Simple and relatively speedy, our easy Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes can be served alongside a wide range of meat and fish dishes and have a rich yet not too heavy taste that your whole family will love.
Mashed potatoes are one of the most versatile and budget-friendly side dishes out there, and this recipe takes them up a notch with the addition of fresh sour cream.
Potatoes
Is there any better budget ingredient than the humble potato? You can use whichever potato variety you like best (or what you have on hand) for this dish. However, Yukon golds or Russets make for wonderfully creamy, smooth mashed potatoes thanks to their relatively high levels of starch.
While this fluffy Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes recipe calls for peeled potatoes, you can feel free to leave the skin on. Not only will this cut down on the prep time, but it will also add some nice texture and additional fiber to your dish.
One of the keys to flavorful potatoes is to make sure to generously salt your cooking water. Some of the saltiness will be absorbed by the potatoes and bring out their natural goodness.
Sour Cream
Sour cream not only adds to the luxurious texture of these mashed potatoes, but also adds a subtle tang that amps up the flavor of the dish. It’s a great way to use up any sour cream leftover from baking and adds a little surprise to this classic American side dish.
If you are concerned about calories, light sour cream will work just fine in this recipe, but regular sour cream will result in a much richer flavor. If you don’t have any sour cream, you could also substitute it with creme fraiche or even Greek yogurt for a similar result.
Milk And Butter
Although this recipe uses sour cream, it’s important not to skip the usual mashed potato staples of milk and butter. These help to combine everything together and ensure that your mashed potatoes will be nice and smooth.
The key here is to add the dairy while the potatoes are still hot, stirring until everything is just combined. Stir for too long and your Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes will become too gummy and not fluffy.
Fluffy Mashed Potatoes Recipe Ingredients
3 Lbs. Russet Potatoes, peeled, wash and cubed (about 7 potatoes)
8 cups Water
6 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 PK. (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1 Cup Sour cream
½ Tsp. Garlic Powder, optional
¼ Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
Salt to taste
How To Make Mashed Potatoes With Sour Cream?
- In a large saucepan, add in the potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low; cover partially and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes.
- Mash potatoes (with a potato masher) with 3 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the cream cheese, sour cream, onion salt, garlic powder and pepper.
- Continue mashing until smooth. Stir in the remaining butter.
- Garnish with fresh chives and butter. Serve warm and enjoy.
How To Make Mashed Potatoes Without Butter?
If you would prefer to make these homemade mashed potatoes without butter, that’s perfectly fine. You can easily substitute butter for extra virgin olive oil.
Be sure to use a good quality olive oil as it may alter the taste of your sour cream mashed potatoes.
Be mindful because you are using olive oil and not butter, your potatoes may not have the same richness as it normally would if it was prepared with butter.
- In a large saucepan, add in the potatoes and cover with water, as described above. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low; cover partially and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes.
- Transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Stir in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the cream cheese, sour cream, onion salt, garlic powder and pepper. Continue mashing until smooth.
- Garnish with fresh chives and olive oil. Serve warm and enjoy.
Frequently Asked Question(s)
The sour cream is enough in this recipe. If you are boiling the potatoes with broth, instead of using milk or heavy cream, consider Greek yogurt, coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, and cheese.
Parsley, rosemary, chives, and sage are all great fresh herbs to use in homemade mashed potatoes with sour cream.
How To Store Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Any kind of mashed potatoes are almost always best served immediately, and they will never be quite the same once reheated. Unfortunately, freezing mashed potatoes has an adverse effect on both the texture and the taste. However, if you do have any leftovers, you can keep them covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat your leftovers, you can add a splash more milk to them before transferring them to an oven proof dish. Add some slices of butter over the top and bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes or until they are heated up enough for your liking.
Make It For The Holiday
You can certainly make these mashed potatoes for the holiday or Thanksgiving months in advanced.
With that being said, be mindful that it is difficult to freeze potatoes. However, once they are mashed, they freeze completely well.
To freeze the mashed potatoes, be sure that it is loaded with cream and butter. The fat found in butter and cream is what help the mashed potatoes to freeze well. Furthermore, when reheated, it is as creamy and smooth as it was the first day it was prepared.
Cook’s Tips And Tricks
Here are a few tips and tricks when it comes to freezing mashed potatoes.
Be sure that you cook the potatoes completely, as this is necessary for mashing.
When preparing your sour mashed potatoes, be sure to include lots of butter and or cream as this will help the potatoes to keep its form (as explained above).
Consider adding butter to the container before adding the mashed potatoes. Again, the fat will be served as a protection; keeping your sour mashed potatoes fresh and ready to be heated before serving.
Consider diving the mashed potatoes into serving size portion so that it is ready for when you prepared to serve it on Thanksgiving Day, mealtime, or any day.
How To Reheat
Reheating your sour mashed potatoes very simple. First, let the potatoes thaw out in the refrigerator at least 48 hours before serving.
Once the potatoes are thawed out, the following are a few options when it comes to reheating your side dish.
- Microwave Method: Transfer the mashed potatoes to a microwave safe bowl. Cover with a lid suitable to reheat food. Reheat in increments of 5 minutes; stirring after every heating session.
- Stovetop Method: Once thawed, to reheat your mashed potatoes, transfer the side dish in a suitable size pot, reheat over medium heat while stirring occasionally. Add more milk, butter or cream if needed. Season to taste if necessary.
- Oven Method: Thaw the mashed potatoes in the refrigerator. Transfer the potatoes in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Reheat at 330°F for about 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are heated through. Add more milk, butter or cream if needed. Season to taste if necessary.
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Homemade Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 3 Lbs. Russet Potatoes peeled, wash and cubed
- 8 cups Water
- 6 tablespoon butter divided
- 1 PK. 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1 Cup Sour cream
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, add in the potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low; cover partially and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes.
- Mash potatoes (with a potato masher) with 3 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the cream cheese, sour cream, onion salt, garlic powder and pepper. Continue mashing until smooth. Stir in the remaining butter.
- Garnish with fresh chives and butter. Serve warm and enjoy.
Erin
I love mashed potatoes and would easily eat them every meal if I could. The addition of sour cream in these mashed potatoes adds a creamy flavor that I just love.
Mirlene
thank you very much, Erin.
Diana Reis
Sour cream takes these potatoes to the next level. Love that little punch it adds.
Mirlene
thank you, Diana
Tania
This is such a great recipe! Love how fluffy and creamy the potatoes are. Beautiful texture!
Mirlene
Thanks Tania
Jovita
So simple yet so GOOD (I bet). Thank you for this comforting recipe!
Kushigalu
LOve mashed potatoes and this sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try this version soon.
Mirlene
Hope you get a chance to Enjoy it.