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These creamy mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food side, whipped silky smooth with cream cheese, butter, and a whole head of garlic boiled right in. I make a big pot every holiday and Sunday dinner, and they disappear faster than anything else on the table, so if you serve them next to our homemade salisbury steak you may want to double the batch.
They come together in one pot in about 30 minutes, with no peeling required if you use thin-skinned red potatoes.
Mashed Potatoes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 283kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, buttery, and garlicky with a smooth, creamy texture
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our rustic roasted garlic mashed potatoes
Quick Answer
Boil diced red potatoes with whole garlic cloves until fork-tender, then drain and return them to the pot. Add chicken stock, cream cheese, butter, salt, and pepper, and mash until smooth and creamy. The cream cheese is the secret to extra rich, velvety mashed potatoes, and the whole thing comes together in one pot in about 30 minutes.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cream cheese makes them ultra creamy. A few ounces of softened cream cheese gives the potatoes a tangy richness and silky texture that plain butter and milk just cannot match.
- Boiling the garlic mellows it. Dropping whole garlic cloves into the boiling water cooks them soft and sweet, so you get deep garlic flavor without any harsh bite.
- Red potatoes mean no peeling. Thin-skinned red potatoes are naturally creamy and you can leave the skins on, which saves time and adds a little rustic texture.
- Chicken stock builds flavor. Mashing with warm stock instead of plain milk seasons the potatoes from the inside out and lets you control the exact consistency.
- It is a one-pot side. Everything happens in a single stockpot, so cleanup is minimal and the potatoes stay hot and fluffy right up until serving.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are the creamiest, most comforting side dish, whipped silky smooth with cream cheese, butter, and a whole head of garlic.
- Everything happens in one pot in about 30 minutes, with no peeling required when you use thin-skinned red potatoes.
- They go with absolutely everything, from holiday roasts to weeknight dinners like our homemade salisbury steak.
Key Ingredients
Just a handful of simple ingredients turn into the creamiest mashed potatoes you have ever had.
- Red Potatoes: Naturally creamy and thin-skinned, so there is no need to peel. Yukon golds work too if that is what you have.
- Cream Cheese: The secret weapon. It adds tang and a velvety richness that takes these over the top.
- Garlic: A whole head of cloves, boiled soft with the potatoes for sweet, mellow garlic flavor in every bite.
- Butter and Chicken Stock: Butter brings richness while warm stock seasons the potatoes and lets you dial in the perfect consistency.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Mashed potatoes are easy to customize, so make them your own.
- Make them loaded: Stir in shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, and sliced green onions for loaded mashed potatoes.
- Swap the potatoes: Yukon gold or russet potatoes both work. Russets give a fluffier mash, Yukons a creamier one.
- Go extra garlicky: Roast the garlic first for an even deeper, sweeter flavor.
- Lighten them up: Use milk or half-and-half in place of some of the cream cheese for a lighter mash.
- Try a different style: For a chunkier, rustic version, check out our rustic roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes
- Dice the potatoes into uniform pieces and place them in a large stockpot as you go. Drain, then refill the pot with cold water until it sits about 2 inches above the potatoes.
- Add the whole garlic cloves, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft and fork-tender.
- Drain the potatoes and garlic and return them to the hot pot. Add the chicken stock, cream cheese, butter, salt, and pepper.
- Mash with a potato masher until smooth or to your preferred consistency, adding a splash more stock if you like them thinner.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, then serve immediately while hot and creamy.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Start the potatoes in cold water so they cook evenly from the outside in instead of turning gummy.
- Cut the potatoes the same size so they all reach fork-tender at the same time.
- Do not over-mash. Mashing too hard or with a mixer releases starch and turns the potatoes gluey. A hand masher is your friend.
- Soften the cream cheese first so it melts in smoothly without lumps.
- Warm your add-ins by using room-temperature butter and warm stock, which keeps the potatoes hot and fluffy.
- Save the cooking water if you run out of stock. A splash of the starchy potato water loosens the mash beautifully.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Creamy mashed potatoes are the side dish that goes with everything. Pile them next to a juicy salisbury steak or a slice of classic meatloaf and ladle gravy over the top for the ultimate comfort food plate.
They are a must on the holiday table, but do not save them just for Thanksgiving. We make them all winter long alongside slow cooker lemon chicken thighs or a simple roast for an easy weeknight dinner.
Got leftovers? Turn them into crispy potato cakes, stir them into soup to thicken it, or smother them with our easy meatballs and gravy for round two.
Mashed Potatoes FAQs
Red potatoes and Yukon golds make the creamiest mashed potatoes because they are naturally waxy and buttery. Russets work too and give a fluffier, more classic mash, but they soak up more butter and liquid. For this recipe, red potatoes are ideal since you can leave the skins on.
Gluey mashed potatoes happen when the starch is overworked. Avoid using a food processor or electric mixer, and do not over-mash. Use a hand masher or a ricer, and stop as soon as they are smooth. Cold-starting the potatoes in water also helps them cook evenly and stay fluffy.
Yes. Make them up to 2 days ahead and store in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stove or in a slow cooker with a splash of warm stock or milk to bring back the creaminess. They also hold beautifully in a slow cooker on warm for a couple of hours during a party.
Mashed potatoes made with plenty of butter and cream cheese freeze surprisingly well because the fat protects the texture. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month, thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat slowly, stirring in a little extra butter or stock.
Boil the potatoes with whole garlic cloves, salt the cooking water generously, and mash with warm chicken stock and cream cheese instead of plain milk. Finish with a final taste and adjust the salt and pepper, since potatoes need more seasoning than you think.
Mashed potatoes are a blank canvas. Stir in shredded cheddar, sour cream, roasted garlic, fresh chives or parsley, crispy bacon, or browned butter. For loaded mashed potatoes, top with cheese, bacon, and green onions.
Hungry for more potato sides? Try our easy southern smothered potatoes next.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes scrubbed clean or peeled, medium dice
- 6 cloves garlic skins removed
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- You can choose to peel the potatoes or leave the skins on. While cutting the potatoes, place them in a large stockpot filled halfway with cold water. You want to try and cut the potatoes uniformly as possible so they all cook at the same rate. Once all the potatoes are cut and placed in the water, drain the water and fill the pot again until there are 2 inches of cold water above the potatoes.
- Place the garlic cloves in the pot. Place the pot on the stove, covered, over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are very soft and fork-tender.
- Drain the potatoes and place them back in the pot. Add the stock, cream cheese, butter, salt, and pepper.
- Mash with a potato masher, mash the potatoes with the other ingredients until smooth or to the consistency you prefer. Add more chicken stock if you like a thinner mashed potato.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.
Notes
- We like red potatoes for this but you can use your favorite depending on your flavor preference or what you have on hand.
- These can be peeled or unpeeled.
- Make sure to mash them well, these are creamy. We use a potato masher but you can also use an immersion blender to get them really creamy.
- Double this batch tomake more for a larger crowd.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Thank you!!
Yay! Let me know how they turn out! (C:
Looks delicious Dana Good looking site!
looks great, I will def make my mashed potatoes this way next time!!