While a glossy, juicy turkey may be a hallmark of Thanksgiving, for many the meal wouldn't be complete without a scoop of mashed potatoes alongside it — and perhaps a few glugs of gravy on top. The beauty of mashed potatoes is that, unlike many stuffings and casseroles, spuds require only a few ingredients to prepare and they come together quickly. Check out Food Network's go-to tips below to turn out your fluffiest batch of mashed potatoes yet, then visit Thanksgiving Central for the complete mashed potato how-to.

Before you get started, decide whether you want to use starchy spuds like russets or silky ones like Yukon Golds, then pick which mix-in — either milk, cream or half-and-half — you want in addition to butter and classic seasonings.

Chop up peeled potatoes so each piece is the same size, then boil the spuds until they fall apart when pierced.

Using a potato ricer will guarantee finer threads of potatoes, making the final mixture super-smooth. If you opt for a hand masher to smash the potatoes, the dish will turn out a bit chunkier.

Start with a warm mixture of the butter and whatever kind of milk you chose, then add that to the mashed potatoes until the spuds are creamy.

Check out Food Network's How to Make Mashed Potatoes guide for more details and tips.