These heavenly mashed potatoes are made using buttery Yukon Gold potatoes, cream, butter, milk, salt, and pepper. This is a classic recipe, perfect for Thanksgiving, Easter, and everything in between!

Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

Everybody seems to have their favorite way of making mashed potatoes. Some cook them with the peel on, some without. Some add a little of the cooking water to the mashed potatoes for extra starch.

I have found that the single thing that makes the biggest difference for making perfect creamy, heavenly potatoes is the type of potatoes you use.

Video! How to make creamy mashed potatoes

Use Yukon golds

Most people use starchy Russets for mashed potatoes. With their high starch and low water content, they’re good for baking, for making French fries, and for mashing. Here’s my secret though—even better than Russets for mashing are Yukon Golds.

They’re a little more expensive than Russets, but worth it! They’re naturally creamy when mashed, never mealy, and have a slightly buttery flavor all on their own. Yukon golds make the most perfectly creamy, buttery mashed potatoes.

Tips for the best mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes are essentially an easy dish, but we’ve found a few tips and tricks that ensure the best potatoes ever:

Start cooking the potatoes in cold water: This ensures that the potatoes cook evenly. Otherwise, if you start with hot or boiling water, the outsides of the potatoes cook and soften while the middles are still hard and crunchy.

This ensures that the potatoes cook evenly. Otherwise, if you start with hot or boiling water, the outsides of the potatoes cook and soften while the middles are still hard and crunchy. Warm the butter and cream : This might seem like a fussy step, but it’s worth it. Warm butter and cream will blend more easily into the warm potatoes, making them creamier and softer.

: This might seem like a fussy step, but it’s worth it. Warm butter and cream will blend more easily into the warm potatoes, making them creamier and softer. Use a potato masher: If your potatoes are cooked properly and the butter and cream are warm, you should have no problem mashing your potatoes into a creamy consistency with just a potato masher. Avoid using a blender or food processor; this can make your potatoes gluey.

Can you reheat mashed potatoes?

Yes! You can even make ahead and freeze mashed potatoes. Just make sure that you don’t skimp on the butter or cream. It’s the fat that helps the potatoes reheat well.

Our favorite way to reheat mashed potatoes is to just put them in the microwave (covered) for a couple minutes, and then give them a good stir before serving.

You can also put them in a slow cooker (a couple hours on low), or reheat in the oven or on the stovetop. Just stir occasionally, and add more butter and seasoning if needed to serve.

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