Classic Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
Classic Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes prepared with heavy cream, unsalted butter, salt, pepper, and garnished with fresh chives. This easy mashed potatoes recipe is perfect for the holiday season and pairs well with just about everything. Add tang with a touch of creme fraiche, sour cream, or splash of buttermilk! See the recipe notes for instructions on how to easily prep and reheat these mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. This recipe yields about 6-8 generous side servings (allot roughly ½-pound of potatoes per person).
Ingredients
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes:
- 3½ lbs (1.6 kg) Yukon Gold potatoes peeled
- kosher salt
- ¾ cup (180 mL) heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter or cultured butter plus more for serving
- ¼ cup (2 oz; 60 g) creme fraiche or sour cream optional
- freshly ground black pepper
For Garnishing:
- fresh chives finely sliced
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Transfer the potatoes to a large pot and cover generously with cold, salted water. Tips for Success: If using large Yukon gold potatoes, I like to cut them into quarters for faster cooking. If the potatoes are smaller or various sizes, keep the potato pieces close in size to ensure even cooking. Some potatoes may only need to be cut in half, etc.
- Cover the pot and bring the water a boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Continue simmering the potatoes until they can be easily pierced with a knife or fork. They should slip off a knife. If you meet any resistance, continue cooking and check back in a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the cream and unsalted butter in a small saucepan. Place over low heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is warm.
- Drain the potatoes (note: you can simultaneously warm your serving dish by placing it directly underneath your colander - allowing the cooking water to heat it thoroughly. Just remember to dry it well before using!). Rice the drained potatoes in batches into the empty warm cooking pot. If using a traditional masher: transfer the drained potatoes to the pot, add the cream and butter, and mash.
- Pour the warm cream and butter mixture over the riced potatoes. Add the creme fraiche or sour cream (if using) and a generous pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold together gently without over mixing. If you prefer a looser texture, add an additional splash of cream or whole milk. Season the potatoes to taste with salt and pepper. If preparing these mashed potatoes in advance, refer to the reheating instructions in the notes below.
- Transfer the mashed potatoes to a warmed serving dish, smoothing and creating swoops with the back of a large spoon. Top with a few slices of unsalted butter and garnish with chopped chives. Serve immediately.°
How to Prep and Reheat Mashed Potatoes:
- These potaotes can be prepared start to finish up to 3 to 4 days prior to serving and stored in an airtight container (or Ziploc bag, with the air squeezed out) in the fridge. Mashed potatoes can be held warm for several hours after cooking, but take much longer to come to temperature if reheated cold from the fridge, as they are naturally dense and thick. Keep this in mind when preparing your timeline and choosing the reheating method below.
- Oven: Place the mashed potatoes in an oven-safe casserole dish. Top with a several dots of unsalted butter and a layer of parchment paper. Cover tightly in foil. Place in a 350°F (175°C) oven and cook until heated through. If desired, fold in a small splash of cream before serving.
- Microwave: If you're short on oven space or time, this is one of the easiest and fastest ways to reheat mashed potatoes (and truthfully, I resort to this method often because it doesn't impact the potatoes one bit!). Transfer mashed potatoes to a microwave-safe serving dish and microwave in 1 to 2 minute intervals, stirring gently in between, until heated through. If using this method, I like to stir in a touch more heavy cream or whole milk just before serving to make up for any lost moisture.
- Sous Vide: Place cold or just cooked mashed potatoes in a sous vide pouch. Set the circulator to 150°F degrees and cook until heated through (or hold warm for hours).
- Stove Top: Heat 1 cup (240 mL) of whole milk in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and add the mashed potatoes, stirring them into the milk, and cook until heated through. Add additional milk or cream if needed.
- Slow Cooker: While I haven't tested this particular method with this recipe, many people have success transferring just cooked mashed potatoes to their slow cooker and holding them warm over the lowest setting for several hours.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 295kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 89mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g