Are you searching for the ultimate, show-stopping side dish for your holiday table? A classic so impossibly creamy, so fluffy, so deeply buttery and flavorful, it will have the whole family raving? This incredible, from-scratch Creamy Mashed Potatoes recipe is that perfect dish. We’re talking buttery Yukon Gold potatoes, transformed into a silky-smooth purée and enriched with a luscious, aromatic cream and butter.
This isn’t just another mashed potato recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a truly restaurant-quality masterpiece that is secretly simple to make. We’ll show you the crucial professional secrets to the most velvety, lump-free texture you’ve ever had, a technique that will make this the undisputed star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. This is pure comfort and elegance in a bowl.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Creamy & Elegant Holiday Side Dish
What makes these Mashed Potatoes so spectacularly delicious is their incredible, deep flavor and their unbelievably silky, smooth texture. This recipe is a masterpiece of simple, rustic elegance. The star of the show is the combination of buttery Yukon Gold potatoes and the brilliant technique of passing them through a ricer or a food mill. This is the secret to an impossibly smooth, airy, and non-gummy purée. This beautiful, golden base is then enriched with a simple but luxurious blend of hot heavy cream and melted butter, and finished with a sprinkle of fresh chives. A subtle infusion of bay leaf during the boiling process adds a wonderful, aromatic depth.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 50 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 8-10 |
The Flavors of the Feast: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, simple ingredients to create its signature rich and savory flavor.
- The Potatoes (Yukon Golds are KEY!):
- For the best, most naturally creamy and buttery mashed potatoes, it is essential to use Yukon Gold potatoes. Their medium-starch content and dense texture are perfect for a creamy mash, and their natural, golden color is beautiful.
- The Cream & Butter:
- Heavy Cream & Butter: A classic and foolproof duo for the richest, most luscious mashed potatoes. The secret is to heat the cream and butter before adding them to the potatoes.
- The Aromatics:
- Bay Leaf & Chives: A subtle infusion from a single bay leaf in the cooking water adds a wonderful, herbaceous depth. A final sprinkle of fresh, finely chopped chives adds a burst of bright, fresh, and delicate onion flavor.
The Chef’s Secret Masterclass: The Keys to a Perfect, Fluffy Purée
This recipe uses two simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- Use a Food Mill or a Ricer: The number one, non-negotiable secret to an unbelievably silky, smooth, and lump-free texture is to use a food mill or a potato ricer. These simple, old-fashioned tools are brilliant because they gently press the cooked potato through small holes, which is the key that breaks down the starches without overworking them, preventing the gummy, gluey texture you can get from a food processor or an electric mixer.
- Use HOT Dairy: The secret to a perfectly smooth and creamy mash is to add hot cream and melted butter to your hot, riced potatoes. Cold dairy will cool down the potatoes and can result in a lumpy, uneven texture.
Step-by-Step to the Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes
This elegant, festive side dish is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Art of the Perfectly Cooked Potatoes
Step 1: Place your 4 pounds of peeled and quartered Yukon Gold potatoes, the 1 bay leaf, and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot. Cover them with cold water.
Step 2: Bring the pot to a boil over a medium-high heat and cook for about 20 minutes. You will know the potatoes are perfectly done when they are very tender and can be easily pierced with a fork with no resistance.
Step 3: Drain the potatoes well and discard the bay leaf.
Part 2: The Silky-Smooth Mash and Creamy Finish
Step 1: While the potatoes are cooking, heat your 2 cups of heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the cream is hot.
Step 2 (The Secret to a Perfect Texture!): Pass your hot, drained potatoes through a food mill or a potato ricer into a large bowl.
Step 3 (The Best Part!): To your bowl of riced potatoes, add your hot cream and butter mixture. Use a spoon or a spatula to gently mix everything together until it is smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Season your beautiful, creamy mashed potatoes with salt and pepper to your taste and stir in the 2 tablespoons of chopped chives. Serve hot.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes (A Foolproof Holiday Side!)
A classic and simple recipe for creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes, perfect as a side dish for a holiday meal or any comfort food dinner. The recipe uses golden creamer (Yukon Gold) potatoes, which are boiled with a bay leaf until tender. For a perfectly smooth texture, the potatoes are passed through a ricer or food mill. They are then enriched with a warm mixture of heavy cream and butter and finished with fresh chives for a savory, aromatic touch.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds golden creamer potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
- Place the peeled and quartered potatoes into a large pot, add the bay leaf, 2 tablespoons of salt, and cover with cold water.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat the cream and butter together in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter is melted and the cream is warm.
- Drain the cooked potatoes well and remove the bay leaf.
- Pass the hot potatoes through a ricer or a food mill into a large bowl.
- Add the hot cream and butter mixture to the potatoes and stir with a spoon to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the chopped chives.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This is a classic holiday side dish that is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
- Using a ricer or a food mill is the key to achieving the smoothest, most lump-free mashed potato texture.
- Warming the cream and butter before adding them to the potatoes is an important step that helps them incorporate more easily and keeps the final dish hot.
- Golden creamer or Yukon Gold potatoes are recommended for their naturally buttery flavor and creamy texture.
What to Serve With Your Mashed Potatoes
This beautiful and savory dish is a fantastic and incredibly versatile side dish. It is the perfect accompaniment to almost any holiday main course or Sunday supper.
- Holiday Roasts: It is an absolute must-have alongside a classic Roasted Turkey, a Glazed Ham, or a beautiful Prime Rib. Don’t forget to make a well in the center for a generous ladle of gravy!
- Weeknight Dinners: It is also the perfect, elegant side for a simple roasted chicken or some classic meatloaf.
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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the ultimate make-ahead holiday side dish!
- Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead dish! You can prepare and fully assemble the entire dish up to 2 days in advance. Simply store it in an airtight container or a buttered casserole dish in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftovers, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish is to place it in a baking dish, dot it with a little extra butter, cover it with foil, and warm it in a 350°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, until it is warmed through.
Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why are my mashed potatoes gummy or gluey?
The most common culprit is overworking the potatoes. Using a food processor or a blender is the fastest way to get a gluey result. A simple potato ricer or a food mill is the absolute best tool for a fluffy, light texture, as it gently presses the potatoes instead of shearing their starch cells.
Q2: Can I make this side dish ahead of time for a holiday dinner?
Yes! For a lighter and fluffier (but less creamy) result, you can use a high-starch potato like a Russet. However, for the perfect, creamy-buttery balance, Yukon Golds are highly recommended.
Q3: Can I use a different kind of potato?
Yes! For a lighter and fluffier (but less creamy) result, you can use a high-starch potato like a Russet. However, for the perfect, creamy-buttery balance, Yukon Golds are highly recommended.
Q4: Can I make this with roasted garlic?
Of course! Roasting a whole head of garlic until it is soft and sweet and then mashing the cloves into the potatoes is another fantastic method that will result in a deep, caramelized, and sweet garlic flavor.
Q5: Can I make this recipe dairy-free or vegan?
Yes! To make this recipe completely dairy-free and vegan, simply substitute the unsalted butter with an equal amount of your favorite vegan butter substitute, and substitute the heavy cream with a creamy, unsweetened plant-based cream, like a cashew or oat cream.