Fluffy Mashed Potatoes are one of those traditional dishes that are a must for holiday dinners and are a staple of many weeknight meals. Made with sour cream, heavy cream and butter, who can resist?
There are dozens of recipes floating around that tout they are the best mashed potato recipe, but for my family the secret lies in the addition of one extra ingredient that many other recipe leave out…Sour Cream. My Mom used to make the best Mashed Potatoes, although I don’t remember her adding sour cream, she definitely used lots of butter and milk or heavy cream. Oh and she tried to make plenty to have some potatoes leftover to make Fried Potato Patties.
Besides adding the sour cream there are some other details to pay attention to, first the potatoes. In my book there are only two choices for the variety of potato that makes creamy and fluffy mashed potatoes. Choose the best Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes you can find. The starch content in these varieties is best suited for mashing.
Next we want to strip as much starch from the raw potatoes so after you have peeled the skins from them and cut them into 1 1/2 inch chunks go ahead and rinse them under cold water before adding them into your cooking pot. Then once they are cooked, test them with a fork to determine when the are done. Go ahead and drain the cooked potatoes in a colander.
Then it’s time to add all the goodies, sour cream, butter and milk. A little tip, warm up all these ingredients in the microwave before adding to your potatoes. It does help with incorporating during the mixing process.
These mashed potatoes can be made a day or two ahead of any holiday party and stored in the refrigerator. Just remove them from the fridge an hour before heating them back to serving temperature which takes 20-30 minutes in a 350 F oven.
Thanksgiving is a very traditional holiday. Many families, including ours, enjoy the same dishes over the years. The menu with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls and dessert is enjoyed by most. Now of course, Thanksgiving is not the only time I serve my family these Mashed Potatoes. They are a must along side Creamy Chicken and Noodles, and are perfect with Buttermilk Fried Chicken too!
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Traditional Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
Who can resist mashed potatoes like your Grandma makes? Recipe on PocketChangeGourmet.com
Ingredients
- 6–8 large white potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks about 1/2 inch in size
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, salted
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Extra butter to serve on top, optional
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover well
- Boil until tender (about 15 minutes)
- Drain and place in large bowl, mash with potato masher until large chunks are broken down
- In a microwavable bowl or cup, add cream, butter and sour cream
- Heat for about 1 minute
- Beat potatoes with an electric mixer, gradually adding cream mixture until smooth and desired consistency
- Add additional butter if desired
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Looking for more Thanksgiving Recipes? Check out our Thanksgiving Page!
Linking to…Gooseberry Patch
1 Comment
Please pass a huge bowl of those to me! I love mashed potatoes and these look perfect!!