{"title":"How to Make Mashed Potatoes","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/cooking/how-to-make-mashed-potatoes","category":{"slug":"cooking","name":"Cooking"},"creator":{"name":"Bon Appétit","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbpMy0Fg74eXXkvxJrtEn3w","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luZEZgZNFAg"},"tldr":"Skin-on Yukons through a ricer, with milk and cream infused with garlic and rosemary. The method behind genuinely creamy mashed potatoes, no lumps.","totalDurationSeconds":247,"difficulty":"easy","tools":[],"materials":[],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Put the potatoes in the pot whole","text":"Four pounds of Yukon gold potatoes go into a large pot whole, with the skins still on. No peeling and no chopping.Whole potatoes take on less water than cut ones, and the skins come off by themselves later when the ricer holds them back."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Cover with cold water and salt it heavily","text":"Cover the potatoes with cold water and add a generous amount of salt. The water should taste like the ocean.Bring it up to a boil from cold rather than dropping the potatoes into water that is already boiling. Starting cold means the outside and the middle finish at the same time instead of the edges going to mush while the centre is still firm."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Build the infused dairy","text":"While the potatoes cook, slice a head of garlic in half crosswise to expose the cloves. Put it in a saucepan with one and a half cups of whole milk, half a cup of heavy cream, two sticks of unsalted butter and three sprigs of rosemary.Bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat, around five minutes. You want bubbles at the edge, not a rolling boil, which would scorch the dairy and blow out the flavor you are trying to draw in."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Drain and give them a quick rinse","text":"When a knife slides into the centre of a potato with no resistance, they are done. Drain them and rinse briefly under running water to wash off the excess starch on the outside.Then tip them straight back into the hot empty pot for a moment. The residual heat dries the surface, and dry potatoes are the difference between creamy mash and watery mash."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Press them through a ricer","text":"Strain the warm milk mixture to remove the garlic, rosemary and any skin that formed on top, then set it aside.Working in batches, press the hot potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl. The flesh goes through the holes and the skins stay behind in the basket, so you never have to peel anything.One pass through a ricer keeps the starch cells intact, which is what gives you a smooth, light texture rather than a gluey one."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Fold in the butter","text":"Add the room temperature butter to the riced potatoes and fold it through with a spatula.Room temperature matters. Cold butter takes longer to melt and you end up over-working the potatoes trying to get it distributed, which is exactly what makes mash turn heavy."},{"number":7,"title":"Step 7: Add the warm milk gradually","text":"Pour in the strained milk and cream a little at a time, folding between each addition rather than tipping it all in at once.Adding it gradually lets you stop at the texture you want. Different potatoes absorb different amounts, so the recipe is a guide and your eyes are the judge."},{"number":8,"title":"Step 8: Fold until smooth and season","text":"Keep folding gently until the mash is even and glossy. Stop as soon as it comes together - the more you work it, the more starch you release and the heavier it gets.Season with salt, around four teaspoons for four pounds of potatoes, and taste as you go. Serve them warm with a well pressed into the top for gravy."}],"recipe":{"servings":"Serves 8","prepMinutes":15,"cookMinutes":35,"cuisine":"American","ingredients":[{"name":"Yukon gold potatoes","notes":"left whole, skins on","amount":"4 lb"},{"name":"whole milk","amount":"1 1/2 cups"},{"name":"heavy cream","amount":"1/2 cup"},{"name":"unsalted butter","notes":"at room temperature","amount":"2 sticks"},{"name":"garlic","notes":"halved crosswise","amount":"1 head"},{"name":"fresh rosemary","notes":"or sage, thyme or a bay leaf","amount":"3 sprigs"},{"name":"kosher salt","notes":"plus a generous amount for the water","amount":"about 4 tsp"}]},"lastUpdated":"2026-08-23T16:41:28.200Z","published":"2026-08-23T16:33:00.249Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}