How do you like your mashed potatoes?
There are many ways to mash your spuds! I’ve tried all of them! Do you like super smooth, mega-chunky, creamy, fluffy…?
Do you like a simple recipe with butter and milk or do you like them loaded with garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon bits?
I’m going to share my favorite way to make simple mashed potatoes! Consider this a base recipe that can be tweaked to your liking!
Many ways to Mash your Potatoes:
- Hand Masher: rustic texture with a few lumps – great arm workout!
- Ricer or Food Mill: smoothest texture – can be tedious to load up the ricer when making large batches.
- Hand Mixer: creamy texture, may have a few lumps – convenient to mash right in the pot or slow-cooker
- Stand Mixer: creamy, fluffy texture, may have a small rogue lump or two – I love to finish them with a whip – aerates, making them lighter/fluffy.
Best Potato for Mashing?
There are generally 2 types of potatoes: starchy or waxy:
Starchy Potatoes:
- Russets: starchiest, mashes very fluffy, can be mealy if overcooked, some folks swear by these for mashing. Best for french fries and baked potatoes!
- Yukon Gold (aka: Gold, Butter): a little less starchy, naturally buttery (golden color) and creamy, mashes fluffy. These are the potatoes I prefer for mashing!
Waxy Potatoes::
- Red, White, New Potatoes: low-starch, thin skin; great for boiling, roasting, sautéing. These hold together better when cooked, great for potato salad.
Prep & Boil Potatoes:
Peel potatoes
Cut into 1 – 1 1/2 inch pieces, you want them to be about the same size so they’ll cook evenly.
Start with cold water, bring to boil in salted water.
Simmer until tender all the way through, a fork can easily cut right through.
Mash Potatoes with Your Hand Mixer:
(for mashing with your Stand Mixer – see video below!)
Mash your potatoes right in the pot or in a slow-cooker!
If you mash your potatoes in a slow cooker, you can make them ahead and keep them warm for 1-2 hours on “Keep Warm” setting!
I have seen recipes where you cook the potatoes in the slow cooker, but the reviews are very mixed. I wouldn’t risk it for a holiday meal.
Drain your potatoes well and add back to the pot or to a warmed slow cooker. Let any of the excess water evaporate, you want the potatoes to be fairly dry.
I use my regular “turbo beaters’ for mashing – and warm my milk and butter in the microwave.
Start breaking up the potatoes on low speed.
Gradually add your melted butter and milk.
Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the pot or slow-cooker – so everything gets mashed evenly.
Give a final mash/whip on medium-high speed.
Dot with some pats of butter, sprinkle with chives or parsley if desired! If using a slow-cooker, put on lid and set to “warm” for 1-2 hours.
Mash Potatoes with Your KitchenAid Stand Mixer: Video
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (aka: gold, butter)
- 2 cups milk or half and half
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more for water and to taste
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper optional
- snipped chives to garnish, if desired
Instructions
Prepare & Cook Potatoes:
- Peel and cut potatoes into 1 1/2" pieces (they'll cook more evenly if they're roughly the same size.) Add to 4-6 qt. pot and cover with cold water. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt.
- Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer. You'll need to simmer about 20 minutes or until you can easily break the potatoes with a fork.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat the milk and the butter in the microwave. Use a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup. Stir in the salt, black and white pepper.
- When the potatoes are done, drain them, then put back into the pot and heat for a short time to help dry any excess moisture.
Mash with a Hand Mixer:
- You can mash right in the pot they were cooked in as long as the pot is metal utensil safe. You can also mash in your slow-cooker, then keep them warm for 1-2 hours on lowest heat setting.
- Use your turbo (regular) beaters and low speed to break up the potatoes. Add half the milk/butter mixture and continue mashing on a lower speed.
- Add the rest of the milk mixture (or as much as you'd like to add.) Scrape down the sides of the pot. Finish mashing/whipping the potatoes on a medium-high speed until you reach the consistency you like. Don't over beat, 1-2 minutes should do it.
Mash with your Stand Mixer: (Video above in Recipe Post on Website)
- Add hot potatoes to stand mixer bowl. (5-quart or larger) Use the flat beater (paddle) and stir speed to break up the potatoes (about 10 seconds.) Stop and scrape the bowl.
- Switch to wire whip and add half the milk mixture, mix on stir speed for about 10 seconds. Stop and scrape the bowl.
- Add the rest of the milk mixture (or as much as you'd like to add.) and mix just until the potatoes and milk mixture are combined. (about 10 seconds) Increase to speed to 10 and whip for 30 seconds. Stop and scrape the bowl.
- Whip for a final 10-20 seconds. Spoon into serving bowl and top with additional butter and chives, if desired.
Notes
Customize Your Mashed Potatoes:
- Mash to your texture preference: chunky or smooth
- Use milk or half & half for your dairy
- Add room temperature: cream cheese (8-ounces), sour cream (1/2 cup) or replace half of the milk with buttermilk
- For garlic flavor, add 1-4 peeled garlic cloves when cooking the potatoes. Mash them right with the potatoes or remove for milder garlic flavor
- Stir-in options: 1 cup shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup cooked & chopped bacon, 1 tablespoon chives or 1 tablespoon parsley
I’m trying this idea this year
Here’s the mistake you and many others are making.
You are adding butter and milk when you still have potato chunks in the mix. That’s why they come out with chunks when you mix them with a hand mixer. Once you add butter and milk, it’s game over. The chunks won’t get any smaller.
The thick texture of virgin potatoes is required to break up the chunks. You need to mix them for a while before you start adding butter or milk in.