Mom’s Mashed Potatoes Recipe

My Mom’s Mashed Potatoes are light, fluffy, and bursting with comforting flavor. Her secret ingredients and special mixing tip will blow your taste buds away!

Everyone has a “go-to” mashed potato recipe but no one has my Mom’s mashed potato recipe. Until now that is. These are the lightest, fluffiest mashed potatoes that you will ever eat. They’re like a cloud sitting on your plate.

Some would even venture to say they’re the BEST mashed potatoes ever.

This isn’t just a recipe… you’re getting her secret ingredient and her secret tip. These homemade mashed potatoes are perfection on their own, but if you’re a fan of “add-ins,” check out the recipe for these Broccoli Cheddar Mashed Potatoes!

MOM’S MASHED POTATOES
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When I say “mashed potatoes,” what do you think of? If your immediate answer is “THANKSGIVING,” then you are like 99% of other Americans (totally unreliable data, I know, but I’ve never claimed to be a mathematician). Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite days of the year – gathering with family, eating delicious food, and sharing the things we’re thankful for.

BUT, mashed potatoes aren’t only for Thanksgiving. If I had it my way, I would eat mashed potatoes with dinner every night! I blame my mom for creating the mashed potato addict that I am… thanks to her (not so secret anymore) mashed potatoes recipe. I consider myself VERY lucky that I got to grow up eating these!

My mom likes to remind me that the trick to a batch of perfect mashed potatoes is to wait to add anything in until you have beaten the potatoes smooth. Most people think that if you add the other wet ingredients it helps to whip them, but they’re wrong. Trust me. I usually put the cooked potatoes into my stand mixer with the whisk attachment on and let it go to town, but you could use a hand mixer also.

Ingredients for Mom’s Mashed Potatoes

• Russet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or red potatoes
• Evaporated milk  – makes for creamier and fluffier potatoes than regular milk!
• Butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Ground nutmeg – AHA! The *secret* ingredient!

My mom’s secret ingredient is a simple one you’ll find in your spice cabinet – nutmeg. That’s right it’s not just for the pumpkin pie!

Just a bit is all you need to make all your friends and family fall in love with your mashed potatoes. Before you know it, they’ll start to beg you for your recipe. Don’t be surprised if you find that you’ve been assigned to make the mashed potatoes every Thanksgiving!

How to Make Mashed Potatoes

1. Start by scrubbing and peeling your potatoes. Then chop them into pieces about 1/2 inch in size. The smaller they are, the faster they’ll cook!
2. Next, place a large pot of water over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add the cut potatoes and cook until they are fork-tender. Be careful to not let the pot boil over… I’ve made a mess of my stove one too many times.
3. Next, drain the water and pour the cooked potatoes into the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl if you’re using a hand mixer).
4. Beat the potatoes (by themselves!!!) in your stand mixer with the whisk attachment or hand mixer until completely smooth.
5. Next, add the butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and continue mixing.
6. Slowly add evaporated milk until desired consistency – I usually end up using an entire can. I love extra creamy mashed potatoes, but depending on the humidity where you live, you might use less!

During the holidays (when I’m cooking a million different things) I’ll usually let my potatoes boil. Then when they are fork-tender, I turn the burner off, but I keep them there and let them stay in the hot water. I don’t drain them until just before dinner when I am going to mix them. This helps to keep them hot and allows me to have freshly mashed potatoes to put on the table!

Can you freeze mashed potatoes?

While my family almost always polishes off a batch of homemade mashed potatoes, you may find yourself with leftovers that you don’t know what to do with! Or, maybe you just want to have some delicious mashed potatoes on hand whenever a craving strikes! Either way, I’m here to assure you that YES, you can in-fact freeze mashed potatoes!

My mom’s mashed potato recipe actually freezes quite well because of the fat content. Evaporated milk and butter help to keep the potatoes fluffy consistency even when defrosted and reheated.

I’ve found that the best way to freeze mashed potatoes is to allow them to cool completely, then use an ice cream scoop to portion out servings. Place each scoop on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and flash freeze them overnight. Once frozen, remove the scoops from the freezer and place them into a freezer bag.

If you’d rather have a big batch to serve family-style, simply cool your mashed potatoes completely. Then spoon them directly into a freezer bag and flatten them out. Make sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible before putting it into the freezer.

When you’re ready for round 2 of the best mashed potatoes, simply remove from the freezer and slowly reheat on the stove. You may need to add in some additional butter or milk to liven them up again, but believe me, the flavor and fluffiness will still be there!

Looking for some other drool-worthy sides? Try out some other Real Housemoms favorites!

• Fully Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
• Cheesy Potato Casserole
• Simple Broccoli Casserole
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Baked Sweet Potato
• more SIDE DISH recipes…

Tools used to make my Mom’s Mashed Potatoes recipe

Stand Mixer: definitely not an essential for this recipe, but boy does it make it easier!!

Hand Mixer: if you don’t have a stand mixer, you’ll definitely want a hand mixer to make your potatoes extra creamy.

 

*This post originally posted on 11/21/2012.