This is not your mom’s mashed potatoes recipe! These creamy mashed potatoes make a great addition to any dinner! Perfect as a side for the holidays or with a traditional chicken or roast beef dinner.

Not Your Mom’s Mashed Potatoes on a spoon


 

These are not your mom’s mashed potatoes. At least they aren’t my mom’s :). I am the official mashed potato maker for all of our family gatherings thanks to this rich, creamy mashed potato recipe.

Who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? Am I right? I’ve taken to classic to the next level with lots of butter, cream cheese, and milk. They end up perfectly smooth and totally delicious. And I have an Instant Pot version too!

They are the perfect side for slow cooker turkey breast, Instant Pot turkey breast, red wine braised short ribs. Pour on some homemade turkey gravy and serve them with any comfort food dish you can think of!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Thank you!

ingredients for Not Your Mom’s Mashed Potatoes

Need some help planning your Thanksgiving menu? Check out “How to Host Thanksgiving Dinner for 4-6 People” !

Ingredients You’ll Need

For this recipe, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand:

  • Potatoes – We always use russet or Yukon gold potatoes for this, but you can also use red if you like.
  • Milk – We prefer using whole milk for the extra creaminess that you can’t get with lower fat options. You can also use a bit of heavy cream if that is what you have on hand.
  • Salted butter – If you need to keep a lower sodium diet, you can use unsalted.
  • Cream Cheese – We prefer using regular, full fat cream cheese.
  • Kosher salt – You can also use sea or table salt if you prefer.

Different Types of  Potatoes You Can Use 

Potatoes come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. If you are new to making mashed potatoes, here are our picks for the best potatoes to use.

  • Russet – Russet have a thicker skin, so you’ll probably want to skin them before mashing for a smooth texture. When you cook them up, the flesh softens a lot, which makes them great for whipping and making into mashed potatoes. If you can only find russets, they are a great choice.
  • Yukon gold – Yukon gold potatoes have a smooth, thin skin and a yellowish tint in their flesh. They are also slightly sweet. Though they are often used in baking and frying, (we love making crispy air fryer potatoes with them) they are also perfect for making smooth mashed potatoes.
  • Red – Red skinned potatoes have a red, thin peel and a white flesh. You can peel them or leave their skin on when making mashed potatoes. The skins can add a bit of texture and flavor to mashed potatoes. These are great for sour cream potato salad or German potato salad.

Making turkey to go with those mashed potatoes? Here’s everything you need to know about how to cook a turkey breast.

Not Your Mom’s Mashed Potatoes in a bowl with butter and garnished with parsley

Instructions

Here’s what you need to do to make the best mashed potatoes!

Step 1 – Wash and peel the potatoes. Once washed, cut them into 1 to 2 inch pieces.

Step 2 – Boil the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill it with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Once the water is in, add two tablespoons of salt to the water.

Finally, cover the pot and heat over high heat. Bring the water to a boil and then let them cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until they easily break apart with a fork. Drain the potatoes and then place them back in the pot.

Step 3 – Mix the potatoes. Add the butter and cream cheese and then use a potato masher, hand mixer, or stand mixer to begin mashing the potatoes. Slowly add the milk, a little at a time, until you reach the consistency you want.

Finally, add in a teaspoon of salt at a time until you get the saltiness right for you. Serve with your favorite gravy, turkey, and other fixings.

serving Not Your Mom’s Mashed Potatoes on a spoon

How to Make it Ahead of Time

These easy mashed potatoes are a great make ahead recipe, whether you are busy prepping for a large holiday gathering or just planning on making a big dinner over the weekend. 

To make them ahead, let them cool completely and then store them in a sealed container for up to 2 days.

On the day you plan to serve them, place them in a slow cooker with a little milk and stir them around. They will be difficult to work with when they are cold but set your slow cooker to low and let them heat up slowly. You’ll want to stir them every 30 minutes until they are warmed through.

If they begin to dry out, just add more milk, but go slow so you don’t lose the consistency you want. Once they are heated through, turn the heat down to warm and leave them until you are ready to eat. 

Not Your Mom’s Mashed Potatoes on plate with turkey with gravy

Looking for More Potato Recipes?

Like this recipe?
Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest for more recipes like this.

Servings: 12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Not Your Mom’s Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are rich and creamy and made with a secret ingredient that is going to make your next dinner extra special!
Not Your Mom’s Mashed Potatoes in a black bowl
Print Recipe
4.67 from 6 votes

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds Potatoes
  • 3/4 cup Milk, you will use ¾ – 1/ 1/4 cups milk depending on how dry your potatoes are. Just add a little at a time until you reach the consistency you like.
  • 3/4 cup Butter
  • 8 ounces Cream Cheese
  • 3 tablespoons Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Wash and peel the potatoes then cut them into 1-2 inch pieces.
  • Put the potatoes in a large pot and fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the pot.
  • Cover and place the pot on the stove over high heat. Bring the potatoes to a boil and let them cook for 15-20 minutes or until the easily break apart with a fork.
  • Drain the water from the potatoes and then place them back in the pot.
  • Add the butter and cream cheese and use a potato masher or a hand mixer to begin mashing the potatoes. Slowly add the milk 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the consistency you want.
  • Add the salt a teaspoon at a time until you reached your desired level of saltiness.

Notes

Note: You can make these a day ahead and then on the morning of your dinner place them in a slow cooker with a little milk and stir them around. Turn the slow cooker to low and let them heat up, stirring every 30 minutes until they are warmed through, then turning down to warm and leaving them until you are ready to eat. If they begin to dry out just add more milk but go slow so you don’t lose the consistency you want.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 384kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 764mg, Potassium: 1243mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 650IU, Vitamin C: 70.1mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 2.2mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: best mashed potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, easy mashed potatoes, mashed ptoatoes
Handwritten signature for Kat & Melinda