How to make the best mashed potatoes, for a weeknight or a holiday crowd

The short answer: great mashed potatoes come down to a few choices: the right potato, cold water to start, warm butter and dairy, and a gentle hand when mashing.

• Yukon Gold: creamy and hard to overwork
• Russet: light and fluffy, especially with a ricer
• Make-ahead and slow-cooker methods
• 12 flavor ideas and fixes for gluey potatoes
• Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

Mashed potatoes are the side dish everyone counts on, at Thanksgiving, at Christmas and on any Tuesday night. They're simple, but the difference between good and great comes down to a few choices: the right potato, cold water to start, warm butter and dairy, and a gentle hand when mashing. This guide covers a basic recipe, how many potatoes to buy, make-ahead and slow-cooker methods, 12 flavor ideas and how to fix mashed potatoes that went wrong. Want a baked potato side instead? Try our scalloped potatoes.

The best potatoes for mashed potatoes

Potatoes vary by how much starch they contain, and that changes the texture of the mash.

Britannica explains that the potato is native to the Peruvian-Bolivian Andes, where it was grown more than 7,000 years ago, and that the Spanish brought it to Europe in the second half of the 1500s. It is now one of the world's main food crops. Andean farmers still grow hundreds of varieties, but most U.S. grocery stores carry the three types above.

Classic mashed potatoes recipe (serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes (or a mix)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt for the water, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup whole milk, half-and-half or cream
• Black or white pepper
• Chives for garnish (optional)

Steps

1. Prep. Peel the potatoes, or leave thin skins on, and cut into even 1 1/2- to 2-inch chunks so they cook at the same rate.
2. Start cold. Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by an inch and add the salt.
3. Simmer. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife slides into the biggest piece with no resistance.
4. Warm the dairy. While the potatoes cook, warm the butter and milk in a small pan or the microwave.
5. Drain and dry. Drain well and return the potatoes to the hot pot for a minute to steam off extra water.
6. Mash. Use a potato masher or press the potatoes through a ricer. Stir in the warm butter and milk a little at a time.
7. Season. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with more butter and chives.

How many potatoes per person

Plan about 1/2 pound per person, since mashed potatoes are usually the most popular side on a holiday table. With lots of sides, 1/3 pound is enough. For the butter and milk, scale up from the recipe above: about 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter and 1/3 cup of milk per pound of potatoes.

Masher, ricer or mixer?

• Hand masher: classic, a little rustic, almost impossible to overwork.
• Ricer or food mill: the smoothest, fluffiest mash. Press the potatoes while hot.
• Hand mixer: quick for big batches, but stop as soon as they're smooth.
• Blender or food processor: avoid. The blades break the starch and make the potatoes gluey.

Make-ahead mashed potatoes

Holiday mornings are busy, so make the potatoes ahead:

1. Make them up to 2 days ahead, a little looser than usual, with an extra splash of milk.
2. Spread in a buttered baking dish and dot with butter.
3. Cool quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours. Shallow dishes cool faster.
4. Reheat covered at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once, or in a slow cooker on low for 2 to 3 hours.
5. Stir in warm milk if they look stiff, and heat until they reach 165°F.

Slow-cooker mashed potatoes

The slow cooker is the secret weapon of holiday cooking, because it frees up the stove and oven. Two ways to use it:

• Cook in it: Put 3 pounds of cubed potatoes in the slow cooker with 1 cup of broth, 2 cloves of garlic and salt. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, until tender. Mash right in the pot with warm butter and milk.
• Hold in it: Make the potatoes on the stove, then transfer them to a buttered slow cooker on the warm setting. Add a splash of milk and a few pats of butter on top. They'll hold for 2 to 4 hours. Stir every 30 minutes.

Instant Pot mashed potatoes

An electric pressure cooker cooks the potatoes without a big pot of boiling water on the stove, which helps on a crowded holiday cooktop.

