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November 17, 2023

Classic Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are an essential dish. Simple and comforting classic mashed potatoes are a must-have in the recipe box of life.

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a bowl of homemade classic mashed potatoes made with butter, milk, salt & garlic powder topped with a pat of melting butter
Photography by Gayle McLeod

Serve These Classic Mashed Potatoes With:

Homemade Mashed Potatoes To Make Everyone Happy

Mashed potatoes are one of our forever foods–once it gets cold outside we won’t say no to a big scoop on the side of warming dishes like Wine Braised Short Ribs (or Wine Braised Beef with Mushrooms), Creamy Tarragon Chicken, Mini Meatloaf, Coq au Vin–the list never ends! They are of course the quintessential Thanksgiving side dish, along with turkey and gravy. For a little twist on the classic potato dish, we love our Potato Leek au Gratin.

peeled russet potatoes, butter, whole milk, salt and garlic powder in prep bowls to make classic mashed potatoes

Ingredients For Classic Creamy Mashed Potatoes

  • Russet potatoes

  • Sea salt

  • Unsalted butter, softened

  • Whole milk

  • Garlic powder

russet potatoes being boiled in a pot of water to make classic mashed potatoes
boiled potatoes being riced through a potato ricer into a large pot of warmed butter and whole milk

How to Make Classic Mashed Potatoes

  1. Peel and cut the potatoes.

  2. Fill a large pot with 4 quarts water and season with salt.

  3. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until just fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

  4. Add the milk and butter. In the same pot, combine the butter and milk over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Classic mashed potatoes with milk are the way to go, but if you have an extra splash of heavy cream around, we wouldn’t be mad about it.

  5. Mash the potatoes. Using a potato ricer, rice the potatoes over the hot butter mixture or mash the potatoes directly into the liquid, taking care not to overwork them.

  6. Season the potatoes with the garlic powder and salt. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

riced potatoes in a pot with warm whole milk, melted butter, salt and garlic powder

How to Store Leftover Mashed Potatoes + Tips

  • If you happen to have left over mashed potatoes you can serve them atop our Shepherd’s Pie.

  • Five tips classic fluffy mashed potatoes: Use a potato ricer! The texture is much finer than using a potato masher or fork. We call for whole milk for a lighter mashed potato. When it comes to potatoes, we use Russets, because they are high in starch and have the fluffiest texture when mashed. Melt the butter and milk together so you don’t have as much mixing to do. Don’t overmix your mashers!

  • Leftover mashed potatoes can be frozen for up to three months. We let them thaw in the fridge and then gently warm them on the stove, adding milk to loosen the texture if needed.

a bowl of homemade classic mashed potatoes made with butter, milk, salt & garlic powder topped with a pat of melting butter

More Potatoes Recipe From The Modern Proper

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Classic Mashed Potatoes

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  15 min
  • Calories: 478

Ingredients

  • 3½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 4 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅔ cup whole milk
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic powder

Method

  1. Fill a large pot with 4 quarts water and season with 3 teaspoons of the salt. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until just fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

  2. In the same pot, combine the butter and milk over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Using a potato ricer, rice the potatoes over the hot butter mixture. (Alternatively, mash the potatoes directly into the liquid, taking care not to overwork them.) Season with the garlic powder and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories478
  • Protein6 g
  • Carbohydrates47 g
  • Total Fat30 g
  • Dietary Fiber4 g
  • Cholesterol83 mg
  • sodium1559 mg
  • Total Sugars3 g

Classic Mashed Potatoes

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • joei

    just fell in love with...
    THE MODERN PROPER

    click the link for recipe now I can't stop scrolling. Like that you include what you can serve it with as well as how is the dish popular

    would be nice for beginners as myself to see a video added how the recipe is made as a garnish to this site

    Thanks Joei, glad you are enjoying our site!

  • Jenn

    Perfectly classic and creamy. I used a potato ricer and I think that really helps the texture!

    Thanks Jenn, glad you enjoyed them!