Easy Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Recipe Ingredients

This recipe uses just 5 simple ingredients to make the best mashed potatoes.

Potatoes: We like Russet, Idaho, or yellow potatoes (Yellow Finn or Yukon Gold) for this recipe, because they make the smoothest, fluffiest homemade mashed potatoes.

Milk: The higher the milk fat content, the richer the mashed potato flavor will be. We have tested with everything from skim milk to heavy cream—honestly, they all work. Use what you have on hand or the decadence level you’re going for. We use milk that’s been heated to keep the potatoes piping hot for eating.

Butter: We found that 2 tablespoons is the right amount for that lightly butter-rich flavor, without becoming greasy or heavy tasting. Real butter offers the best flavor and texture over margarine or butter substitutes.

Salt and Pepper: We found that salting the water while cooking the potatoes and adding a little salt while mashing them gives the best overall flavor.

The Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes

The key to how to make mashed potatoes that are smooth and creamy is in the potatoes you use. After testing more than 8 types of common potatoes, here’s what we found.

Russet or Idaho: These starchy potatoes readily fall apart when cooked, so they mash the easiest. They also absorb milk and butter well, creating fluffy mashed potatoes that are neither soupy nor paste-like.

Yellow Potatoes—Yellow Finn or Yukon Gold: Good all-purpose potatoes that can also be used in mashed potatoes with great results, giving them more of a creamy, yellow appearance.

Avoid Waxy Potatoes—Fingerling, New, or Red: The waxy, creamy-moist interiors of these potatoes hold their shape when cooked, so they don’t easily mash. It’s hard to get the lumps out of them for creamy mashed potatoes, and they don’t absorb liquids well, so mashed potatoes made with them will be soupier. Save these potatoes for salads or roasting, where you want to retain the shape of the pieces.

Cookware You’ll Need

Vegetable Peeler: Use to quickly remove a thin layer of potato skin.

Large Saucepan: A 3-or 4-quart size works well to hold the potatoes and water without allowing them to boil over. Since the potatoes will be mashed and mixed with the other ingredients right in the pan, larger-size pans make this easier to do. Be sure to pick a burner to cook the potatoes on that is sized for the pan. Too small or too large of a burner will affect the cook time.

Colander: Essential for completely draining off the cooking water from the potatoes.

Potato Masher: Absolutely the right tool for the job. It gets the potatoes mashed quickly and evenly.

Rubber Scraper: After making mashed potatoes for more than 30 years, one of our experts recommends using a rubber scraper to get potato out of the “corner” of the pan, so that all of the potato pieces can be mashed until they are smooth.

How to Make Mashed Potatoes

1. Peel and Cut the Potatoes

Using a vegetable peeler to remove just the skin is quickest and easiest. If you don’t have a peeler, carefully use a paring knife. Then, cut the potatoes into quarters.

2. Cook and Drain the Potatoes

Place potatoes in the pan and cover with enough water to entirely submerge. Heat until boiling over high heat. Then, reduce the temperature, cover the potatoes, and gently boil for 15 minutes over medium-low heat. Using a fork, check a few of the largest pieces to see if they fall apart easily. If not, cook another minute or two until they do. Pour potatoes into the colander, shake it a few times to remove all the water, and return the drained potatoes to the pan.

3. Remove Excess Moisture

This step sets apart great mashed potatoes from average ones: Shake the pan with drained potatoes over low heat for a minute or two to evaporate any water left on the potato pieces. The drier the pieces, the fluffier your mashed potatoes will be.

4. Mash and Add Remaining Ingredients

With the heat off, mash the potatoes until no lumps remain. Do this before adding the other ingredients to retain the fluffiest texture. Then, mash in the butter, remaining salt and pepper. Gradually add the milk, about a tablespoon at a time, adding only enough to make them a creamy consistency and stirring only until it’s just absorbed. Overmixing can cause the potatoes to have a paste-like consistency.

Variations and Serving Suggestions

We’ve heard from our consumers that you like to stir in additional ingredients to change up this recipe.

Substitute Sour Cream: One reviewer said, “Mashed potatoes are my and my husband's very favorite. I use sour cream in place of butter. It makes the potatoes fluffier, and they have that sour cream taste.” Try substituting 1/4 cup sour cream for the butter.

Add Cream Cheese: Stir in 2 ounces of softened cream cheese with the milk.

Include Herbs: Gently stir in a tablespoon or so of chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil leaves before serving.

For a different mashed potato recipe, try one of these tasty options:

Slow-Cooker Mashed Potatoes: Free up your stove when you’re cooking for a crowd.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Skip peeling potatoes to make these home-style garlic mashed potatoes in the slow cooker.

Serve this classic mashed potato recipe with just about anything. For a delicious holiday spread, pair with our Best Roast Turkey, or for weeknights, try easy mashed potatoes with Meat Loaf.

Storing and Reheating

Leftover creamy mashed potatoes can give you a jump-start on a quick meal. Remember to store leftover mashed potatoes within 2 hours of serving them to prevent bacterial contamination from causing food borne illness.

Refrigerator

Place leftover mashed potatoes in resealable food storage containers. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Freezer

Place leftover mashed potatoes in resealable freezer food storage containers. Mashed potatoes lose their flavor rapidly when prepared, so store in the freezer up to 2 weeks.

Reheating

Transfer potatoes to a microwavable container if needed. For 1 to 2 cups of mashed potatoes, cover with plastic wrap or other microwavable cover and microwave on High 2 to 4 minutes from refrigerated and 4 to 7 minutes from frozen, or until heated through, stopping to stir occasionally. Let stand for 1 minute before serving.

Why Pillsbury Users Love This Recipe

Fans love this classic easy mashed potato recipe. Its traditional flavor and texture are just like the mashed potatoes their grandmothers made. Some like to add their own flavor twists, such as sour cream or cream cheese. They appreciate the easy-to-follow directions, making it a perfect recipe even for beginner cooks, and that it uses basic ingredients—nothing special is needed.

“This was really helpful. Never made homemade mashed potatoes before. It came out great, thanks” says Darkwolf61. And we loved hounddoggy’s simple, straightforward review: “5 stars. great taters for any meal.” Doesn’t that just say it all?