Get ready for the best mashed potatoes ever! These “Cloud-Like Mashed Potatoes” are seriously amazing. This recipe makes ordinary mashed potatoes super delicious and creamy. It’s really easy to make, and they’re perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re having a fancy holiday dinner, hanging out with friends, or having a backyard barbecue, everyone will love these mashed potatoes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unbelievably Creamy: The recipe achieves that perfect texture – smooth and luxurious, like a cloud on a plate.
- Super Easy to Make: No muss, no fuss! This recipe promises to be straightforward, ideal for busy cooks or beginners.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: It’s versatile! Enjoy these mashed potatoes for a fancy holiday meal, a potluck contribution, or a casual cookout.
- Crowd-Pleasing Flavor: Mashed potatoes are a classic comfort food, and this creamy version is a guaranteed winner.
I’ve been making these World’s Best Homemade Mashed Potatoes since I was in my early 20’s. They were always my favorite back then, and they remain so today. I love this mashed potato recipe, it’s so easy, so creamy and so flavorful.
There is nothing calorie saving about this recipe, but it is perfectly comforting, delicious rich and is our absolute favorite.
Tips for Making the Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Pick the Right Potato: Russet potatoes are the gold standard for mashed potatoes because they’re high in starch, which breaks down and creates that creamy texture we love.
- Don’t Overcook: Overcooked potatoes become watery and mushy. Aim for fork-tender, where a gentle prod with a fork easily pierces the potato.
- Start with Cold Water: Submerge the potatoes in cold water and bring it to a boil. This ensures even cooking throughout.
- Embrace the Masher: For the creamiest results, use a potato masher or ricer. Electric mixers can overwork the potatoes, leading to a gluey texture.
- Season Throughout: Add a little salt to the water while the potatoes boil, and season again after mashing. Taste as you go!
- Fat is Flavorful: Don’t skimp on the butter or cream. These ingredients add richness and depth of flavor.
- Warm Your Liquids: Heat the milk or cream before incorporating it into the potatoes for a smoother consistency. Cold liquids can make the mash sticky.
- Don’t Skip the Steam Dry: Briefly return the drained potatoes to the pot over low heat. This allows excess moisture to evaporate, preventing watery mash.
Storing, Reheating, and Serving Creamy Mashed Potatoes:
These delicious mashed potatoes can be enjoyed later! Here’s how to store, reheat, and serve them perfectly:
Storing:
- Let your mashed potatoes cool completely at room temperature. This helps prevent bacterial growth.
- Once cool, transfer them to an airtight container or resealable freezer bag.
- Refrigerate: For short-term storage, they’ll stay fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: For longer storage, mashed potatoes freeze beautifully! Simply portion them into freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags, removing as much air as possible. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.
Reheating and Serving:
Refrigerated:
- Transfer the desired amount of mashed potatoes to a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl.
- Add a splash of milk or cream and a pat of butter. This helps restore moisture and creaminess.
- Stovetop: Heat the potatoes over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
- Microwave: Heat on medium power for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot. Be careful not to overheat, as this can cause the potatoes to become tough.
Frozen:
- Take the frozen mashed potatoes out of the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. This helps loosen them up for even reheating.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Transfer the potatoes to an oven-safe dish.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. This traps steam and prevents drying out.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
- Remove the foil and stir the potatoes well. Check for any cold spots and continue heating if needed.
Serving:
Once your mashed potatoes are warmed through, give them a final taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve them alongside your favorite main course and enjoy!
Last month’s Cooking Challenge was a quest to find the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe and the month before, we found the Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese Recipe and let me just tell you, I had a blast with both.
Making the Recipe
These mashed potatoes go with anything and we make it for ALL major holidays. Not to mention, it’s a great side dish to make an ordinary dinner just a little extraordinary.
So creamy, so delicious. I promise, the creamiest mashed potatoes ever. Your whole family will love them!
World’s Best Homemade Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 12 Yukon Gold Potatoes do not cut or peel
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic pressed or finely chopped (I also use garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ cup milk warmed
- 1 cups sour cream add more to taste
- ½ teaspoons Lawry’s seasoning salt
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoons pepper
Instructions
- Scrub your potatoes. Drop into a pot of salted boiling water. Boil them about 30-50 minutes, depending on the size of your potato. You're looking for fork tender.
- Carefully drain them. Allow them to dry slightly but don’t allow them to cool too much. Cut them into 4 smaller pieces.
- Put everything into a huge bowl and then begin to mash them up. You can use a potato masher, but I actually use my handheld mixer with this recipe.
- Now, add your seasonings, the garlic (I used powder for this recipe, but I do use the garlic cloves most of the time), the cream cheese, and the butter. Blend well.
- Now add the warmed milk and sour cream. You can add more milk or sour cream to taste or to add to the creaminess. Blend well. Serve.
Yum, I love, love, LOVE cream cheese and sour cream in my potatoes. These look so creamy!
Isn’t it ridiculous how yummy they are after you add the extra’s. They are SUPER creamy! Thanks!
These sound delicious!!
I promise they are! 🙂
looks very creamy and yummy!!!!!!
Veena, thank you!
I love all of the additional spices. I usually use just salt and pepper, but I like the addition of seasoning salt and onion powder. They look great!
