I LOVE potatoes in all shapes and forms - boiled, mashed, baked, roasted and fried. But, in my books, mashed potatoes rank supreme! My Creamy Mashed Potatoes represent comfort food at its finest. They couldn’t be easier to make, require a handful of simple ingredients and come together in the blink of an eye - making this one of the most popular and stress-free side dishes.
Creamy, fluffy, rich and delicious are all adjectives I would use to describe this wonderful side dish. My Creamy Mashed Potato recipe starts with a few large Russet Potatoes (known for their high starch content) and a handful of garlic. The potatoes and garlic are boiled to perfection, until fork tender and, when mashed, become incredibly light and fluffy. Sour cream, butter, salt and pepper are added to the mix and increase the creaminess, richness and flavour of this dish. A generous sprinkling of chives add a onion-y flavour giving these mashed potatoes a sour cream and onion vibe!
My homemade Creamy Mashed Potatoes serve as the perfect accompaniment to almost any cooked protein, including chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, seafood and fish. These potatoes make for an easy and wonderful weeknight or weekend side dish and are impressive enough to serve at your next date night, dinner party or festive occasion. So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8 - 10
Ingredients:
4 lbs Russet potatoes (approx. 8 large potatoes) (See Notes below)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and quartered
2 tsp kosher salt
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 cup full fat sour cream
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
Instructions:
Using a Y-shape peeler, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 inch pieces.
To a large pot, add the potatoes, garlic and enough cold water to just cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Season with 1 tsp salt.
Set the pot over the stovetop and cook the potatoes on high for 20 minutes or until fork tender.
Drain the potatoes, using a colander, and transfer them back into the pot. Let them steam and dry for approximately 5 minutes.
Add 6 Tbsp of butter to the hot potatoes and, using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth or to your desired consistency. Add the sour cream, remaining 1 tsp salt and freshly ground pepper and mash until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and set aside. Add 1 Tbsp butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until melted. Then, drizzle the melted butter over the mashed potatoes.
Garnish the dish with a sprinkling of chives and the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter, for some extra decadence. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
Mashing the Potatoes: If you don’t have a potato masher on hand, don’t fret! All you need is a sturdy fork and some elbow grease and you’ll get the job done and get it done well. For a silkier mashed potato consistency, process the boiled potatoes through a potato ricer. Mix in the butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and there you have it, perfectly silky mashed potatoes.