The recipe for my grandma's best mashed potatoes with heavy cream. (2024)

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Three key ingredients make up these rich and creamy mashed potatoes. You’ll never make mashed potatoes another way again. They’re also a great slow cooker mashed potato recipe.

It’s perfect rich and creamy mashed potato weather. Warm sunshine on my shoulders. Brilliant shades of red and orange falling from the trees. Ohio weather gets a lot of flack and I’ll be dishing it out as well when it is bitter cold in March. But right now? I’m singing the praises of my little Buckeye state.

With this warmish fall weather, it’s hard to keep in mind that Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. The cool weather can stay away, but bring on the homemade rolls, Grandma’s stuffing and pumpkin pie.

And another must-have Thanksgiving side dish to go with your turkey? Mashed Potatoes and gravy. Rich and creamy mashed potatoes.

The recipe for my grandma's best mashed potatoes with heavy cream. (1)

Why this is the Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe:

  • It’s my grandma’s creamy mashed potatoes recipe. And grandma’s know best, right?
  • Uses Russet potatoes for the ultimate in fluffy texture.
  • Options to rice the potatoes for perfectly smooth potatoes or use a traditional potato masher.
  • Heavy cream and cream cheese give the best creamy texture.

Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese

I never used to follow a recipe when I made mashed potatoes. I knew I liked folding meltedbutter and milk in with the potatoes to make them super soft.

But I’ll never forget one time when we visited my Grandma’s house. Her mashed potatoes tasted amazing and it was because she added cream cheese to the mashed potatoes. Being an avid cream cheese lover, I knew she had hit on something brilliant.

What makes our mashed potatoes creamy?

  1. Butter. Real, sweet cream butter. I use salted butter nearly 100% of the time.
  2. Cream Cheese. Full-fat, please. Yes, you could use ⅓ fat or fat-free, but know that it is not going to be as rich and creamy if you do.
  3. Heavy Cream. I know many of you cringed when you read that ingredient. We’re not talking health food here. We’re talking Thanksgiving comfort food. And to get the potatoes super creamy and rich, you should definitely use heavy whipping cream.
The recipe for my grandma's best mashed potatoes with heavy cream. (2)
The recipe for my grandma's best mashed potatoes with heavy cream. (3)
The recipe for my grandma's best mashed potatoes with heavy cream. (4)
The recipe for my grandma's best mashed potatoes with heavy cream. (5)

What are the best potatoes for mashed potatoes?

Choosing the right kind of potato is important, too.There’s waxy potatoes, starchy potatoes and some in between. For perfectly textured mashed potatoes, you’re going to want to choose a starchy potato such as Russets. They may also be called Idaho or bakers. These potatoes will fall apart when you bake them, but whip up fluffy, drinking in all of that wonderful butter and milk.

Don’t have Russets? Try Yukon Gold potatoes. They have a natural buttery flavor so they are excellent in mashed potatoes.

How to make fluffy mashed potatoes?

There’s no need to pull out a blender, food processor or electric hand mixer to make potatoes. I used to make my potatoes that way, but a chef in Columbus, Ohio, told me that over-mixing the potatoes brings out the starch which can make them gummy.

For the fluffiest mashed potatoes, you’ll want to use a potato ricer or food mill. If you don’t have a potato ricer, use a handheld potato masher. It’s still possible to get them perfectly creamy with this.

Optional Mashed Potato Add-ins

  • Fresh herbs are a great way to add flavor to mashed potatoes, or just to sprinkle on top for serving. Try fresh parsley, chives, rosemary, pepper, green onions, thyme, or minced garlic cloves.
  • Don’t like cream cheese? Try adding in sour cream instead. It will change the flavor slightly and make the potatoes have a little more “tang”, but they’ll still be creamy.

Looking for a healthier version? Try our low carb mashed cauliflower!

Rich and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

4.68 from 56 votes

Three key ingredients make up these rich and creamy mashed potatoes. You'll never make mashed potatoes another way again. Great for the slow cooker, too.

Servings 12

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Print RecipeSave Recipe

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

  • 5 pounds Russet potatoes about 7 large potatoes
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup salted butter melted
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  • Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into large cubes.

  • Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and fill the pot with cold water, leaving about 2 inches at the top of the pan.

  • Place the pan on the stovetop on medium-high heat.

  • Allow the water to come to a boil, then turn the water down to medium heat.

  • Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.

  • Drain the water from the potatoes.

  • Put potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer for the fluffiest texture. Or you can mash them with a potato masher.

  • Stir in the cream cheese, butter, heavy cream and salt.

  • Gently fold the potatoes using a rubber spatula until they are smooth and creamy. Be careful not to mix too hard because want to keep the potato fluffiness that ricing the potatoes give.

  • Serve warm.

  • You can top with butter, salt, chives or parsley.

Notes

If you don’t have time to rice the potatoes, simply use a handheld potato masher or a hand mixer on low speed to blend the ingredients.

