Mashed Potatoes are a must for holiday dinners and this Fluffy Mashed Potatoes Recipe will become your new favorite. Rich and buttery, yet still so fluffy-it checks all the right boxes. This recipe can even be made a day ahead and still retains its fluffy, creamy consistency. Why wait for Thanksgiving?
There are dozens of recipes floating around that tout they are the best and most fluffy mashed potatoes recipe, but our family secret lies in the addition of one extra ingredient that many other recipe leave out…Sour Cream. It adds moisture and creaminess to the potatoes without being heavy or dense. Be sure to make plenty so your family can have seconds! And any leftovers make awesome Fried Potato Patties or a delicious base for potato leek soup!
What type of potatoes work best for Traditional Fluffy Mashed Potatoes?
First and foremost, two potato varieties make the creamiest and fluffiest mashed potatoes. Choose either Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes for mashing. Both have the right starch content to achieve the fluffy texture you want in your mashed potatoes. The Yukon Gold have a slightly more buttery flavor, but the Russet potatoes often cost less per pound and the larger size makes them easier to peel. Chef’s choice.
Prepping the Potatoes
First, peel the potatoes using a vegetable peeler. After you peel the potatoes, cut them into 1 1/2 inch pieces, strip the excess starch from the raw potatoes by rinsing them under cold water in a colander before adding them into your cooking pot.
Pro tip: Never peel potatoes (or anything, for that matter) over the sink or trash can; peeled foods get slippery and you will likely drop at least one of them. Peel potatoes over a cutting board or bowl and put peels into the compost or garbage (never down garbage disposal).
Cooking the Potatoes
- Next, place potatoes a large pot and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes.
- Bring them to a gentle boil and then reduce to medium heat for a nice simmer. Gently boil potatoes for approximately 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, test them with a fork to determine if they are done. A fork should be able to easily pierce the potato without it falling apart.
- Remove the potatoes from the stove and drain the boiling water from the cooked potatoes using a colander.
- Quickly rinse off the excess starch from the hot potatoes and return the cooked potatoes to the warm pot.
Tips for Mashing Potatoes
Next, it’s time to mash those potatoes add all the goodies: sour cream, butter and heavy cream (or milk if you are feeling so decadent). But first, a few essentials.
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- Warm the dairy: Combine the heavy cream (or milk), butter, and sour cream and warm them up together in a glass measuring cup in the microwave or in a pan on the stove before adding to your potatoes. It is key for achieving fluffy potatoes! It will help incorporate the butter and moisture during the mixing process. Cold milk and mashed potatoes do not get along and will reduce the fluffiness of the potatoes. Plus, adding cold milk, butter, and sour cream will cool the potatoes considerably and no one likes cold mashed potatoes!
- Potato Mashing: Less Is More
When mashing the potatoes, less is more. Overworking the potatoes releases starch, and potatoes can develop a gluey texture if mashed too much. In other words, if you want delicious mashed potatoes, do not use a blender or food processor to mash them.
- First, use a potato masher or potato ricer to break down the potatoes into smaller pieces.
- Then use an electric hand mixer to mix in the cream mixture to keep a light fluffy texture.
- Gradually pour the warm milk and melted butter into the whipped potatoes as you mix them. Stop when the liquid is mostly incorporated and then fold the rest in using a spatula.
One thing we love about this Traditional Fluffy Mashed Potatoes Recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and still be so creamy, light, and fluffy! Did you hear that, hosts? You can prepare the mashed potatoes a day or two ahead of your holiday party and store them in the refrigerator.
How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes
For reheating this Fluffy Mashed Potatoes Recipe, start by removing them from the refrigerator two hours before you plan to serve them. Let them come to room temperature, which will take about an hour, before heating them to serving temperature. We recommend warming them for 20-30 minutes in a 350°F oven. If you like, you can fluff them with a potato masher before placing them in the oven, but it’s not necessary.
Now of course, I don’t wait until Thanksgiving to serve my family these Mashed Potatoes. They are a must along side Fast and Easy Meatloaf, and are perfect with Buttermilk Fried Chicken too!
Looking for More Thanksgiving Recipes?
Like many families, ours enjoys some of the same traditional Thanksgiving dishes each year. The menu often includes turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls and dessert. But I love adding fun vegetable and side dishes to keep things interesting. If you want to spice up your Thanksgiving table, check our our Thanksgiving Vegetable Recipe page.
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Traditional Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
Who can resist buttery, fluffy mashed potatoes? Recipe on PocketChangeGourmet.com
Ingredients
- 6–8 large white Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks about 1/2 inch in size
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk
- 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!
1 Comment
Please pass a huge bowl of those to me! I love mashed potatoes and these look perfect!!