This mashed potatoes with sour cream recipe produces the best mashed potatoes EVER that are fluffy, creamy, and absolutely delicious served with your favorite main meal! With just 4 ingredients and 30 minutes required to make them, you'll be able to enjoy the perfect side dish in no time.
Contents
🌟 Why this recipe works
This mashed potatoes with sour cream recipe is the perfect filling for homemade pierogi and the perfect side dish for a million and one main dishes like chicken cordon bleu, meatloaf, biscuits and gravy, skillet pierogies and kielbasa or beef stroganoff.
The secret to the best fluffy mashed potatoes is mashing them until they're smooth and adding a touch of butter and sour cream. With these 3 ingredients and some grated cheddar cheese, you'll have the most delicious mashed potatoes that everyone will love.
The addition of sour cream makes them extra creamy and gives them a slight tanginess that pairs so well with the butter and cheese.
Plus, you don't need any special equipment to make them, just a masher and a pan to boil the potatoes, which means minimal cleanup. They're quick and easy to prepare in JUST 30 minutes and can be made ahead to save you even more time on busy weeknights.
Enjoy these light, fluffy, and creamy mashed potatoes with sour cream as part of your next family gathering for an unforgettable dinner everyone will remember!
🍽 Key Ingredients
You only need these 4 ingredients below to make perfect mashed potatoes with sour cream every time!
Potatoes - Russet potatoes are one of the best potatoes out there for making mashed potatoes because they are starchy and create the perfect fluffy mashed potatoes.
Butter - The butter adds flavor, richness, and creaminess to your mashed potatoes and helps to bind them together.
Sour cream - Full-fat sour cream adds a slight tanginess and extra creaminess to the mashed potatoes.
Cheese - A cup of shredded cheddar cheese will give the creamy mashed potatoes a stringy texture and rich cheesy flavor.
Substitutions
Potatoes
I have found that either Russet or Yukon gold potatoes work best for mashed potatoes.
Sour cream
If you don't have sour cream, you could use heavy cream. Using cream will make the mashed potatoes sweeter but still give you that creamy texture. Or you could use whole milk for a lighter flavor.
Cheese
Cheddar is the most popular cheese to use in mashed potatoes, but you could substitute it for other types of cheese like Gruyere, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, or Parmesan cheese.
🔪 How to make
Making mashed potatoes with sour cream is the easiest thing in the world! All you need are 4 simple ingredients and 30 minutes, and you'll have yourself a delicious side dish that everyone will love.
Preparations
- Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes into quarters or sixths if they are large.
Cooking instructions
Step 1
Set a large pot over high heat half full with water and add the chopped potatoes with a tablespoon of salt. Make sure the water is covering the potatoes.
Tip: Once the water comes to a boil, set a timer for 20 minutes, and continue to boil them. After 20 minutes, stab them with a fork to check if they are soft. If they are still a bit hard in the center, cook them for 5 more minutes until fork tender.
Step 2
Drain potatoes and allow them to cool in the pot for 5 to 10 minutes before mashing them with a potato masher or a fork.
Step 3
Add sour cream, butter, and cheese while mixing thoroughly to incorporate them into the fluffy potatoes. Add salt to taste and transfer mashed potatoes to a serving bowl.
Step 4
Serve them with chopped green onions and a knob of butter for the perfect side dish, or use the mashed potatoes with sour cream as a filling for this pierogi recipe.
💭 Cooking tips
Using milk
If you're using whole milk instead of sour cream or using half and half, it is better to use warm milk instead of cold. Adding cold milk from the fridge will cool the temperature of the mashed potatoes and not give them a creamy texture, unlike warm/hot milk.
Don't over-mix the potatoes
The key to creamy and buttery potatoes is to only mix the ingredients until they are incorporated. Once the cheese has melted and the mashed potatoes have a smooth texture, they are ready for serving.
Don't overcook the potatoes
Another way to spoil the dish is by overcooking the potatoes. They should be soft enough to stab with a fork but not enough to break them into pieces by touching them.
The cooling period
For the fluffiest mashed potatoes, make sure to let them cool slightly in the pot after draining the water. This allows the steam from the potatoes to escape and makes it easier to mash them.
