The BEST Mashed Potatoes
The BEST Mashed Potatoes- Rich and creamy yukon gold potatoes plus a hint of garlic, lots of butter, and sour cream truly make the BEST mashed potatoes!
November 23, 2020 by Nicole Collins
The BEST.
That's a big claim. And, that's the claim that I'm making today. Because, today's side dish is one of my favorites of all time whether it's Thanksgiving or not.
Today, we're making The BEST Mashed Potatoes!
There are a few recipes that I could make in my sleep, and this is one of them. I've never thought to share it here before, because I thought it was a little too simple.
But that's the thing, isn't it? The simplest recipes are usually the most amazing. And in my personal opinion (and the opinion of anyone that's ever had them), these potatoes are AMAZING!
Let's talk potato. For me, there's only one option for a mashed potato, and that's a yukon gold potato. They're rich; they're creamy; they're buttery; they're smooth...they're the ultimate potato for me. I've made this recipe with red potatoes in a pinch, and it's still super yum. So, feel free to make that swap if you want. Russets don't do it for me when it comes to mashed potatoes. I think they're a little too mealy. So, I wouldn't recommend that swap.
I like my mashed potatoes chunky and textured, so I leave the skin on my potatoes. I understand that this is a controversial topic for a lot of people, so if you prefer a smoother mash, go ahead and peel the potatoes. Either way, we're going to cook our potatoes in salted water until they're nice and tender and ready to mash.
But, our potato cooking liquid has a secret. There's 4 cloves of garlic in there too! This is a trick that I learned in a French cooking class that I took a few years ago, and I've never turned back. Cooking the garlic in the pot with the potatoes helps to infuse some flavor into the potatoes from the very get go, but it also softens the garlic enough that we can mash it right into our potatoes without having to do anything extra or special. It's really a genius trick!
Once our potatoes are finished cooking, we're going to mash them with some butter, heavy cream, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Since I like my potatoes lumpy, stirring by hand is more than enough for me. But, if you prefer a smoother potato, feel free to use a hand mixer to mix the potatoes or ever use a potato ricer first.
Our end result is a rich, creamy, buttery, ultimately delicious potato. The garlic is a nice back note in the potatoes. It's not overpowering, but you definitely know it's there. Plus, the sour cream adds a little tang which contrasts nicely with some of the heavier notes in the potatoes like the butter and cream.
These potatoes are heavenly. There's no other way to say it.
Alrighty, we could stop the presses and move forward with Thanksgiving with just the stuffing and potatoes if you asked me. But instead, tomorrow we'll make a little something that could go on top of both. Let's call it a good faith recipe.
For now, enjoy. And, let's eat!
The BEST Mashed Potatoes
Serves: 6 Print
Ingredients:
3 lbs yukon gold potatoes, quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
3-4 tbsp heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
1 tbsp + 1 ½ tsp salt, divided
1 tsp pepper
Directions:
To a large pot, add potatoes, garlic, and 1 tbsp salt; then cover with cold water, making sure there's about an inch of water above the top of the potatoes. Heat to high, and bring to a boil. Boil for 12-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove from heat. Drain water from pot. Put potatoes and garlic back in the pot.
Add butter to the potatoes, and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes to your desired texture. Add sour cream, 3 tbsp heavy cream, 1 ½ tsp salt, and pepper. Stir until potatoes are creamy. If the potatoes seem a little thick, add another tablespoon of heavy cream, and stir again. Serve!
Recipe notes:
*Yukon golds are my absolute favorite potatoes in the whole world. They have so much flavor! However, you could absolutely substitute a red potato for the yukons golds, if you'd like.
*I like my mashed potatoes lumpy, so I leave the skin on my potatoes. If you're not into that, feel free to peel the potatoes first.
*Make sure you only mix the potatoes by hand. You could use a hand mixer if you like them a little smoother. Don't throw these in a food processor or stand mixer unless you like gummy, gluey potatoes. Yuck!
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