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Creamy Mashed Potatoes
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Rich, full of flavor, and delicious, these easy creamy mashed potatoes are a classic side dish that is always a crowd favorite. Discover the secret to the best mashed potatoes, creating a dish that is fluffy and creamy at the same time.
MORE RECIPES: Funeral Potatoes (Cheesy Potato Casserole) | Glazed Carrots | Ham Glaze
Homemade mashed potatoes are as integral to the holidays as ham or pumpkin pie. While these creamy garlic mashed potatoes should certainly grace your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, don’t wait until the holidays to whip these up.
Perfect for any time of the year, the best mashed potatoes pair with any recipe, from chicken dinners to slow cooker beef recipes. Whether you make them as part of a weeknight dinner or for a festive occasion, you’ll see why these smooth potatoes are swoon-worthy. We especially love them served with this classic pot roast.
The secret for how to get mashed potatoes creamy isn't an abundance of butter. Instead, it's a combination of butter, sour cream, and warm milk.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes Ingredients
- Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Water
- Salt
- Salted butter
- Sour cream
- Whole milk
- Garlic powder
- Ground white pepper
- Chives
Wondering how to make creamy mashed potatoes? Start with the star of the show, the potatoes. Choosing the best kind of potatoes, for example, a starchy potato such as Yukon golds will result in better texture and results.
Let the sour cream sit out while the potatoes are cooking so that it can come up to room temperature before adding it to your potatoes. Warming the milk before you add it to the potatoes also prevents you from bringing down the temperature of the dish while mixing them together. You can also keep finished potatoes warm in a crockpot until you are ready to serve.
The addition of sour cream to this recipe keeps the potatoes creamy and even allows them to reheat perfectly. While the recipe calls for garlic powder and chives, there are many other ingredients you can add to your potatoes including cheese, bacon, and green onions.
How to Make Creamy Mashed Potatoes
FIRST STEP: In a large pot add quartered Yukon Gold Potatoes. Cover with cold water and place on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add ½ tsp salt and stir into water. Bring water to a boil and let potatoes cook for 18-22 minutes (depending on the size of your cut potatoes). Potatoes are done when you can easily pierce with a fork.
SECOND STEP: Drain potatoes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer with beaters, break the potatoes up in the bowl. Add 1 stick of softened butter, garlic powder, ground white pepper, and salt. Mix with a hand mixer for 30 seconds on high.

THIRD STEP: Add sour cream and warmed milk to the bowl. Beat on high until no lumps remain in potatoes.
FOURTH STEP: Add 4 tbsp butter to the top of potatoes and allow to melt. Add finely chopped chives and serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
Make sure not to over mix your potatoes. They will become gluey and tough if mixed too long.
Ground black pepper can be used in place of the ground white pepper.
Chives are our favorite topping for these potatoes, but parsley works well too!

Storing this Recipe
IN THE FRIDGE: Cover potatoes with foil or store in an airtight container and refrigerate for three to four days. Reheat mashed potatoes in a casserole dish in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until heated all the way through. Potatoes can also be reheated in the microwave. Fluff potatoes with a fork after reheating.
IN THE FREEZER: Mashed potatoes can be frozen in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container for one month. Thaw the potatoes in the refrigerator before reheating.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes , peeled and cut into quarters
- Cold water, to cover potatoes
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 stick salted butter , softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk , warmed in the microwave for 45 seconds
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp salted butter , for garnish cut into 1 tbsp squares
- Chives finely , chopped
DIRECTIONS
- In a large pot add quartered Yukon Gold Potatoes. Cover with cold water and place on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add ½ tsp salt and stir into water. Bring water to a boil and let potatoes cook for 18-22 minutes (depending on the size of your cut potatoes). Potatoes are done when you can easily pierce with a fork.
- Drain potatoes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer with beaters, break the potatoes up in the bowl. Add 1 stick of softened butter, garlic powder, ground white pepper, and salt. Mix with a hand mixer for 30 seconds on high.
- Add sour cream and warmed milk to the bowl. Beat on high until no lumps remain in potatoes.
- Add 4 tbsp butter to the top of potatoes and allow to melt. Add finely chopped chives and serve immediately
Notes
- Make sure not to over mix your potatoes. They will become gluey and tough if mixed too long.
- The purpose for warming the milk is so that you don’t bring down the temperature of the potatoes while mixing together.
- I recommend that you let the sour cream sit out while the potatoes are cooking so that it can come up to room temperature before adding to your hot potatoes.
- Ground black pepper can be used in place of the ground white pepper.
- Chives are our favorite topping for these potatoes, but parsley works well too! ● To keep potatoes warm until serving, cover with tin foil and place in a warm oven on a low setting until ready to serve.
Comments
David Dabbs says
Looks pretty good, but I have found that after my potatoes are done I use a ricer to really break them up and make them lump free. Everything else looks spot-on!