Your search for the creamiest Southern mashed potatoes is over. These fluffy, ultra-buttery mashed potatoes deliver everything you want in this signature starchy side dish. Made with boiled-until-tender Idaho potatoes, sour cream, and a whole lot of butter, these scratch-made mashed potatoes are simple enough to make on a busy weeknight and tasty enough for your holiday table.
Heather's Thoughts
There are a few great comfort foods in this world and creamy homemade mashed potatoes are 100% one of them! Not only is this a southern-style side dish staple, but my mom would make these for us when we were sick growing up too. Something about the smooth and creamy texture with a pad of butter melting on top just cures all the elements.
As a Southern cook, my mom taught my siblings and me how to do these at a very early age. My family owned a catering company, so it was not unusual for us to be peeling pounds and pounds of potatoes in prep for making southern creamed potatoes for 100+ people. Just another normal day around our entertaining family! 🙂
This is such a simple recipe with minimal ingredients, but there is a delicate art to getting the flavor and consistency just right. You will start by peeling and dicing the potatoes and placing them into a large stock pot on the stove. Cook at a low boil until fork tender. Drain and then mix with a hand mixer with butter, sour cream, whole milk, and lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper. If it's Thanksgiving serve alongside southern broccoli cheese casserole, easy slow cooker green beans and my deep fried turkey recipe - but if it's just a regular Tuesday and you need some extra comfort, creamy homemade mashed potatoes can be served alongside pretty much any southern dinner recipe.
Let me walk you through step by step exactly how my mom taught us all. No matter if you are making these for 6 people or 100 - the method is the same.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes - Russet potatoes are the best to use. The high starch content helps give the texture and flavor that we all know and love. They are "drier" potatoes which allows them to absorb a lot of water when cooking, which is why to heavily salt the water they cook in AND also soak up the milk, sour cream, and butter - creating a smooth and creamy texture full of tons of flavor. They break down easily when boiled allowing to mash easily - unlike a more waxy potato like red potatoes. Russet potatoes need a lot of salt to help flavor - by salting the water you will bring out even more flavor to the potatoes before adding in the dairy products.
- Sour Cream - full-fat ingredients are what is best for maximum flavor and creaminess - don't skimp on this part
- Milk - just like the sour cream, only use whole milk!
- Salt - this will need way more salt than you think. salt the water the potatoes boil in AND throughout the mixing process. Taste as you go is my biggest tip!
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper - this is just a little extra step that I think is far more superior than just regular black pepper.
Welcome to my kitchen, let's make these dreamy potatoes!
PRO TIP - Fill the sink with cold water before you start. As you are working on peeling and dicing the potatoes, keep them peeled in the cold water while working. This will help prevent them from browning. Especially if you are making these for a crowd - this process can take a little bit. So keep any that you have peeled submerged in the water while working.
ANOTHER PRO TIP: after having made these mashed potatoes with sour cream for most of my life, I have found that cubing them up into smaller cubes to boil helps in making creamy and smooth potatoes. Plus they cook faster as opposed to cooking big chunks of potatoes.
When to start cooking mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner: About 45 minutes before the meal is going to be served, have your friends and family help you peel and dice the potatoes since this is what takes the longest. The rest of the recipes go super fast and you will have hot and fresh mashed potatoes ready to serve on your Thanksgiving table that everyone will be drooling over!
I personally don't think mashed potatoes keep the best as leftovers. So if you have some, do what we do - make leftover mashed potato pancakes! They are the best way to repurpose the leftovers without anything going to waste!
Unfortunately, mashed potatoes are something that is best made hot and fresh right before you eat them, so prepping ahead of time isn't the best or what I would recommend. If you're making for a large crowd - enlist some family and friends to help with the peeling! This is the vegetable peeler I have had for years and love!
Recipe
Southern-Style Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Your search for the creamiest Southern mashed potatoes is over. These fluffy, ultra-buttery mashed potatoes deliver everything you want in this signature starchy side dish. Made with boiled-until-tender Idaho potatoes, sour cream and a whole lot of butter, these scratch-made mashed potatoes are simple enough to make on a busy weeknight, and tasty enough for your holiday table.
Ingredients
- 5 Pounds Idaho Potatoes
- 10 Tablespoons Butter + more for topping
- ½ Cup Sour Cream
- ⅓ Cup Milk
- 2 ½ Teaspoons Salt
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper - to taste
- Chives to garnish - optional
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water halfway up and heavily salt. Place on the stove on high heat and bring to a boil.
- Fill the sink with cold water. Peel the potatoes and place them in the cold water once peeled while working on the other. This will help prevent them from browning while you're working.
- Once the potatoes are peeled, dice each potato into small cubes. Place directly into the boiling water.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add in the butter and with a hand mixer mix for 1 minute.
- Add in the sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy making sure that there are no clumps left.
- Taste test and add more salt if needed. If too thick or "gluey" add more milk to help thin out and make more creamy.
- Add to a large bowl and top with another pad (tablespoon) of butter and serve!
Notes
- Make Mashed Potato Pancakes with any leftovers you may have!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scoop
- Calories: 354
- Sugar: 2.6 g
- Sodium: 540.3 mg
- Fat: 23.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.1 g
- Fiber: 4.5 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
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Jeff Easto says
A little confused by the ingredients list. It says 1-1/4 cup of butter (10 tablespoons). but 1-1/4 cup of butter is 18 tablespoons...which seems like A LOT. And that makes me think that 1-1/2 cups of sour cream is too much as well.
Heather says
You are correct - that was a mistake and an error on my part mistyping! I apologize and thank you for pointing this out. This recipe uses 5 pounds of potatoes which is quite a lot, so the butter, sour cream, and milk are quite a lot to make this ultra-rich and creamy. The correct measurement is 10 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of sour cream. Thanks again for pointing this out so I could correct it!
Elena says
Hi, Heather! Can't wait to try these.
Also, in Step 2, I think you meant to say browning instead of browsing. I am looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. 🧑🍳
Heather Bilyeu says
Oops! Thank you for catching that mistake! I can reread and edit posts 10x and still miss little things like that - thank you! Fixing now 🙂
Christine says
I’m researching on how to make the best mashed potatoes. I’ve read several recipes and so far all but yours say to start the potatoes with cold water for even cooking. I’m just wondering why you prefer to add your potatoes to boiling water?
Heather Bilyeu says
Hi Christine - great question. To be honest with you, I have no idea haha. This is how my mom always did it. I think either way is fine. Sometimes I even get the water on the stobve, hurt it on and since it takes a while to heat up, I will dice the potatoes and start adding as I go and by the time I am done (especially if I am making a large amount) it will be at a low boil. I don't think there is a wrong or right way IMO - do whatever you thinks works best for you!