You can change up the seasonings but I really love the seasoning salt and the onion powder (especially for picky kids because they flavor is there w/out the onion bits) Thanks so much!
Mmmm, my mouth is watering! I love your blog by the way 🙂
I am #5 from the Challenge.
Paige thank you so much! I’ll be at your blog shortly! 🙂 Must check them out, they sound really yummy (and I really love red potatoes!)
These really do sound amazing, and look very creamy!! Hope you come check out my Mashed Potato Recipe, #30!! 😉
Very creamy, yes. Amazing? Absolutely. Thank you so much! I will hop over to your blog to check out those Cheddar Jalapeno Mashed Potatoes… they sound really yummy too!
Both recipes look scrumptious! I like the idea of the sour cream and cream cheese and the onion powder. You used lots of great ingredients!
It definitely adds to the flavor. Thank you so much!! 🙂
Stopping by from CCC – these look soo good! Creamy mashed potatoes are my favorite.
Voted you up!
Sarah, thanks for the vote up. My mashed potatoes have to be creamy – no dry potatoes for me! LOL Glad you agree!
Sounds delicious and I love how you upped the creaminess factor with extra cream cheese and sour cream, yum!
If you haven’t already I’d love for you to check out my Crazy Cooking Challenge entry Aloo Tikki
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
Lisa, the creaminess was a must haha. I did check out your Aloo Tikki and it looks so good I am pinning it. I like recipes like that!
I love adding cream cheese to mashed potatoes! Great Choice for THE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE!!
Angie, thank you so much! Remember, I told you your Skinny Smashed Potatoes put mine to shame – full of flavor and far less fat than I had (I do use fat free on most things LOL)
These look fabulous! I love the combination of ingredients. Anything with garlic in it is a hit for me! I could eat that entire bowl of potatoes! 🙂
Ah, yes. Another garlic lover. It’s a must around here. I use it a LOT! Thanks for stopping by!
YUM! I’d be delighted eating either of your recipes! Perfect challenge right before Thanksgiving 🙂
Liz thanks for stopping by both posts! 🙂 I think it was the perfect challenge too! New yummy recipes just in time for the holidays, thank you!
All this goodness on your blog lately really has me hungry. Mashed potatoes and I are really great friends. I know I love your cooking so I am making these soon. Yay!
Hi Nicole,
These really do look like the best! Great recipe for the Crazy Cooking Challenge, it looks delicious! Hope you are having a great day.
Miz Helen
#8
I had a fantastic day, thank you so much. I hope your day was equally as wonderful. Thanks for the sweet words!!
Ok, here is what I really wanted to put in my post above. Didn’t want to embarrass Nicole…I am terribly flattered (and a little overwhelmed) that a person like you would say we are so alike because I admire you so very much! I only became a foodie a short time ago (a huge passion now) and followed you well before I “knew” you as a friend, fellow foodie and to be just totally awesome as a person. All the great things you said above have me smiling like a fool and I really do mean to put your additions into my own recipe. Little as they may be I think they will be perfect, just like you! There…
I love you so much it’s ridiculous. You are a beautiful friend, an amazing photographer and a freakin’ awesome cook ’cause I always love what you post. You keep me smiling all the time and there is just no day that is not complete with some Sheri time. I admire you and your strength in what you have endured in the past. I think you are an amazing mom to Spencer and quite obviously a wonderful wife to John, who by the way I think is awesome just for being so encouraging to you and to us… especially us, our friendship. Here’s to a million more shared recipes and the hope that someday we will be cooking side by side. 😉
These look delicious!
Jennifer #14
They taste delicious too, I promise.
I really like the addition of cream cheese in this one!
It really helps to add to the creamy. You can change up the different spices to change the flavor, but the cream cheese is a must. 😉
Haha – great recipe pick. I would have hoped to find exactly the same kind of similarity – so glad you found it through your Bestie’s blog (Bonus!).
http://butteryum.blogspot.com/2011/11/mozzarella-and-mashed-potato-balls.html
🙂
ButterYum
I know I seriously got super lucky. LOL And it was not done on purpose which is even better, and she had no idea until today which is what made today’s reveal even more fun to me! 🙂 haha Thanks!
PS – great photo.
Aw, thank you!
I am going to have to give this a try, using cream cheese, as it sounds wonderful 🙂
Tandy, very wonderful! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
This sounds soooo yummy! My homemade mashed potatoes are SCARY! These days my potatoes come in a pouch and I add water & milk……….. sad but true.
This is why I follow you, I hope some of it might rub off.
How cute are you? I need to provide you with some easy recipes then so that you can create yummy things but faster. 🙂
These potatoes only take a long time ’cause you have to boil ’em. Otherwise, not long at all.
I’m glad you follow me – I’ll do my best to send you food vibes, if you’ll keep me laughing. Tale of a sleepless night is hilarious!
Looks fantastic! I don’t think I can wait for the holidays to try it out 🙂
Let me know if you do try it and what you think! Thanks for stopping by!
I agree that it was kind of difficult to find a recipe when I already have one that I LOVE but the recipe you made looks delicious!
Well great minds do think alike. I could go for either recipe. I love different ways to make mashed potatoes (even though I voted for stuffing to be the challenge this month), and will probably be giving both of these a try. Thanks for sharing.