
This is my go-to mashed potato recipe for all occasions. It’s the ideal make-ahead side dish for holiday meals and family gatherings. It’s guaranteed to get compliments at your dinner table.

Mashed potatoes are a wonderful complement to so many dishes and meals. They’re a definite staple on the dinner table at Christmas and Thanksgiving. And I’ve been known to serve a heaping bowl as a meal all by itself, especially when they are creamy and rich tasting like these potatoes.
These mashed potatoes are so, so good. You’re gonna love ‘em.
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Worry-Free Cooking |
- It’s so much easier to prepare potatoes using a stock pot with a strainer insert like the one pictured below. When the potatoes are done, I just lift the strainer to drain — no need for a colander and you avoid spills and hot water splashes. Plus, one less dish to clean — gotta love that!
- If you don’t already have a tabletop mixer, I highly recommend that you invest in one. I have a KitchenAid mixer and it’s a game-changer. I put all ingredients into the mixer equipped with the flat beater, cover with the must-have pouring shield, turn it on, and let it go. While its mixing into a creamy goodness, I’m able to turn my attention onto other things.

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Menu Planning |
- I typically double up and make 10 pounds of these potatoes at a time, because leftovers make a surprisingly delicious and quick mustgoes meal.
- Can’t get enough Traditional Shepherd’s Pie topped with leftovers of these amazing mashed potatoes.
- My family loves Mashed Baked Potato Soup mustgoes.
- Store leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You can also store in the freezer for up to two months; however, I’m not a huge fan of how they taste after freezing.
- Make these potatoes a day ahead and store in the frig until you’re ready to warm and eat. There are two options for heating: oven or crock pot. For the oven, place potatoes in a glass casserole dish and bake at 350-degrees for 45 minutes or until warmed. If using a crock pot, add them to the pot and cook on low heat, stirring every 30-minutes until warm.
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Helping Hand |
- Add kosher salt directly into the boiling water. Not because it makes it boil faster. Boiling with salt helps the overall cooking and enhances the flavor of the potatoes.
- For creamier potatoes, add a little milk or heavy whipping cream while mashing the potatoes. I recommend the heavy cream for a rich, creamy taste.
- Add a delicious twist to these potatoes by using red potatoes and leaving on the skin (removing all scarred and bad parts).
![]() | Have you tried this recipe? Tag @annettes.cooking on Instagram and hashtag it #annettescooking |

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and star rating below. It’s always refreshing to hear how others like a recipe, find success with it, or tweak to suit. I’d love to hear from you!
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