Must-Try Mashed Potato Recipes

From holiday get-togethers to comforting family dinners, mashed potatoes are always a welcome addition to the table. So we’ve rounded up some of our favorite ways to make them, including the classic version (mashed simply with milk, butter, salt and pepper), plenty of cheese-and-herb topped takes — and even a few recipes that feature a mix of other root vegetables.

August 05, 2021

By: Lauren Tom Cerone

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The Best Mashed Potatoes

This is our go-to recipe for classic mashed potatoes, made with plenty of butter and cream. To make them fluffy and flavorful, be sure to simmer them slowly and add plenty of salt to the cooking water. And don't skip the step of steaming the excess water off; leaving too much moisture in the potatoes causes them to be loose and gluey.

Get the Recipe: The Best Mashed Potatoes

Cheddar-Dill Mashed Potatoes

Banish boring spuds! All you need is some savory Cheddar and fresh dill to give them a whole new twist.

Get the Recipe: Cheddar-Dill Mashed Potatoes

Smokey Spicy Mashed Potatoes

We love how simple it is to upgrade mashed potatoes. All you need is a good add-in and you've got a completely new side dish. Here, we go with chipotle peppers in adobo for a savory, smoky flavor.

Get the Recipe: Smokey Spicy Mashed Potatoes

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

An easy upgrade to regular mashed potatoes? Use buttermilk instead of regular milk to add tangy richness.

Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Garlicky Potato-Rutabaga Mash

Fragrant roasted garlic and subtly sweet mashed rutabaga bump up the flavor of classic mashed potatoes for a side dish you're sure to make again and again.

Get the Recipe: Garlicky Potato-Rutabaga Mash

Herbed Yogurt Mashed Potatoes

Make your mashed spuds extra creamy by adding yogurt to the mix. Then, stir in chives, dill, and parsley for flavor.

Get the Recipe: Herbed Yogurt Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

These super creamy mashed potatoes couldn't be any easier — no dicing and no draining. This is a great make-ahead recipe any time of the year, but especially when you're cooking multiple dishes. Make the potatoes earlier in the day, then just set them on the warm setting so they are nice and hot when you're ready to sit down.

Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

If you're a fan of mashed sweet potatoes you'll love Rachael's tip for enhancing their flavor and creaminess: add some banana!

Get the Recipe: Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Don't hold back on the butter or the cream cheese when making mashed potatoes; they're the secret to a creamy, dreamy side dish.

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Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This mash owes its luxurious texture to the natural creaminess of Yukon gold potatoes and a touch of olive oil. At first glance 4 cloves of garlic may seem like a lot, but the garlic mellows as it steams with the potatoes so when they are mashed together you get just the right infusion of flavor.

Get the Recipe: Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes with Shallots

Ree layers fried shallots into her mashed potatoes for a fantastic layer of flavor — and an extra crispy, crunch!

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Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

Roasted garlic is impossibly mellow and sweet. We like to stir it into mashed potatoes for a flavor upgrade that everyone is sure to enjoy.

Get the Recipe: Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

These creamy mashed potatoes can be made in advance and then stored in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to serve them. Slowly heating them in the oven is the perfect way to maintain the fluffiness of the potatoes without making them gluey, which can happen if you heat them to fast and too hot (we're looking at you, microwave).

Get the Recipe: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Herbed Broccoli Mashed Potatoes

Broccoli and fresh herbs feel right at home when mashed with creamy potatoes. This is the veggie side dish that no one will be able to say 'no' to!

Get the Recipe: Herbed Broccoli Mashed Potatoes

Dill and Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Looking for a way to make your go-to side more memorable? Try fresh dill and spicy horseradish.

Get the Recipe: Dill and Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Velvety Mashed Potatoes

If you favor a creamier potato, Tyler has got you covered! His secret is to stir in warm cream and butter, until the it’s absorbed and the potatoes are nice and smooth.

Get the Recipe: Velvety Mashed Potatoes

Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

As much as we love classic mashed potatoes, we can't resist the occasional sweet potato version — espeically this one that's perked up with maple syrup, butter, and orange zest.

Get the Recipe: Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Simple Mashed Potatoes

We use russet potatoes for this recipe because of their high starch content, which makes for fluffier mashed potatoes. Pro tip: Keep the potatoes in their skins and simmer rather than boil them to keep them from getting water-logged and mushy.

Get the Recipe: Simple Mashed Potatoes

Chipotle Mashed Potatoes with Bacon

If you're a fan of all-things-smoky then you'll love this take on mashed potatoes. The spuds are spiced up with chipotle chiles in adobo — and we seal the deal with some chopped bacon.

Get the Recipe: Chipotle Mashed Potatoes with Bacon

Classic Mashed Potatoes

You only need 5 simple ingredients to make the perfect side dish or casserole topper: potatoes, butter, milk, salt and pepper.

Get the Recipe: Classic Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

There is a seemingly infinite number of recipes for this simple side dish but this one stands out. It calls for Parmesan cheese which gives the potatoes a nice salty, buttery flavor.

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Slow-Cooker Mashed Potatoes

The slow cooker takes an already-simple classic recipe and makes it even easier. Simply toss cut russet potatoes, butter and a touch of salt and pepper into a slow cooker, turn it on low and walk away for a few hours. When you return, the potatoes will be perfectly tender and ready to be mashed. Best of all, the slow cooker traps all the potato flavor, making these spuds extra potatoey.

Get the Recipe: Slow-Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Double Potato Mash

Why have one type of potato when you can have two?! White and sweet potatoes work together here to bring you a side dish that beautifully balanced and delicious.

Get the Recipe: Double Potato Mash

Mashed Cheesy Potatoes & Gravy

These are VERY cheesy mashed potatoes! Molly uses a full 8 ounces of shredded Swiss cheese to give them just the right flavor (and plenty of gooey goodness).

Get the Recipe: Mashed Cheesy Potatoes & Gravy

Mashed Parsnips and Potatoes

Parsnips may look a lot like carrots (and share some of their natural sweetness) but they're starchy like potatoes, making them easy to incorporate into this classic side dish. They've got a balanced flavor that's both earthy and sweet, which goes perfectly with potatoes.

Get the Recipe: Mashed Parsnips and Potatoes

Baked Feta Mashed Potatoes

We took inspiration from the wildly popular baked feta pasta recipe of TikTok fame and reimagined it to create a big-batch thanksgiving side dish. The best part is no more boiling water and crowding your stovetop. Instead, we put all the ingredients together in one dish and then bake it in the oven. Cooking the dish covered helps simmer and steam the potatoes at the same time, making them smooth and fluffy when mashed. The baked feta bubbles and melts into the potatoes to lend a subtle and delicious tanginess.

Get the Recipe: Baked Feta Mashed Potatoes