Description

Our best mashed potatoes! This easy recipe makes delicious, fluffy mashed potatoes perfect for Thanksgiving (or any day!)

Ingredients

Scale

TO BOIL THE POTATOES:

2 pounds yellow potatoes (also called Butter or Yukon Gold potatoes)
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt (see recipe notes)

TO MASH THE POTATOES:

2 ounces high-quality unsalted butter (We love Kerrygold or Vermont Creamery)
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (see recipe notes)

TO GARNISH THE POTATOES:

1 Tablespoon high-quality unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons fresh chopped chives
Pinch of fresh cracked black pepper
Pinch of flaky sea salt (We lke Maldon Salt or Jacobsen Sea Salt here)

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Instructions

STEP 1: PREP THE POTATOES

Peel the potatoes (optional - I've grown to like peeled potatoes best! Peeling also makes it easier to use a ricer or food mill if you like)
Cut potatoes into evenly sized, 2.5" ish pieces - it usually works best to cut large potatoes into quarters and smaller potatoes in half.
Place potato pieces in a pot or large saucepan and cover with COLD water. I find 6-8 cups of water is usually plenty to cover the potatoes.
At this point, you can move directly to Step 2 and cook the potatoes, or you can cover the potatoes and set the pot aside for a few hours until you're ready to cook. This is a great make-ahead trick - on Thanksgiving, I always cut my potatoes first thing in the morning, then cover them with water and set them aside until I'm ready to cook them. The cold water keeps the potatoes from browning so they're ready to go whenever you are.

STEP 2: COOK THE POTATOES

Add 1 Tablespoon of Kosher salt to the water and potatoes. No need to stir - just throw it in there!
Cover potatoes and place the pot on a burner over medium heat. If you're using a glass or electric stove (or if you just want to speed the process a bit) you may want to bump the heat up to medium-high.
Let potatoes cook until they reach a low boil, about 25-30 minutes. By the time the water boils, the potatoes are usually pretty close to being done. To check doneness, pierce potatoes with a fork: if the fork slides easily through the potato, they're done. If they aren't yet soft, cook 3-4 more minutes and then test again.
When potatoes are cooked through, drain them and set aside. Return the empty pot to the stove and proceed to Step 3.

STEP 3: MASH THE POTATOES

Return the empty potato pot to the stove over low heat.
Add butter, half and half, salt, and pepper to pot and bring to a low simmer. Give everything a stir to bring it together, then turn off the heat.
Return potatoes to pot and mash with your favorite method. For this recipe, I used a traditional potato masher and worked through the potatoes in a clockwise circle, trying to only mash each area of the pot once or twice. Once the potatoes are mashed, use a spoon or spatula to gently fold everything together. The less you process the potatoes, the better texture you'll have!
Taste the potatoes and add seasoning as necessary, then move on to Step 4!

STEP 4: GARNISH YOUR MASHED POTATOES (optional, but fun)

Spoon the potatoes into a serving bowl. If you'd like to make swirls (like we did for these pictures!) use the back of a large spoon to apply light pressure and "draw" a spiral, starting from the very center and working your way outwards.
Drizzle melted butter over potatoes and top with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, a few turns of cracked black pepper, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.

Notes

A note about salt: We used Morton Kosher Salt while testing this recipe, which is a bit, well, saltier than some other varieties. If you're using Diamond Kosher Salt, we recommend adding an extra 2 teaspoons of salt to the cooking water and an extra 1/4-1/2 teaspoon when you mash the potatoes. If you're using regular table salt, start with just 3 teaspoons in the cooking water and 1/4 teaspoon or so when you mash the potatoes. No matter what salt you use, make sure you taste often and adjust as needed! If you like things less salty, start with just a pinch or two, then taste and add as needed. For more info, check out Mashed Potatoes 101!

This recipe makes fluffy, airy mashed potatoes - if you like your potatoes runnier or richer, by all means add more butter and half-and-half! For roll-across-your-plate potatoes, we recommend using a potato ricer or food mill (for that silky smooth, lump-free texture!) in place of a potato masher and adding an extra 1 oz. of butter. Rice, mix, and taste the potatoes, and - if you want them richer or runnier still - add an extra splash of half and half.

If your mashed potatoes are too dry, fold in an extra pat of butter or a splash of half and half.

Our favorite mix-ins for extra flavor: (add these when you simmer the butter and half and half or stir them into your just-mashed potatoes): A splash of chicken stock; a scoop of cream cheese or sour cream; roasted garlic cloves; fresh herbs (we like chives, rosemary, parsley, and basil); 1/2 cup cheese (we like shredded parmesan, gruyere, smoked gouda, sharp white cheddar, brie, or goat cheese!). If you add cheese, you may also want to add an extra pat of butter or splash of half and half to keep the potatoes loose and fluffy.

Leftover mashed potatoes will keep up to 5-6 days days in an airtight container in the fridge.

To reheat mashed potatoes, put a pat of butter on top of cold potatoes and warm in a saucepan, stirring occasionally, over low heat until hot. You can also reheat mashed potatoes in a slow cooker - put a pat of butter (or two! or three! #YOLO) on top, cover, and cook on low until warm, about 2-3 hours (best for reheating larger quantities rather than single servings). If reheated potatoes are dry, gently stir in additional melted butter or a splash of half and half to loosen them up again.

Wondering why we used certain ingredients or methods in this recipe? Read all about it in Mashed Potatoes 101.

Have questions about your mashed potatoes? We cover EVERYTHING you need to know - from potato types to mashing techniques to ingredients - in Mashed Potatoes 101.