Homemade Mashed Potatoes

No Southern holiday spread would be complete without a bowl of mashed potatoes, but we think this recipe is worth enjoying any night of the week. Topped with rich Turkey Gravy or creamy White Country Gravy, our best mashed potatoes recipe are a favorite for a reason: They're easy, and they're good.

Many Southern cooks have childhood memories of learning how to make mashed potatoes for the Thanksgiving feast. Share the love this holiday season, and teach your children our favorite way to make this comforting side. Once they know how to use a peeler and a hand-held electric mixer, they're old enough to whip up a batch of easy mashed potatoes.

Get our mashed potatoes recipe, and find your new favorite (and easy) way to make this classic side.

Tips for the Best Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are fairly easy, but even experienced makers need some good advice from time to time:

• Don't cut tiny potato pieces: You may be tempted to speed up cooking by cutting tiny pieces of potatoes, but that's not a great idea if you want delicious mashed potatoes. The smaller pieces will cook quickly, yes, but they'll also absorb more water. Stick with pieces about 1 inch square.
• Don't overwork the potatoes: If you remember nothing else, remember this: Our number one tip when making mashed potatoes is to keep an eye on the consistency of the potatoes, and be sure not to overwork the creamy mixture. If too much starch is released while the potatoes are whipped, they will become gummy and unappealing. Just keep the mixer on medium speed, watch the texture, and you should have a delicious bowl of your best mashed potatoes in no time at all.
• Warm the butter before mixing: Instead of piling cold butter and cream cheese on top of the hot potatoes, let the butter melt and the cream cheese warm slightly against the hot pan. Warm butter and cream cheese will mix better with the potatoes and not leave behind pieces in the potatoes.

What Are the Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes?

When making homemade mashed potatoes, it's important to consider how the variety of potato you use will impact the final product. Small, waxy spuds like red potatoes are great for dishes like potato salad, where you want the potatoes to hold their shape.

For mashing, however, opt for a starchier potato, such as Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes—these high-starch potatoes will result in a smooth, fluffy mash. Our Test Kitchen loves to use Yukon gold potatoes because they're creamy, rich, and buttery—all qualities that we're looking for in our mashed potatoes.

Homemade Mashed Potato Ingredients

This recipe for mashed potatoes is fairly classic, so the ingredient list is short:

• Yukon gold potatoes: These starchy spuds mash well, giving the mashed potatoes a creamy, rich texture.
• Salt: Salting the water used to boil the potatoes helps to season them from the start. The potatoes absorb the salt in the water, seasoning them from the inside out. Add the remaining teaspoon of salt to taste.
• Butter: Butter brings richness to these classic, homemade mashed potatoes, and it's one ingredient you should be sure not to skip. In fact, we like to serve these potatoes with another small pat of butter on top.
• Half-and-half: A 50-50 mix of cream and whole milk brings moisture to your mashed potatoes. If you don't have half-and-half on hand, feel free to substitute with buttermilk, which will give the mashed potatoes a slightly tangier flavor.
• Softened cream cheese: Cream cheese has a mild flavor, but it's the secret ingredient that brings an unctuous dose of creaminess to these mashed potatoes. Be sure to use softened cream cheese, which will blend into the mixture seamlessly—no lumps here. If you don't have cream cheese on hand, sour cream is a good substitute.
• Coarsely ground pepper: Homemade mashed potatoes require no bells and whistles—a few cranks of coarsely ground pepper are enough to elevate this dish, accentuating the flavor of the potato.

How To Make Mashed Potatoes

Get the full recipe for these mashed potatoes further below. For now, here's a brief outline to give you an idea of how this side dish is made:

• Cook the potatoes: Boil peeled, chopped potato pieces in salted water until fork tender. Drain, then return to the pot.
• Warm butter and cream cheese: Push the cooked potatoes to one side of the pot, and heat until dry over medium-low heat. Add the butter, cream cheese, half-and-half and seasonings; let the butter melt and begin to boil.
• Mash the potatoes: Use a hand-held mix or potato masher to mash the potatoes, being careful to not overbeat. Scoop into a serving bowl, add a pat of butter on top, and serve.

Can You Peel and Chop Potatoes Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can peel and cut the potatoes for mashed potatoes ahead of time to save as much time as possible. Simply peel and dice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes the day before you plan to make the mashed potatoes, then soak the cut potatoes in a bowl of water overnight in the refrigerator.

Submerging the potatoes in water prevents oxidization, a chemical reaction which turns the spuds an unsightly pink-brown color.

Keep in mind that, the larger the potato pieces, the longer they'll last submerged in the water. If left to soak for too long, smaller pieces of potato will start to break down. Even large pieces of potato will only hold for up to 24 hours in the water, so don't peel and cut your potatoes any further in advance than one day.

Can You Make Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time?

Mashed potatoes hold particularly well in the refrigerator, and the leftovers can be used for all sorts of new dishes (Shepherd's Pie? Yes, please). If you're preparing your mashed potatoes in advance, reheat them on the stove or in the oven.

When reheating mashed potatoes, we suggest adding in a little extra liquid, which will keep the potatoes from drying out. We also recommend adding in an extra swirl of butter after you've reheated the potatoes—this trick will make them taste completely fresh.

How To Store Mashed Potatoes

Store cooled mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last three to four days if stored correctly.

You can freeze mashed potatoes in an airtight container up to 3 months (longer if you store them reall well). Thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat on the stove or microwave. Add more butter or cream to make them taste fresh and creamy.

What To Serve With Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a side you'll find on every Southern sideboard, often served alongside green bean casserole, cornbread dressing, mac and cheese, and a turkey. But these perfect mashed potatoes are also classic enough to make on any ordinary weeknight—serve with roast chicken and sautéed vegetables.

Editorial contributions by Zoe Denenberg.