1. Load the pot. Add 3 pounds of peeled potatoes cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch chunks, 1 cup of water or broth and 1 teaspoon of salt. Check your model's manual for its minimum liquid.
2. Pressure cook. Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing and cook on high pressure for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Release and test. Quick-release the pressure. A knife should slide into the biggest piece with no resistance; if not, cook 2 minutes more.
4. Mash in the pot. Drain any liquid left (save a little for thinning), then mash with warm butter and milk as in the classic recipe. Use the keep-warm setting while the rest of dinner finishes, stirring in a splash of milk if they stiffen.

12 ways to flavor mashed potatoes

1. Garlic: simmer 4 to 6 peeled cloves with the potatoes and mash them in.
2. Roasted garlic: squeeze a whole roasted head into the butter.
3. Brown butter: cook the butter until golden and nutty before adding.
4. Sour cream and chive: swap 1/2 cup of the milk for sour cream.
5. Cream cheese: add 4 ounces for an extra-creamy, tangy mash.
6. Loaded: cheddar, bacon, sour cream and green onions.
7. Parmesan and black pepper: a cup of grated parmesan and lots of pepper.
8. Herb: fresh thyme, rosemary and parsley.
9. Horseradish: 2 to 3 tablespoons, perfect with prime rib or beef tenderloin.
10. Buttermilk: a light, tangy version.
11. Olive oil: a dairy-free version with good olive oil and warm broth.
12. Half and half cauliflower: half potatoes, half cauliflower for a lighter side.

How to fix mashed potato problems

Mashed potatoes on a budget

Potatoes are one of the cheapest ways to feed a crowd, which makes mashed potatoes a smart side when you're hosting on a budget. A few ways to keep the cost down:

• Buy the 5- or 10-pound bag instead of loose potatoes. It usually costs less per pound.
• Use whole milk and butter instead of cream for a big batch, and save the cream for a small bowl on the table.
• Skip the peeling with thin-skinned potatoes. You save time and waste less.
• Make a double batch and freeze half for an easy weeknight side or a shepherd's pie.
• Write potatoes, butter and milk on your grocery list early, since stores often run low the week of a holiday.

Mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving and Christmas

On a holiday table, mashed potatoes need a partner: gravy. Our guide to how to make gravy covers turkey, beef and make-ahead gravy. For the rest of the meal, see our Thanksgiving menu template, our list of Thanksgiving side dishes and, for December, our Christmas side dishes.

Our Meal Planner and Grocery List: Thanksgiving Edition ($4.99) helps you plan it all, with a Thanksgiving Day timeline that works backward from dinnertime so the oven never double-books, a guest and dish sign-up and an aisle-sorted grocery list. For everyday meals the rest of the year, our Meal Planner and Grocery List ($3.99) has a weekly meal planner and grocery list.

Storing leftover mashed potatoes

Follow FoodSafety.gov's four steps, clean, separate, cook and chill, from peeling to storing. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, in shallow covered containers. USDA says cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat them to 165°F with a splash of milk. You can freeze mashed potatoes for about 2 months; ones made with plenty of butter and cream freeze best.

Leftovers make great potato pancakes: mix 2 cups of cold mashed potatoes with an egg, 1/4 cup of flour and some cheese or green onions, shape into patties and fry until golden. They also make a quick shepherd's pie topping. Our easy shepherd's pie uses about 4 cups of mashed potatoes.

Save your family's version

Everyone's family has "the" mashed potatoes: with skins or without, extra garlic, a spoonful of cream cheese. Write yours down this year. Our Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) has four recipe page layouts with room for the story behind each dish, plus a conversion chart.

Short on stove space? Our Instant Pot mashed potatoes cook in 8 minutes on high pressure with no draining. Want them whole instead? Our guide to how to bake a potato covers oven times and toppings. They are the classic side under a bowl of coq au vin. More potato mains and sides live in our potato recipes roundup.