These Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes are rich, creamy, and irresistibly smooth, making them the ultimate comfort food side dish. They're easy to prepare and bring a delicious depth of flavor to any meal.
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Why This Recipe Works:
- Creamy Texture: Sour cream adds richness and makes the potatoes extra smooth.
- Easy Prep: Simple ingredients and quick steps make this recipe stress-free.
- Make Ahead: These potatoes can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and reheated for your meal!
- Versatile Side: Works beautifully with weeknight dinners or holiday feasts.
These mashed potatoes, made with only a handful of ingredients, will become a new family favorite!
Served up along with a few slices of delicious herb butter turkey, some tasty cranberry relish, a few bacon jalapeno deviled eggs, a big side of homemade stuffing, Thanksgiving corn, and green bean casserole, and of course topped with turkey gravy made without drippings- ummmm, yes please!
What This Recipe Needs:
- Russet Potatoes: These are the best for mashed potatoes. They have the right amount of starch, and it's a bonus that they are so affordable. Yukon gold will also work well for these mashed potatoes, but avoid red or purple potatoes. Those are best in dishes like smashed potatoes.
- Cream Cheese: Let this come to room temperature for easy mixing!
- Sour Cream: One of the main stars of the dish- this ads a nice flavor contrast to the cream cheese!
- Butter: I like to use unsalted, but salted is fine too!
How to Make Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes?
- Step 1: Rinse your potatoes and place them in a large pot with cold water.
- Step 2: Bring water and potatoes to a boil, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain water.
- Step 3: Allow potatoes to cool enough to handle, then peel.
- Step 4: Use a potato ricer, food mill, or potato masher to mash/rice the potatoes.
- Step 5: In the bowl of a mixer (a stand mixer is the easiest for this, but you can also do this by hand), mix the softened cream cheese, softened butter, and sour cream until thoroughly combined.
- Step 6: Then add in the mashed potatoes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until fully incorporated.
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- Step 7: Serve right away or butter a 9x13 baking dish, then place the mashed potatoes in it.
- Step 8: Dot the top of the mixture with more butter, then cover with foil. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, then reheat in the oven and enjoy.
Tips For The Best Mashed Potatoes
- Start with Cold Water: Adding potatoes to cold water allows them to come to temperature with the water and cook evenly.
- Boil: Boiling potatoes with the skin on, keeps the potatoes from absorbing water, so they can absorb butter, source cream , and cream cheese later- making them more creamy!
- Peel: Use a towel to hold the hot potatoes when you peel them.
- Use a potato ricer or food mill for extra smooth texture.
- Mix In: Make sure cream cheese and butter is softened to room temperature for easy of mixing in.
- Make Ahead: If you made these potatoes ahead of time, make sure to allow them to come to room temperature before baking. Pulling them out of the fridge an hour before baking should do the trick.
- DO NOT use a food processor to mix or mash the potatoes. This will cause lots of starch to be released and make your potatoes gummy and gross!
- Be sure to check if your potatoes are still good to use by reading my How to Tell if Potatoes Are Bad article!
How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes in Oven?
Allow potatoes to come to room temperature (about an hour before baking. Bake at 400°F for 45-55 minutes or until heated throughout.
I highly recommend serving with my garlic herb butter and some gravy!
How to Get the Smoothest Mashed Potatoes?
Use a potato ricer or food mill to reduce starch being released and giving your potatoes the best texture!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. After prepping the mashed potatoes, refrigerate them up to 3 days ahead of time.
Absolutely! Sour Cream adds great flavor and creaminess to mashed potatoes!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 4-5 days.
Add mashed potatoes to a leftover sandwich, make potato tacos, or make rolls out of them (like these sweet potato rolls)!
Boil potatoes until a fork can easily pierce them. This is anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, depending on your altitude and water temperature.
Yes! Place mashed potatoes in a freezer-safe container and coat with butter. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months! When ready to eat, allow mashed potatoes to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven!
More Related Recipes
Make sure to check out all my easy side dish recipes, Thanksgiving recipes, and Christmas Recipes, and serve these mashed potatoes alongside this delicious smoked spatchcock turkey, filet medallions, smoked ribeye, or herb-crusted lamb!
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Video
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 lbs russet potatoes
- 8 oz cream cheese 1 package, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tbs garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup butter for dotting the top plus extra for buttering the dish if prepping day before serving.
Instructions
- Rinse your potatoes and place them in a large pot with cold water.5 lbs russet potatoes
- Bring water and potatoes to a boil, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain water. (~20-45 minutes)
- Allow the potatoes to cool enough to handle, then peel them.
- Use a potato ricer, food mill, or potato masher to mash/rice the potatoes.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine softened cream cheese, softened butter, and sour cream.8 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup butter, 1 cup sour cream
- Once combined, add in the mashed/riced potatoes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined and serve with extra butter and gravy.1 tbs garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper
If making mashed potatoes ahead of time (up to 3 days early!):
- Butter a 9x13 baking dish, then place the mashed potato mixture in it.
- Cut butter into small cubes, then spread out over the mashed potatoes.¼ cup butter
- Cover with foil and refrigerate up to three days.
- When ready to reheat, bring dish to room temperature, then bake at 400°F for 45-55 minutes* or until heated throughout.
Notes
- Make-ahead: If making these potatoes several days before and refrigerating them, allow them to come to room temperature before baking.
- Heating: Check the center of the potatoes starting around the 35-minute mark to see if they are heated through.
- Leftovers: Store any leftovers in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or the oven.
- Serve these with my Homemade No Drippings Gravy!
Lisa says
Love these mashed potatoes! They are so good!