Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
Updated Nov. 21, 2021
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
- 3pounds russet potatoes
- 1cup whole milk, plus more as needed
- ½cup cold salted butter, cut into pats
- Salt
- Freshly ground white or black pepper
- ¼cup heavy cream, plus more as needed (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
282 calories; 15 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 518 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare a steamer: Arrange an insert or basket (or a large colander, if you have neither) in a large pot, and add enough water to come just below the base of the steamer. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Step 2
Rinse potatoes well, then peel. Rinse again, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Spread evenly in the steamer, cover, reduce heat to medium and steam until the potatoes are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. A fork should slide easily into a piece and break it without effort. Turn off the stove, carefully remove the steamer insert and drain the water from the pot. Pour the potatoes back into the pot and spread evenly.
- Step 3
Let the potatoes stand until their surfaces are dry, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high until steaming, then keep warm over low. Set the potatoes over low heat and mash thoroughly with a dinner fork. Add about one-quarter of the milk and mash until the milk is incorporated.
- Step 4
Scatter the butter evenly over the potatoes and mash in until all traces of butter disappear. Add half of the remaining milk and mash to incorporate, then add the rest of the milk and gently whip until smooth, circling the fork as if beating eggs. If you don’t want your mashed potatoes so thick, beat in more milk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, taste, and season more if you’d like.
- Step 5
Serve immediately, keep warm over low heat for up to 1 hour, or transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Mashed potatoes thicken as they cool, so they need cream to regain the right consistency. If kept warm, gently mash in heavy cream until smooth and loose again, adding more if you’d like. If cold, heat the cream in a large pot until steaming, then add the potatoes. Gently mash and whip, adding more cream as needed, until heated through and fluffy. Season to taste again before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
What's the best way to reheat these if you decide to make them the day before?
To those who are asking how to reheat the potatoes, you can put them in the oven. If you put little fork marks all over the top first, and little bits of butter, you'll get a nice crispy brown crust. That's how my mother made them.
Catering trick to reheat cold mashed potatoes. Place in an oven proof dish and spread out. Pour cream over potatoes cover with foil put in 300 degree oven until steaming. As you add to serving dish whip with the fork until cream is incorporated. Adding a little more butter doesn't hurt either.
A revelation: cream cheese added into your mashed potatoes. Courtesy of the Pioneer Woman (sorry if that strikes you as lowbrow).
You can easily steam whole potatoes in the instant pot for less work. Just score the peel of each potatoes around the circumference, pierece each one in a few places, then place them on the trivet above a cup of water. For medium-sized potatoes it takes about 11 minutes at pressure then 10 minutes natural release. Once cool enough to handle, you can just slip the skins off (or leave them if you don't mind them.
Riced half yellow, half russets, made ahead. Pasty when reheated in microwave. Not fluffy at all. Meh