Creamy Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes

There are two types of mashed potato lovers:


*Those who like a traditional mashed potato (potato, butter, milk, salt & pepper)
*Those who are "adventurous" mashed potato lovers


Thankfully, I've never really been "normal" and I kinda fall right between the two.  I like a versatile recipe that tastes fantastic but that I can toss in a few extra ingredients to give it a bit more bang.


I feel like mashed potatoes can kinda make or break your Thanksgiving meal. And no, not all mashed potatoes are created equal! It's like the side dish that pulls the whole meal together.  Plus, you guys... leftovers!  The possibilities are endless with your leftover mashed potatoes, so you better make them count!  Another wonderful bonus to this recipe is that its something that you can make ahead of time, throw into a  casserole dish and set in your oven to reheat. Or to save room in your oven, you can even make them ahead and toss into the crockpot on low for a few hours, stirring often to avoid any drying out or burning edges and then turn the crockpot to warm right before serving.
I never really use recipes when it comes to my Thanksgiving dinner, but recently made my homemade sage bread dressing (which I shared a few posts back) and mashed potatoes and wrote down exactly what I do for the sake of sharing.  I sure do hope you give them a try!  While these mashed potatoes are perfection for your Thanksgiving dinner, they're also perfect year round.  I'll give you some ideas at the end of the recipe as to how you can add to this recipe to have more options.
That being said...

Creamy Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes

*one pound peeled russet Idaho potatoes

*1/2 stick butter (1/4 c) room temp

*1/4 c milk

*1/4 c sour cream

*1/4 c shredded parmesan cheese

*3/4 teas salt

*1/4 teas pepper

Cut up potatoes into equal chunks.  I usually just quarter them.  This is important so the potatoes cook evenly.  Cover the potatoes with water, making sure you have plenty covering them so no potatoes are exposed before or during boiling.  Set to high and bring to a rapid boil.  Reduce heat just a bit so your pot doesn't boil over. 

Now here is the tricky part.  DO NOT overcook your potatoes.  You want to do the fork test (usually I start checking after 18 minutes of boiling) and be sure that they are perfectly done.  You should be able to pierce the potatoes without force and as soon as you can do that remove from heat and drain.  Add room temp butter, milk, sour cream, and cheese.  Use a hand mixer and mix your potatoes so they are nice and smooth.  Stir in the salt and pepper.  Serve, or if you are making ahead I usually just spoon them into a casserole dish and top with a few pats of butter.  I like how it looks when I bake them.  To reheat, I just set the dish in a 350 oven for about 25-30 minutes.

They're so creamy and delicious.  I hope your family likes this recipe as much as mine does!

Something I like to add to this recipe, especially when I make steak or tenderloin, is roasted garlic.  I take 3-4 peeled cloves of fresh garlic, toss with a bit of olive oil and roast in a 375 oven for about 30 minutes or until garlic is soft and golden.  Once they're out of the oven I like to mash them up and add them into the potatoes along with the butter, milk, sour cream and cheese. Phenomenal.

A few other ideas for additions to these potatoes would be to stir in some sharp cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, green onions, some cream cheese, chives, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms or asparagus, broccoli... you get the idea.  Possibilities are endless!  You could even put out a big dish of mashed potatoes and set out a bunch of "fixings" for a mashed potato bar when entertaining family or for a completely non-traditional Thanksgiving option.

Whatever you choose to add or not add to these delicious mashed potatoes, I'm sincere in my wishes that your Thanksgiving is full of love, family, friends, laughter and EXCELLENT food.

*you can follow me on IG or Pinterest @hautedishhousewife, on FB at Haute Dish Housewife https://www.facebook.com/hautedishhousewife or on Twitter @HauteDishHWife for more recipe ideas, crafts/DIY, my style and giveaways.