November 19, 2025
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You may cease in search of the proper mashed potatoes as a result of these Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes are the dreamiest, creamiest facet dish ever. Delicate, buttery, and stuffed with taste, they keep gentle and fluffy thanks to some key steps that basically make a distinction. The cream cheese provides richness with out turning heavy, and the feel is easy sufficient to make anybody on the desk pause mid-bite. They’re not simply one other “vacation” mashed potato… they’re the mashed potatoes you’ll make on repeat.
Ingredient Notes + Variations
These mashed potatoes with cream cheese are made with easy substances that work completely collectively to make the silkiest, most flavorful mash. Each has a job to do, so don’t skip them!
- Potatoes: Use Idaho (russet) potatoes for that traditional fluffy texture. Yukon Golds work too should you like a creamier, barely buttery taste.
- Butter: Softened butter melts proper in, creating that wealthy, shiny end everybody loves.
- Cream Cheese: The key to easy, dreamy mashed potatoes. It provides simply sufficient tang and creaminess to take them from good to wow.
- Entire Milk: Heat it earlier than mixing to maintain the potatoes from seizing up and assist every little thing mix collectively.
- Salt and Pepper: Use loads of salt! Potatoes want seasoning to shine.
- Chives: Non-obligatory, however that pop of inexperienced provides shade and slightly freshness on prime.
Methods to Make Mashed Potatoes
These mashed potatoes are simple to make, they usually’re principally inconceivable to mess up when you comply with the steps beneath. For full recipe particulars, together with substances and measurements, see the printable recipe card down beneath.
Step 1: Prep Your Potatoes
I wash and peel my potatoes with a pointy vegetable peeler. After they’re washed and rinsed, minimize them into giant, evenly sized items.
Step 2: Boil Your Potatoes
Add your cubed potatoes into a big pot of salted water and produce to boil. Scale back to simmer and cook dinner till fork tender. My solely be aware right here is to you should definitely not overcook your potatoes! Overcooking will water log your potatoes and offer you a little bit of a grainy texture that mashing received’t right. As quickly as they’re fork-tender, drain them! Learn extra about How Lengthy To Boil Potatoes.
Step 3: Dry Potatoes Earlier than Mashing
In my recipe card directions beneath, it says to return the potatoes to the new pan proper after draining. Don’t skip this step! Doing this helps “steam” the potatoes and take away any further moisture. We don’t wish to style that starchy cooking liquid, so evaporating as a lot of it as attainable actually helps style (and total texture).
Step 4: Mash Your Potatoes!
This can be a private desire factor. I like mashing my potatoes by hand (my favourite masher right here), however some select to make use of a potato ricer, hand mixer or perhaps a stand mixer! My solely warning is don’t over combine! You may go from fluffy scrumptious potatoes to a gloopy, starchy mess in a rush, particularly when utilizing an electrical mixer. You have to be effective if mashing by hand.
If utilizing a ricer: Set a big bowl on the counter and match a potato ricer over it. Working in batches, scoop a couple of items of scorching potato into the ricer and press down firmly so that they push by means of the small holes. Preserve going till all of the potatoes are riced.*
Step 5: Add Salt, Pepper, Butter + Cream Cheese
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, butter, and cream cheese on to the new riced potatoes, stirring till easy and creamy. Style and regulate seasonings as desired.
Step 6: Serve + Garnish
Spoon right into a serving dish, swirl the highest, and add a couple of pats of butter and contemporary chives.
Professional Tip: To successfully use a potato masher, start gently urgent down till the big chunks break aside. Then, change to extra deliberate mashing motions (press and twist) to easy issues out.
Suggestions for Success
- For further richness, swap half the milk for heavy cream.
- Use heat milk, not chilly, to maintain the potatoes creamy and lump-free.
- Rice, don’t whip. A potato ricer or hand masher provides you the most effective texture.
- All the time salt your cooking water… it’s step one to flavorful mashed potatoes.
- Work shortly whereas every little thing’s heat, so the butter and cream cheese soften completely.
What to Serve with Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
These Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes deserve a spot at each desk. They’re wealthy, silky, and utterly foolproof, due to the cream cheese that makes them further creamy with out being heavy. When you style how easy and flavorful they’re, you’ll begin discovering excuses to make them time and again. The printable recipe card is beneath. Have an amazing day, buddies!
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes are easy, buttery, and additional wealthy due to a beneficiant dose of cream cheese. This recipe provides you completely fluffy potatoes each time with simply the precise stability of salt, butter, and creaminess.
