14 Dreamy Mashed Potato Recipes That Will Be the Star of the Dinner Table

Katlyn Moncada
·6 min read

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

The best mashed potatoes recipes are creamy, rich, and buttery. Our Perfect Mashed Potatoes are all those things and more, plus, they're easy to make-ahead to cut down on day-of stress.
The best mashed potatoes recipes are creamy, rich, and buttery. Our Perfect Mashed Potatoes are all those things and more, plus, they're easy to make-ahead to cut down on day-of stress.

Creamy, buttery, and oh-so-fluffy, these are the mashed potatoes you'll be dreaming about. Change-up the easy mashed potato recipe with our variations, including Boursin, blue cheese-rosemary, and buttermilk-bacon.

Test Kitchen Tip: Leftover mashed potatoes make amazing potato pancakes. Fry them and serve those crispy patties with applesauce.

Mashed Potatoes with Savory Thyme Granola

This holiday recipe will widen your view on granola. Oats and pumpkin seeds go savory instead of sweet when flavored with cheese and Worcestershire sauce, then sprinkled on top of mashed potatoes.
This holiday recipe will widen your view on granola. Oats and pumpkin seeds go savory instead of sweet when flavored with cheese and Worcestershire sauce, then sprinkled on top of mashed potatoes.

Granola on mashed potatoes? Don't write off the notion just yet. The savory oat- and pumpkin-seed granola blend adds the perfect amount of crunch to those creamy mashed potatoes.

Related: Slow Cooker Mashed Potato Recipes

Lemon Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These creamy mashed potatoes are so tasty, they might just steal the show from the entree! Salty capers, garlic, lemon, and parsley infuse each bite of potatoes with flavor.
These creamy mashed potatoes are so tasty, they might just steal the show from the entree! Salty capers, garlic, lemon, and parsley infuse each bite of potatoes with flavor.

Give your mashed potatoes an Italian twist. This zesty mashed potato recipe combines finely-shredded lemon peel, garlic, briny capers, and parsley.

Buy It: OXO Smooth Potato Masher ($14, Target)

Sour Cream and Corn Mashers

Learn how to make mashed potatoes that will have everyone clamoring for the recipe! This creamy homemade mashed potato recipe is piled-high with a one-two punch of corn goodness: corn kernels and corn flakes.
Learn how to make mashed potatoes that will have everyone clamoring for the recipe! This creamy homemade mashed potato recipe is piled-high with a one-two punch of corn goodness: corn kernels and corn flakes.

For an unforgettable side dish, look no further than these unique mashed potatoes. The dish gets a bit of tang from the addition of sour cream and some texture from corn kernels. Your mashed potatoes get extra decadent thanks to corn flake cereal for crunch and a drizzle of melted butter.

Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes

Meet our most popular garlic mashed potatoes recipe! Perfect for the holidays, these homemade mashed potatoes practically prepare themselves in the slow cooker to save you time to focus on the entree and dessert.
Meet our most popular garlic mashed potatoes recipe! Perfect for the holidays, these homemade mashed potatoes practically prepare themselves in the slow cooker to save you time to focus on the entree and dessert.

Garlic lovers will swoon over this creamy mashed potato recipe. Here we've used purchased mashed potatoes to shortcut the process (only 10 minutes total!) and doctored them up with some creamy garlic-herb semisoft cheese.

Related: 21 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You Can Make in 15-Minutes (or Less!)

Bacon-Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Big hunks of blue cheese set this mashed potato recipe apart from the rest. Butter, milk, and bacon add even more decadence.
Big hunks of blue cheese set this mashed potato recipe apart from the rest. Butter, milk, and bacon add even more decadence.

Of course, everything's better with bacon, and mashed potatoes are no exception. Combined with creamy chunks of blue cheese, this is one mashed potato recipe the whole table will rave over. Serve them with a juicy grilled steak and dinner is done.

Buy It: Artisanal Kitchen Supply 6 qt. Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven ($70, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Cheesy Mashed Potato Pots

Yukon gold potatoes and oodles of cheese give these luscious potato casseroles rich flavor and color.
Yukon gold potatoes and oodles of cheese give these luscious potato casseroles rich flavor and color.