📖 Recipe Variations
There are so many ways you can put your own spin on these mashed potatoes with sour cream! From adding various herbs and spices to adding ham or bacon, the options are endless! Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Sour cream mashed potatoes with roasted garlic
Roast 4 cloves of garlic in olive oil in a preheated oven at 375°F for about 20 minutes until golden and tender. Squeeze the roasted cloves into the mashed potatoes and mix well. Check out our thorough guide on how to roast garlic.
Sour cream mashed potatoes with bacon
Mix 1 cup of cooked and crumbled bacon into your mashed potatoes for a hint of smokiness. Sprinkle some baked bacon on top for garnish.
🥗 What to serve with
Mashed potatoes with sour cream make a tasty side dish for so many dishes! Here are some of our favorites.
Meatloaf recipes
Mashed potatoes are a classic side to many meatloaf recipes! Serve them with a Southern meatloaf smothered with a sticky glaze, a bacon cheeseburger meatloaf for a smokey BBQ flavor, or a tomatoey Italian meatloaf.
Chicken recipes
Mashed potatoes are the perfect side for some delicious chicken recipes, like smothered chicken, Olive Garden chicken marsala, Hungarian chicken paprika, chicken Wellington, and chicken piccata.
Beef recipes
Beef and potatoes are a match made in heaven, and when you have some delicious gravy to go along with it, it completes the dish. Try one of these tasty beef dishes with gravy, braised beef shanks, beef paprika, or Salisbury steak. Or make your own gravy and serve them with tender slices of roast beef.
🙋 Frequently asked questions
Do you have to peel potatoes before boiling them to make mashed potatoes?
No, you don't have to peel the potatoes before boiling them. It is really a matter of preference. Peeled or unpeeled, mashed potatoes with sour cream are delicious!
Should you add salt to the water when boiling potatoes?
Yes, you should add a spoonful of salt to the water when boiling potatoes. It will help to season the bland potatoes and give them more flavor.
🧊 Storing and ♨️ reheating
Any leftover mashed potatoes with sour cream can be stored in the fridge or freezer and reheated for another day.
Fridge - Transfer and store the sour cream mashed potatoes in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer - To freeze mashed potatoes once they have cooled, transfer them to a zip lock freezer bag, flatten them, and squeeze the air out. Place the bag in the freezer for up to 4 months. You can also store them in a freezer container if you prefer.
Reheating - To reheat mashed potatoes, place them in a microwaveable bowl and microwave them for 2 to 3 minutes until hot. Alternatively, you can reheat your leftovers in a pot over medium heat, stirring frequently until hot.
🍳 More Potato Recipes
If you're looking for more delicious potato recipes, here are my favorites. And if not, then check out my side dish recipes for even more ideas.
👪 Serving size
This mashed potatoes and sour cream recipe will provide enough servings for 4 to 5 people and can be easily scaled to serve more guests if necessary!
Sour cream mashed potatoes are delicious on their own or with chives, roasted garlic, or bacon and will make a delicious side dish that's sure to please. No matter what you're serving for dinner, there's always a way to incorporate these creamy and flavorful mashed potatoes into your family meal! Serve them up in generous portions for everyone to enjoy.
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Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!
📋 Recipe
Mashed Potatoes With Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 2 medium Russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted butter - for potatoes
- ¼ cup Sour cream
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese - grated
Instructions
Preparations
- Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes into quarters or sixths if they are large.
Cooking instructions
- Set a large pot over high heat half full with water and add the chopped potatoes with a tablespoon of salt. Make sure the water is covering the potatoes.
- Once the water comes to a boil, set a timer for 20 minutes, and continue to boil them. After 20 minutes, stab them with a fork to check if they are soft. If they are still a bit hard in the center, cook them for 5 more minutes until fork tender.
- Drain potatoes and allow them to cool in the pot for 5 to 10 minutes before mashing them with a potato masher or a fork.
- Add sour cream, butter, and cheese while mixing thoroughly to incorporate them into the fluffy potatoes. Add salt to taste and transfer mashed potatoes to a serving bowl.
- Serve them with chopped green onions and a knob of butter for the perfect side dish, or use the mashed potatoes with sour cream as a filling for this pierogi recipe.
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