Elements
- 2 kilos Idaho potatoes
- 5 tablespoons salted butter softened + extra for garnish (optionally available)
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup complete milk heated
- 2 teaspoons salt divided, plus extra to style
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper freshly floor
- chives contemporary, chopped for garnish (optionally available)
Directions
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Peel potatoes and rinse them. Reduce into even chunks, about 1½ inches thick, so that they cook dinner evenly and place in a big pot.
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Place the potatoes in a big pot and canopy with chilly water by about an inch. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt.
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Convey to a boil over medium-high warmth, then cut back to a delicate simmer. Cook dinner for 18–22 minutes, or till the potatoes are fork-tender and slide off simply when pierced.
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Drain the potatoes in a colander. Return them to the nice and cozy pot (warmth off) for 1–2 minutes to steam dry.
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Set a big bowl on the counter and match a potato ricer over it. Working in batches, scoop a couple of items of scorching potato into the ricer and press down firmly so that they push by means of the small holes. Preserve going till all of the potatoes are riced.*
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Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, butter, and cream cheese on to the new riced potatoes, stirring till easy and creamy.
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Style and regulate seasonings as desired.
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Switch the mashed potatoes to a serving bowl. Use the again of a spoon to create a comfortable, swirly properly throughout the highest of the mashed potatoes. Nestle a couple of further pats of butter into the grooves to soften.
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High with a sprinkle of contemporary chopped chives, if desired and serve heat.
Notes
Methods to Preserve Mashed Potatoes Heat
Fill a big pot with a couple of inches of water and produce it to a delicate simmer. Place the mashed potatoes in a heat-safe bowl and set it over the pot, ensuring the underside of the bowl doesn’t contact the water. Cowl loosely with foil or a lid to entice the steam.
Stir each 15–20 minutes and add a splash of heat milk or a small pat of butter as wanted to maintain them easy and creamy. The light steam retains the potatoes heat for as much as 2 hours with out drying them out or altering their texture.
Make-Forward and Reheat Directions
To make ahead-
Put together the mashed potatoes as directed. Allow them to cool barely, then switch to an hermetic container or baking dish. Press a bit of plastic wrap instantly onto the floor of the potatoes to stop a pores and skin from forming. Refrigerate for as much as 2 days.
To reheat within the oven-
- Place potatoes in a baking dish and add 2–3 tablespoons of milk and 1 tablespoon of butter excessive.
- Cowl tightly with foil and bake at 350° F for 25–half-hour, stirring midway by means of, till scorching and creamy once more.
To reheat on the stove-
- Heat over low warmth in a big pot with a splash of milk.
- Stir gently till easy and heated by means of, including extra milk as wanted.
To reheat within the sluggish cooker-
- Place the potatoes in a sluggish cooker on Low for two–3 hours, stirring often. Add a couple of tablespoons of milk in the event that they begin to thicken.
Storing Leftovers
Fridge-
Let leftover mashed potatoes cool utterly, then switch to an hermetic container. Retailer within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Reheat gently on the range or within the microwave with a splash of milk to deliver again their creamy texture.
Freezer-
Cool utterly, then spoon right into a freezer-safe bag or hermetic container. Flatten the bag for even freezing. Freeze for as much as 2 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating on the range or within the oven with a couple of tablespoons of milk or butter stirred in to revive smoothness.
Diet
Energy: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 4gFats: 7gSaturated Fats: 4gLdl cholesterol: 19mgSodium: 77mgPotassium: 684mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 250IUVitamin C: 8.6mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 1.3mg
Variations
Since that is such a easy recipe, you’ll be able to simply add completely different substances to suit your dinner model. Be at liberty to customise this recipe to your liking! Listed here are a few concepts to get you began.
- Roasted Garlic – for the garlic lovers and for the Italian model dishes. Attempt roasting your garlic beforehand for an extra-strong taste. Or use my Garlic Mashed Potato Recipe.
- Mashed Candy Potatoes – candy potatoes are a significantly scrumptious various to Idaho potatoes and are nonetheless good for the vacations.
- Cajun Seasoning – this can be a good way to boost your potatoes. Add as a lot or as little as you need.
- Loaded Potatoes – I have already got a recipe for this! Test it out right here: Loaded Smashed Potatoes.
- Twice Baked Potatoes – Mashed potatoes are positioned again into the skins after which loaded up with cheese and different goodies.
Extra Potato Recipes to Attempt
In the event you make this recipe, I might actually respect it should you would give it a star ranking and depart your evaluate within the feedback! When you’ve got an image of your completed dish, publish it on Instagram utilizing the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
