Easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes

These Creamy Mashed Potatoes are light and whipped rather than dense, they feed twelve, and you can make them up to three days before you plan to serve them. That last part is why this is the recipe I make for every holiday! These mashed potatoes are the one side dish that genuinely reheats as well as it started.

The method is simple: russet potatoes boiled in heavily salted water, drained, then whipped with half and half, butter and sour cream until they’re smooth and fluffy. I’ve been making them this way since the year I decided to try my hand mixer instead of the masher to save time.

I use an electric hand mixer, which most recipes will tell you not to do. Used right, it’s what makes them whipped instead of just mashed. The trick is knowing exactly when to stop, which I’ll get into below.

Whipped vs. Mashed: Why I Use a Hand Mixer

Most mashed potato recipes will tell you never to use an electric mixer, and if you walk away and let it run, they’re right — you’ll end up with glue. But used properly, a hand mixer gives you something a masher can’t: potatoes that are genuinely light and whipped, closer to a cloud than a scoop.

The difference is entirely in when you stop. Whip on low to medium just until the lumps disappear, about 30 to 60 seconds, and pull the beaters out the moment they’re smooth. Every extra second past that releases more starch, and starch is what turns fluffy into gummy.

A ricer gives you the smoothest result of all and no risk at all, if you have one and don’t mind the extra tool. A hand masher gives you a rustic, textured mash with visible lumps, which some people prefer and which is the safest option if you’re nervous. All three work with this recipe — the dairy and the method stay the same.

Serving Suggestions

These whipped potatoes are an essential part of a classic Thanksgiving meal. I like to serve them with a big roasted turkey, lots of fresh gravy and all of my favorite thanksgiving sides like creamed corn, Italian sausage stuffing and maple glazed carrots.

But mashed potatoes are not just for Thanksgiving! They are the ultimate side dish for whenever you are craving comfort. I like to serve them with this dutch oven whole chicken, tender air fryer meatloaf, Instant Pot Pork Roast, a beef recipe like chuck roast, or a whole spatchcock chicken.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Russet potatoes — 5 lb, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes. Russets are starchy, which is what gives you a light, fluffy mash rather than a dense one. Yukon Golds work interchangeably and are a little more buttery. Red skin potatoes also work, but they’re lower in starch, so use a little less half and half and sour cream or they’ll go loose.
• Salt — twice: 2 tablespoons in the boiling water, which is the only chance the potatoes get to season themselves, then more to taste once they’re whipped.
• Half and half — 1¾ cups, warmed before it goes in. Milk makes a lighter mash, heavy cream a richer one — use whichever matches how creamy you like them. For dairy free, use a good dairy-free creamer along with the swaps below.
• Butter — 1 stick, unsalted. Not the place to economize; it’s most of what makes mashed potatoes taste like mashed potatoes. A quality vegan butter works for a dairy-free version.
• Sour cream — ½ cup. It doesn’t make the potatoes taste sour, it just adds tang and a silkier texture. Swap it for cream cheese, farmer cheese or whipped goat cheese if you’d rather, all of which bring the same slight tang. For dairy free, a spoonful of dairy-free cream cheese is what keeps the texture rich rather than thin.
• Optional, for serving: I keep these plain when I’m feeding a crowd and put the garnishes in a bowl on the side so people can help themselves — cracked black pepper, minced chives, green onions, or fresh thyme or rosemary.
• To make them garlicky: I don’t love garlic mashed potatoes on a Thanksgiving table, but when I do make them, roasted garlic is the way. Roast a whole head until the cloves are soft, then whip 2 or 3 cloves in along with the butter and half and half.

How Many Potatoes Per Person?

Plan on about ½ pound of potatoes per person for a holiday table, where mashed potatoes are one of many sides. If they’re a main event, go closer to ¾ pound.

This recipe as written uses 5 lb and serves 12.

Check your pot before you scale up. Ten pounds of cubed potatoes needs a large stockpot, and they have to be covered by at least an inch of water to cook evenly. If they’re crowded, use two pots — it’s faster than boiling one overloaded one.

How to make Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Step 1: Peel and Cube russet potatoes

To begin, peel the russet potatoes with a vegetable peeler and cut into 1” cubes (Image 1). Then, fill the large pot with cold water until the potatoes are fully submerged (Image 2).

Step 2: Boil potatoes until fork tender

Next, pour in 2 tablespoons of salt and mix in (Image 3). Bring the water to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover the pot. Then, simmer the potatoes for 10 minutes and then remove from the heat (Image 4).

The potatoes are cooked through when they are easily pierced through with a fork.

Step 3: Add butter, milk, and sour cream to pot

Then, drain the water from the pot and immediately return the warm potatoes to the original pot. Add the splash of milk, butter and sour cream to the pot (Image 5). Cover the pot again until the butter fully melts.

Step 4: Whip the Potatoes

Finally, use a hand mixer and whip the potatoes in the pot (Image 6). You can use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, but I prefer the electric mixer so you can control it a bit more.

Make Ahead for Thanksgiving

Mashed potatoes are the best thing on the Thanksgiving table to make in advance, because they reheat better than almost anything else. Here’s how I space it out.

Wednesday: prepare the mashed potatoes exactly as the recipe says. Transfer to the dish you’ll reheat in, slice half a stick of butter into 4 tablespoons and arrange on the top of the dish. Pour on a splash of half and half, cover tightly and refrigerate. They keep for up to 3 days.

Thursday: reheat. Three ways, in the order I’d choose them on a day when the oven is full:

• Stovetop — in a heavy pot over low heat with a splash of warm half and half, stirring until hot through. Fastest, about 15 to 20 minutes for a full batch. Be sure to keep the heat low and add more milk as needed so that you don’t scorch the bottom of the batch.
• Slow cooker — on LOW for about 2 hours, stirring once or twice, then switch to WARM until dinner. This is what I use when the stove is also busy. It’s important to keep an eye on this method and add more liquid as needed so that they do not dry out.
• Oven — covered, at 300°F, for 45 minutes to an hour for a 9×13 of cold potatoes, stirring halfway. Again, add more liquid if needed.

How to Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm

On Thanksgiving the oven belongs to the turkey, which is exactly when you need this. All three of these work without it.

Whichever you use, dot the surface with butter and pour a little half and half over the top before covering. That layer keeps a skin from forming, and you stir it in right before serving. If they dry out a little while keeping warm, whip in a splash of warm half and half to loosen them.

One food safety note: potatoes held for serving should stay above 140°F. A slow cooker on WARM generally manages this, but ovens on their lowest setting vary a lot — worth checking yours with a thermometer once.

Storage and Reheating

Before placing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, top them with a mixture of milk and some slices of butter to keep them moist in the fridge. Then, when you take them out to reheat them they will not be dry.

Reheat them on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.