This recipe for creamy mashed potatoes uses cream cheese to give it a rich, smooth flavor that is completely irresistible! This is the one side-dish we can’t go without during the holidays.

dish of mashed potatoes with salt and pepper shaker

Growing up, mashed potatoes were a big deal in our household. That was the one food we had to have at every holiday, and no one made mashed potatoes as good as my mom. She doesn’t follow a recipe of course, she just throws in the staple ingredients and turns out incredible mashed potatoes every time!

Once you have the basic ingredients and ratios down, you really don’t need a recipe for mashed potatoes! With enough butter, salt, and cream cheese, you really can’t go wrong.

Of course, until you’ve had enough experience making the best creamy, smooth, buttery mashed potatoes, a recipe sure comes in handy. These are so easy to whip up any time for a really special side dish.

Mashed potatoes are a highly debated topic.. Do you like them smooth? A little chunky perhaps? With peel or without? Should you add garlic? Cream cheese? Sour cream?

Really, there are limitless ways that you can make mashed potatoes.

Personally, I’ve never liked the kind out of a box. I like my mashed potatoes made from scratch, with lots of butter and cream cheese, some salt, and a little pepper. Serve them up with some delicious gravy and you have yourself the perfect side dish! Actually, I wouldn’t mind having them for dinner sometime..

Mashed potatoes without a masher

I’ve never had a potato masher, and although I can see the appeal, I’ve never had a need for one! Since I prefer my mashed potatoes creamy and without lumps, I find that a hand mixer works beautifully.

You need to be somewhat careful not to over-mix your mashed potatoes if you’re using a hand mixer. It’s important to mix just enough to get rid of all the lumps and combine all of the ingredients, then stop. If you don’t, you may end up with a funky texture.

If you do prefer your mashed potatoes with a little more texture, you can certainly use your potato masher for this recipe instead of a hand mixer.

That’s the beauty of mashed potatoes. They’re so flexible and easy to make just how you like them!

A Pro-Metabolic Side Dish

Potatoes are so easy to digest and are also full of nutrients! When paired with a high quality fat and/or protein, you have yourself a very metabolically supportive side dish.

This makes it the perfect nourishing side-dish to serve along with Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Since potatoes are often heavily sprayed with pesticides, I always like to buy organic potatoes. I also use a high-quality sea salt and grass-fed butter in my mashed potatoes, which helps to add lots of important vitamins and minerals.

I’m sure it’s no coincidence that children often crave mashed potatoes. When made with high quality dairy and organic potatoes, it’s an extremely nourishing and beneficial food for growing bodies.

What to serve mashed potatoes with

Mashed potatoes are best served with things like:

Turkey

Roast

Fried Chicken

Grilled Chicken

Ham

Shepherds Pie

Steak

Chicken Fried Steak (A personal favorite)

Gravy

Green beans

Corn

Cranberry Sauce

Cooked Carrots

Dinner Rolls

Fried Okra

Fried Yellow Squash

These are just a few of the things I like to have right alongside my mashed potatoes. Let me know in the comments if you have any other things you particularly enjoy serving with mashed potatoes!

one serving of mashed potatoes with melted butter

Ingredients

3-4lbs Russet Potatoes (About 8 medium sized potatoes)
1 Stick Salted Butter (8 Tbsp)
4 Oz Cream Cheese
2 tsp. Salt
3 Tbsp Milk

How to make creamy mashed potatoes

Begin by washing and peeling your potatoes, then place in a large pot of cool water. If the potatoes are uneven in size, cut the larger ones in half.

Cover the pot with a lid, then bring the potatoes to a boil. Allow to boil for about 30 minutes, leaving covered. Potatoes are done when pierced easily with a fork.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, remove from the heat and immediately drain all of the cooking water.

While the potatoes are still hot, add in the butter, cream cheese, salt, and milk.

Using a hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until all of the ingredients are incorperated, and you reach a smooth texture. If the mashed potatoes are too thick, just add in several more tablespoons of milk.

Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*Sea salt has a fine texture, but not as fine as some table salts. If you’re using regular table salt, start out with 1.5 tsp salt.

*I prefer thicker mashed potatoes, but if you find the texture to be too thick, just add in a little more milk at a time until your potatoes have reached the desired thickness.

When using a hand mixer, be careful not to over-beat your mashed potatoes, or you may end up with a strange texture. Mix just until all of the ingredients are incorporated and you reach a smooth consistancy.

These mashed potatoes last well in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keep them for 4-5 days.

Yield: 8 Servings