Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Instead of my usual winging the potatoes on Thanksgiving, I tweaked these buttery Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes a la Martha Stewart.
Bill, the mashed potato connoisseur in the house, gave these Creamy Mashed Potatoes his seal of approval, and thankfully, I took a few notes so I could share them with you all.
Why You Should Make These
- Martha Stewart was right. These Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes are super creamy and delicious.
- The picky hubby would not let me throw out even the last few spoonfuls of leftovers!
- These mashed potatoes with cream cheese are perfect for the holidays when it’s worth a little extra time to make a memorable batch of mashed potatoes!
My mom would always have a couple of boxes of garlic mashed potatoes in her pantry, but the hubby prefers homemade mashed potatoes. So by watching his mom and aunt Alice, I got the method down pat. Neither of those talented home cooks added anything more than butter, salt, and milk to their potatoes, but I usually up the game (and calories) with some sour cream or cream cheese. Now I have the perfect combination of ingredients. And if you’re dying to try another method, this Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes recipe looks like a winner!
Reader Endorsement:
Then I got this comment from a reader who made this mashed potato recipe for Christmas: I made these last night for Christmas Dinner. My son said these were the Best Mashed Potatoes. I think I finally found my mashed potato recipe. Thank you.
How to Make the Best Mashed Potatoes
- Choose the best potatoes for mashing. They should be starchy, not waxy potatoes. I recommend Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Peel, cut into large chunks, and cook them in salted water. Cooking in salted water seasons the potatoes as they cook.
- Drain the potatoes and return to the pot with the burner on low. Cook to remove any excess water. Turn off the burner.
- Mix the potatoes, butter, cream cheese (or sour cream) part of the warmed cream in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat until combined.
- Season, add the rest of the cream, and continue beating to your desired consistency. Always taste after seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper if desired. If you’re watching your sodium, start with less salt than is suggested. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out!
Frequently Asked Questions
They should be starchy potatoes like russets and Yukon gold work the best. But of the two varieties, Yukon gold works the best as they are less starchy than russets and will absorb less water when cooking.
Yes. This makes a more rustic-looking mashed potatoes dish, but it’s a delicious option!
Start your potatoes in cold water as this helps the potatoes cook evenly.
Yes, once the water starts boiling add the salt. This helps the potatoes absorb some of the salt. Salting after they’re cooked just seasons the exteriors of the potatoes.
First, they should be cut into relatively even-sized chunks so they’re done at the same time. Cook just until you can easily poke into a couple of potatoes with a fork or a knife. Overcooking will make them watery.
First, don’t overcook the potatoes. An extra step to get rid of excess moisture is to add the potatoes back to the pan after draining. Cook over low heat, shaking the pan occasionally for a minute or two to help any moisture evaporate.
This is a problem when potatoes are overmixed or over-processed. Using a potato masher or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment prevents overwhipping the potatoes into a gummy state.
Yes. As long as they have fat (like cream and butter) mixed in, they freeze well. Place them in a freezer-safe container (a Ziploc bag works well), and freeze for up to 6 months.
According to Cooks Illustrated, for each pound of potatoes, drizzle and fold in one tablespoon of melted butter. Repeat if necessary.
More Delicious Potato Recipes:
- Au Gratin Potatoes from Saving Room for Dessert
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Homemade Potato Bread
- Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
- More of the Best Side Dish Recipes
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Creamy, rich mashed potatoes enhanced with cream cheese, butter and cream!
Ingredients
- 3½ pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature (1 stick)
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste if needed and more to season boiling water
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste if needed
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.
- Add about a tablespoon of salt.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are tender when poked with a fork.
- Drain potatoes and place them in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add cream cheese, butter, and ½ cup of cream. Beat until well combined and to your desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper and mix just to combine.
- Return the mashed potatoes to the pot, add the rest of the cream, and cook over medium heat until hot. Serve.
Notes
Adapted from Martha Stewart.
Martha's recipe states you can hold these potatoes for up to 2 hours if you place them in a covered bowl over a pot of simmering water.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 466Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 476mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 8g
Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.
8 Comments on “Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes”
I made these last night for Christmas Dinner. My son said these were the best mashed Potatoes.
I think I finally found my mash potato recipe. Thank you.
Oh, I’m SO glad to hear this! My hubby feels the same way. Thanks so much for reporting back, Marilyn and hope you had a Merry Christmas!
Way to jazz up a spud Liz! This would be a welcome change at my house and Gabbi would love these. Merry Christmas dear friend.
These potatoes look divinely creamy, Liz! Perfect for our holiday table!! I hope you and your family have the happiest of holidays!!
I didn’t realize mashed potatoes freeze well, but that makes sense. It would be worse freezing leftover mash to make potato fritters. Great idea! I love that you use cream cheese. I usually use butter and cream or sour cream. Great tips!
There’s always room for a few more calories at the holidays:@) Your potatoes sound great Liz-Happy Christmas Week-enjoy!
Creamy, cheesy and buttery…that sounds like a perfect combo of textures and flavours. A wonderful side dish!