If there's one side dish my kids can never have enough of, it's mashed potatoes. Despite it being one of the most basic dishes that almost everyone claims to have mastered perfectly, there are still some tips and tricks that can take it from good to great, and I'm happy to share mine.
Perfect mashed potatoes are light, creamy, and full of flavor, and this is exactly how we love to make them. We serve mashed potatoes with many dinner recipes due to their versatility. They are a perfect match for our favorite ground meat sauce and one-pan pork chops.
🥘 Ingredients
Potatoes: For perfect mashed potatoes, choose high-starch, low-moisture varieties that break down easily, absorbing butter and milk beautifully to produce the classic cloud-like mashed potatoes. Some of the go-to choices are Russet Potatoes (aka Idaho Potatoes) and Yukon Gold Potatoes.
Milk: For the creamiest mashed potatoes, choose whole milk. If it's not an option due to diet restrictions, select a non-dairy milk alternative.
Pro Tip: The best dairy-free milk alternative for mashed potatoes is oat milk, which is naturally creamy, has a very neutral flavor, and doesn't separate when heated.
Butter: We always add butter to achieve the right texture and a balanced, creamy taste. This recipe calls for unsalted butter; feel free to use salted butter and adjust the amount of added salt accordingly.
Salt: An essential ingredient in this recipe, it helps balance the inherent sweetness of milk and butter. Tastes differ, so feel free to add or reduce the salt to your preferences.
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
- Peel potatoes and cut into halves or smaller pieces to speed up the cooking process. Transfer to a pot, add water to cover all the potatoes, and add salt.
2. Cook until potatoes are tender. To check, pierce the tip of a knife - if it slides off easily with little resistance, they're done.
3. Drain water, ensuring no potato escapes without permission.
4. Using a potato masher, mash all the potatoes to achieve a uniform texture with no large lumps.
5. Add butter and mix using a hand-mixer until the butter has melted and is well-incorporated (about ½-1 min).
Important: Never use a blender to make mashed potatoes, as it will create a sticky, gluey texture. Been there!
6. Add milk and salt and continue mixing for another ½ minute. Adjust salt to taste.
💭 Pro Tip
Add butter first, then milk, to ensure the butter lands on the potatoes while they're hot and can melt well.
Kids' Favorite Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 hand mixer
- 1 potato masher
Ingredients
- 2 lbs potatoes
- 2 cups whole milk (or oat milk for a dairy-free version)
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 teaspoon salt (about 2.5 teaspoon for the boiling water and 0.5 teaspoon for the final seasoning)
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into halves or smaller pieces to speed up cooking. Place them in a pot, cover with cold water, and season generously with salt.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. To test doneness, pierce one with the tip of a knife - if it slides off easily with little resistance, they're ready.
- Drain the potatoes well.
- Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until the texture is even and no large lumps remain.
- Add the butter and mix with a hand mixer just until melted and incorporated, about 30-60 seconds.
- Pour in the milk, season with salt, and mix for another 30 seconds. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Notes
- Never use a blender to make mashed potatoes, as it will create a sticky, gluey texture.
- Add butter first, then milk, to ensure the butter lands on the potatoes while they're hot and can melt well.
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