Allow everyone to feel fancy at the dinner table thanks to these single-serving cheesy mashed potatoes. The individualized mashed potato casserole recipe makes enough to serve four. If you don't feel like making them separate, use a 1-quart casserole dish instead.

Buy It: Tall Ramekins Set of Four ($14, Crate & Barrel)

Mashed Yukon Golds with Parsley Butter

Take your mashed potato recipe up a notch by adding parsley and garlic butter. With the help of fresh parsley, these mashed potatoes are sure to be the star of any table.
Take your mashed potato recipe up a notch by adding parsley and garlic butter. With the help of fresh parsley, these mashed potatoes are sure to be the star of any table.

Yukon gold potatoes are the perfect vehicle for making buttery and delicious mashed potatoes. Simply adding some fresh parsley (along with plenty of butter) will take your holiday side up a notch. Plus, it gives your dish a pop of color.

Related: 35 Time-Saving Make-Ahead Side Dishes for a Stress-Free Holiday

Cauliflower-Potato Mash

Start to finish:

This creamy side calls for just 20 minutes of hands-on time.
This creamy side calls for just 20 minutes of hands-on time.

Lighten-up your carb intake by sharing your mashed potato recipe with some cauliflower. Here the cauliflower gets roasted in the oven before being pureed and added to your mashed potatoes. Since the recipe calls for coconut oil rather than butter, you can easily make these vegan cauliflower mashed potatoes by swapping the milk with unsweetened nondairy milk.

Garlic-Herb Smashed New Potatoes

This isn't a regular mashed potatoes recipe--it's smashed! Rather than mashing your new potatoes all the way, leave them slightly intact for this new spin on classic mashed potatoes.
This isn't a regular mashed potatoes recipe--it's smashed! Rather than mashing your new potatoes all the way, leave them slightly intact for this new spin on classic mashed potatoes.

Prefer your mashed potatoes a little lumpy? Smash them instead! This recipe combines cooked tiny new potatoes with some cream cheese, bacon, garlic, and fresh herbs for a loaded mashed potato side dish the whole family will love.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

Roasted garlic and the subtly sweet flavor of parsnips makes ordinary mashed potatoes exceptionally delicious. This side dish is outstanding served with Thanksgiving turkey.
Roasted garlic and the subtly sweet flavor of parsnips makes ordinary mashed potatoes exceptionally delicious. This side dish is outstanding served with Thanksgiving turkey.

Similar to carrots, parsnips give off an earthy, yet subtly sweet flavor that makes these mashed potatoes extra special. These pair deliciously with your roast turkey with pan gravy.

Buttermilk White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

These are the indulgent cheesy mashed potatoes you'll crave all the time. Lucky for you, this mashed potato recipe comes together in your slow cooker for less hands-on time. There's some cauliflower in the mix as well for some added fiber.

Buy It: Crock-Pot 7-Quart Manual Slow Cooker ($32, Target)

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

Coax a caramelized flavor out of onions simply by cooking them in butter until they are soft and golden brown. Add them to mashed potatoes for a holiday side dish that will have dinner guests raving.
Coax a caramelized flavor out of onions simply by cooking them in butter until they are soft and golden brown. Add them to mashed potatoes for a holiday side dish that will have dinner guests raving.

Once you try topping your mashed potatoes with caramelized onions, you won't want to return to plain spuds again. It takes a bit of time to coax your onions to become brown and delicious in your skillet, but it's totally worth the effort.

Buy It: Calphalon Classic Nonstick 10-Inch Covered Fry Pan ($40, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Velvet Mashed Potatoes

High-starch russet potatoes become dry and fluffy when baked. They'll absorb all the milk, cheese, and Mushroom Sauce -- making the creamiest, splurge-worthy mashed potato recipe.
High-starch russet potatoes become dry and fluffy when baked. They'll absorb all the milk, cheese, and Mushroom Sauce -- making the creamiest, splurge-worthy mashed potato recipe.

Instead of boiling potatoes, these mashed potatoes come together with the help of your oven. That's right, russet potatoes and garlic are roasted to perfection in the oven before getting mashed with butter, sour cream, and cream cheese.

Buy It: Wilton Ultra Bake Professional Nonstick Large Baking Pan ($10, Target)