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Three key ingredients make up these rich and creamy mashed potatoes. You’ll never make mashed potatoes another way again. They’re also a great slow cooker mashed potato recipe.
It’s perfect rich and creamy mashed potato weather. Warm sunshine on my shoulders. Brilliant shades of red and orange falling from the trees. Ohio weather gets a lot of flack and I’ll be dishing it out as well when it is bitter cold in March. But right now? I’m singing the praises of my little Buckeye state.
With this warmish fall weather, it’s hard to keep in mind that Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. The cool weather can stay away, but bring on the homemade rolls, Grandma’s stuffing and pumpkin pie.
And another must-have Thanksgiving side dish to go with your turkey? Mashed Potatoes and gravy. Rich and creamy mashed potatoes.
Why this is the Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe:
- It’s my grandma’s creamy mashed potatoes recipe. And grandma’s know best, right?
- Uses Russet potatoes for the ultimate in fluffy texture.
- Options to rice the potatoes for perfectly smooth potatoes or use a traditional potato masher.
- Heavy cream and cream cheese give the best creamy texture.
Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese
I never used to follow a recipe when I made mashed potatoes. I knew I liked folding meltedbutter and milk in with the potatoes to make them super soft.
But I’ll never forget one time when we visited my Grandma’s house. Her mashed potatoes tasted amazing and it was because she added cream cheese to the mashed potatoes. Being an avid cream cheese lover, I knew she had hit on something brilliant.
What makes our mashed potatoes creamy?
- Butter. Real, sweet cream butter. I use salted butter nearly 100% of the time.
- Cream Cheese. Full-fat, please. Yes, you could use ⅓ fat or fat-free, but know that it is not going to be as rich and creamy if you do.
- Heavy Cream. I know many of you cringed when you read that ingredient. We’re not talking health food here. We’re talking Thanksgiving comfort food. And to get the potatoes super creamy and rich, you should definitely use heavy whipping cream.
What are the best potatoes for mashed potatoes?
Choosing the right kind of potato is important, too.There’s waxy potatoes, starchy potatoes and some in between. For perfectly textured mashed potatoes, you’re going to want to choose a starchy potato such as Russets. They may also be called Idaho or bakers. These potatoes will fall apart when you bake them, but whip up fluffy, drinking in all of that wonderful butter and milk.
Don’t have Russets? Try Yukon Gold potatoes. They have a natural buttery flavor so they are excellent in mashed potatoes.
How to make fluffy mashed potatoes?
There’s no need to pull out a blender, food processor or electric hand mixer to make potatoes. I used to make my potatoes that way, but a chef in Columbus, Ohio, told me that over-mixing the potatoes brings out the starch which can make them gummy.
For the fluffiest mashed potatoes, you’ll want to use a potato ricer or food mill. If you don’t have a potato ricer, use a handheld potato masher. It’s still possible to get them perfectly creamy with this.
Optional Mashed Potato Add-ins
- Fresh herbs are a great way to add flavor to mashed potatoes, or just to sprinkle on top for serving. Try fresh parsley, chives, rosemary, pepper, green onions, thyme, or minced garlic cloves.
- Don’t like cream cheese? Try adding in sour cream instead. It will change the flavor slightly and make the potatoes have a little more “tang”, but they’ll still be creamy.
Looking for a healthier version? Try our low carb mashed cauliflower!
Rich and Creamy Mashed Potatoes
4.68 from 56 votes
Three key ingredients make up these rich and creamy mashed potatoes. You'll never make mashed potatoes another way again. Great for the slow cooker, too.
Servings 12
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 25 minutes minutes
Print RecipeSave Recipe
IngredientsUS Customary – Metric
US Customary – Metric
- 5 pounds Russet potatoes about 7 large potatoes
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into large cubes.
Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and fill the pot with cold water, leaving about 2 inches at the top of the pan.
Place the pan on the stovetop on medium-high heat.
Allow the water to come to a boil, then turn the water down to medium heat.
Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Drain the water from the potatoes.
Put potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer for the fluffiest texture. Or you can mash them with a potato masher.
Stir in the cream cheese, butter, heavy cream and salt.
Gently fold the potatoes using a rubber spatula until they are smooth and creamy. Be careful not to mix too hard because want to keep the potato fluffiness that ricing the potatoes give.
Serve warm.
You can top with butter, salt, chives or parsley.
Notes
If you don’t have time to rice the potatoes, simply use a handheld potato masher or a hand mixer on low speed to blend the ingredients.
Slow Cooker Potatoes
If desired, you can place the finished mashed potatoes in a slow cooker and turn it on low for 2-3 hours. I love the potatoes slow cooked this way. The edges get slightly browned and taste delicious! If you don’t want the mashed potatoes to brown at all, be sure to stir the potatoes often, scraping the sides as you stir.
Nutrition
Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 401mg | Potassium: 808mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 10.8mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Author Julie Clark
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Calories 283
Keyword creamy mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes, potatoes side dish
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