Slow Cooker Potatoes

If desired, you can place the finished mashed potatoes in a slow cooker and turn it on low for 2-3 hours. I love the potatoes slow cooked this way. The edges get slightly browned and taste delicious! If you don’t want the mashed potatoes to brown at all, be sure to stir the potatoes often, scraping the sides as you stir.

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 401mg | Potassium: 808mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 10.8mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1.7mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 283

Keyword creamy mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes, potatoes side dish

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Other Mashed Potato Recipes

Love potatoes? We do, too! Try one of our mashed potato recipes:

The recipe for my grandma's best mashed potatoes with heavy cream. (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to use milk or heavy cream in mashed potatoes? ›

As always, better quality ingredients equals better tasting food. Heavy Cream - While you, hypothetically, could use whole milk or something, I don't recommend it. Part of what makes these the creamiest mashed potatoes is the CREAM! Use the cream, we aren't eating mashed potatoes for our health.

Why add cream to mashed potatoes? ›

I've experimented with many mashed potatoes recipes and many ingredients, and have come to this conclusion: if you want to make the creamiest and smoothest mashed potatoes, make your mashed potatoes with heavy cream. I've tried milk, half and half, and other ingredients, but they just don't work as well.

Is cream cheese or sour cream better in mashed potatoes? ›

Sour Cream: The sour cream helps keep the mashed potatoes fluffy. Cream Cheese: This adds a bit of creaminess without being too overpowering.

Is heavy cream and heavy whipping cream the same thing? ›

Is Heavy Cream the Same as Heavy Whipping Cream? Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names.

Is whipping cream the same as heavy cream? ›

Heavy cream and whipping cream are two similar high fat dairy products that manufacturers make by mixing milk with milk fat. The main difference between the two is their fat content. Heavy cream has slightly more fat than whipping cream. Otherwise, they are nutritionally very similar.

Why do restaurant mashed potatoes taste better? ›

Instead of regular milk, pro chefs generally use a generous helping of buttermilk and plenty of half-and-half or (even better) heavy cream in their potatoes. If you think the bartenders up front are pouring heavy, they've got nothing on the cooks in the back who are in charge of the mashed potatoes.

Is it better to use cold butter or melted butter in mashed potatoes? ›

A word about butter: Don't melt butter before stirring it into the potatoes because the milk solids and fat will separate. You can add cold butter to your hot potatoes since the butter will melt as a whole and distribute the fat and milk solids evenly.

Is half-and-half or heavy cream better for mashed potatoes? ›

Is milk or cream better for mashed potatoes? I use half-and-half: it gives the potatoes the perfect creamy texture and rich taste. As a half-and-half substitute, you could also use heavy cream or whole milk. Whichever you use, just start with a little and add more as you need it.

What are the top 3 potatoes for mashed potatoes? ›

The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are a starchy varieties like russet, Idaho or Yukon gold. Starchy potatoes are best for mashed potatoes because they have a fluffy, almost airy texture that breaks down easily.

What are the most flavorful potatoes for mashed potatoes? ›

gold standard for a mash with a creamy, rich texture. Their medium starch content, density, and inherently buttery flavor make Yukon Golds great for all your mashing needs.

Is it better to add cold milk or warm milk to mashed potatoes? ›

Always Warm the Dairy First

For the very best result every time, always gently warm the butter and milk before adding to the potatoes, rather than adding cold dairy straight from the fridge. Here's why: Warm dairy is absorbed faster and more easily, with less stirring than its cold counterpart.

What does Rachael Ray use to mash potatoes? ›

Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add in the cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Add chives or scallions. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Why are Bob Evans mashed potatoes so good? ›

Made with fresh red skin potatoes, butter, and real buttermilk, Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes tastes like homemade. We put extra care into making our mashed potatoes rich and creamy to deliver that homemade flavor your family expects.

What is the liquid in Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes? ›

Ingredients. Potatoes, Dairy Blend (Milk, Butter [Cream, Salt], Soybean Oil, Salt, Natural Flavor, Monoglycerides), Potassium Sorbate (to Maintain Freshness), Black Pepper, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (to Maintain Color).

What happens if you use milk instead of heavy cream? ›

You can use whole milk or opt for skim milk to help slash the calories and fat content of your recipe. This substitute is especially useful in cooking, but it may alter the texture of baked goods and will not whip as well as heavy cream.

Is it better to use half-and-half or heavy cream for mashed potatoes? ›

Is milk or cream better for mashed potatoes? I use half-and-half: it gives the potatoes the perfect creamy texture and rich taste. As a half-and-half substitute, you could also use heavy cream or whole milk. Whichever you use, just start with a little and add more as you need it.

Why use heavy cream instead of milk? ›

Substituting heavy cream (how long does cream last?) for milk in recipes is a common practice, especially when there's a need to achieve a richer texture and flavor. Heavy cream, with its high fat content, can stand in for milk by adding a certain decadence that milk typically lacks.

Which is better heavy whipping cream or milk? ›

Whole milk is a good choice for general cooking and baking, as it adds richness and flavor without being too heavy. Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are best for recipes that require a thick and creamy texture, or for making whipped cream.

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