boiling, to a separate medium saucepan, add the butter, half-and-half, and heat over medium-low heat to allow the butter to melt. Once the butter has melted, keep the saucepan over medium-low or low heat. However, you do not want this to simmer but simply keep this butter-cream mixture warm until the potatoes are done cooking and ready to mash.
- When the potatoes are done, drain the water, return the potatoes to the pot, and shake them around in the pot vigorously. This breaks them up a bit and will help to release excess steam and water, which you don’t want or need in your final dish.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat for about a minute to help cook off any of the final amount of water that was released; turn the heat off.
- Drizzle in melted butter and half-and-half mixture, add the salt, pepper, and mash to your desired consistency. For traditional mashed potatoes, I use this masher. For smoother use this smooth masher, and for ultra-smooth use this potato ricer.
- Taste, and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. I generally add more salt and pepper, but start with amounts called for and increase to your tastes. Serve immediately.
- Potatoes will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Potato Side Dishes:
Bacon Cheddar Loaded Mashed Potatoes — If you like loaded baked potatoes, you’ll LOVE these mashed potatoes with bacon, cheddar cheese, butter, sour cream, and more!
Browned Butter Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes — Creamy and decadent from the herbed browned butter, these mashed potatoes are a family favorite side dish! Made in the slow cooker to free up stove and oven space.
Cheesy Funeral Potatoes — This casserole is creamy, CHEESY, and topped with crunchy Corn Flakes! It’s an easy side dish that feeds a crowd, so it’s perfect for potlucks, holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and family gatherings.
Parmesan and Herb Roasted Potatoes — These herb roasted potatoes are sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and are made with seasonings you already have on hand. So easy to prep, and crazy delicious!
Crispy Parmesan Ranch Roasted Potatoes – The BEST roasted potatoes you’ll ever eat!! Tender potatoes seasoned with ranch mix and topped with a CRISPY Parmesan breadcrumb topping! So DELICIOUS you don’t even need a main course!!
Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole – Tender potatoes mixed with butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon, and green onions for the ultimate in LOADED baked potatoes!
Three Cheese Scalloped Potatoes — These baked scalloped potatoes are EXTRA cheesy thanks to three cheeses used as well as super rich and CREAMY!! They’re a perfect HOLIDAY SIDE DISH as well as family friendly weeknight COMFORT FOOD!
Thank you for this recipe!
The easiest and tastiest mashed potato’s I’ve ever made. It has been a lifelong journey trying to master them. This is it!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m so glad that this recipe is the one for you and helped you master perfect mashed potatoes!
Perfect mashed potatoes recipe! Thank you!
Thanks for letting me know that this recipe is perfect for you, Christine!
I thought I made great potatoes but these are my new favorite. My family loved them and all of us had seconds and were still looking for thirds. The only thing I did differently is used 5 large red potatoes because that’s what I had. Also the recipe doesn’t state how much salt to add to the water so I added 1 Tbsp. Just another 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper at the end and they were perfect. Thanks for the recipe
I thought I made great potatoes but these are my new favorite. My family loved them and all of us had seconds and were still looking for thirds. The only thing I did differently is used 5 large red potatoes because that’s what I had. Also the recipe doesn’t state how much salt to add to the water so I added 1 Tbsp. Just another 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper at the end and they were perfect. Thanks for the recipe
Thanks for the 5 star review glad these are your new favorite potatoes and that your family was looking for seconds and thirds!
Salted water, will vary from person to person, but yes about 1 tbsp is about right.
great
Hi. I am looking forward to making these potatoes for Thanksgiving. The link for the gravy goes to “page not found”. I used search and couldn’t find a gravy recipe either. Am I just missing it? Thanks! <3
It is being posted on Friday and I figured I would just drop it in now, as to not forget later on to do it, but that link will go live Friday. Just check back anytime after 12:01am PST Friday!
great