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This easy mashed potatoes recipe is about as simple as it gets. No complicated steps and you’ll only need a handful of ingredients. I especially love these mashed potatoes with rabbit stew, but of course this classic side dish goes with so many entrees!
There are a few classic side dishes that everyone should know how to make, and mashed potatoes is one of them. It is, of course, tempting to simply make mashed potatoes from a box mix. But it is so easy to make them from scratch why wouldn’t you? You’ll be rewarded with creamy, flavorful and satisfying mashed potatoes that leave that old boxed mix in the dust.
What You’ll Need
- Yukon gold potatoes – You can peel the potatoes or leave the skin on. If you leave the skin on the potatoes won’t be quite as creamy but the skins are as tasty addition, and of course it is easier not to peel the potatoes.
- Garlic – I like to add garlic to my mashed potatoes for extra flavor. You can add more than 2 cloves if you like! If I am making this for myself I use 5.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter so that you have more control over the seasonings.
- Sour cream – Adds creaminess to the mashed potatoes.
- Heavy cream or milk – Heavy cream is best, but if you don’t have any handy regular milk works too.
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Mashed Potatoes
- Cook the potatoes: Place your potatoes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain the potatoes. You are going to use this cooking liquid to help control the texture of the mashed potatoes later.
- Cook the garlic: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in empty pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. This recipe calls for 2 cloves of garlic but you can certainly add more according to how much garlic flavor you want in the mashed potatoes.
- Mash the potatoes: Add the potatoes, sour cream and milk to the pot with the garlic. Mash everything together with a potato masher until smooth and creamy. Add splashes of the reserved cooking liquid as needed. Don’t add all the cooking liquid at once, you just want to add about 1 tablespoon at a time until your potatoes have the consistency you like
- Taste and serve: Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Mashed potatoes are best right after they are made, but you can store extras in the fridge for up to 3 days. To do this, let the potatoes come to room temperature then place them in an air tight container.
When you are ready to reheat, spoon the amount you want to eat into a bowl and add a splash of milk. Mix it all together, then heat in the microwave until warmed through. I will usually start with 1 minute, then stir the potatoes and heat for 1-2 minutes longer. Stopping to stir mid way ensures that your potatoes don’t have any cold spots and that the milk is well incorporated.
Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 12 oz Yukon gold potatoes, peeling optional
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain the potatoes.
- Cook the garlic. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in empty pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Mash the potatoes. Add the potatoes, sour cream and heavy cream to the pot with the garlic. Mash everything together with a potato masher until smooth and creamy. Add splashes of reserved cooking liquid as needed.
- Taste and serve. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then serve.