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Rich and Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

The Food Lab

Unraveling the mysteries of home cooking through science.

J. Kenji López-Alt
Published: Last Updated:
Rich and Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt. Video: Vicky Wasik]

If you like your potatoes rich and creamy instead of fluffy, the key is to allow them to retain some of their starch by cooking them directly in their jackets. Using a ricer, followed by a whip in a stand mixer, guarantees ultra-smooth results. For an even smoother purée, pass the potatoes through a chinois or tamis.

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  • Yield:Serves 8 to 10
  • Active time: 20 minutes
  • Total time:1 hour

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds (1.8kg) Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled
  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks; 8 ounces; 230g), melted
  • 2 cups (475ml) heavy cream, divided
  • Up to 1 cup (240ml) low-sodium chicken stock (optional)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. 1.

    Place potatoes in a Dutch oven or large stockpot. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender and offer no resistance when poked with a paring knife.

  2. 2.

    Carefully peel potatoes under cool running water; peels should slip off easily. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl as you peel them. Pass potatoes through a ricer or food mill set over the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add melted butter and half of cream to potatoes.

  3. 3.

    Whip on low speed until cream and butter are incorporated, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Adjust to desired consistency with more cream and/or chicken stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

This Recipe Appears In
The Food Lab: Ultra-Fluffy or Rich and Creamy Mashed Potatoes 3 Ways to Make Delicious Mashed Potatoes in Advance

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J. Kenji López-Alt Chief Culinary Advisor

J. Kenji López-Alt is a stay-at-home dad who moonlights as the Chief Culinary Consultant of Serious Eats and the Chef/Partner of Wursthall, a German-inspired California beer hall near his home in San Mateo. His first book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science (based on his Serious Eats column of the same name) is a New York Times best-seller, recipient of a James Beard Award, and was named Cookbook of the Year in 2015 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Kenji's next project is a children’s book called Every Night is Pizza Night, to be released in 2020, followed by another big cookbook in 2021.

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