Rustic Mashed Potatoes with Butter

Why This is The Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe!

Who doesn't love a comforting bowl of creamy mashed potatoes?... And these rustic mashed potatoes with butter are a timeless side dish for any meaty main course like my Baked Chicken Leg Quarters or a Glazed & Baked Ham. 

This recipe has six very simple ingredients and one easy technique for mashing the potatoes and trust me it is not hard to mash and mix the potatoes quickly. In short, there is no need for peeling the potatoes! 

When made rustic style, mashed potatoes have incredible texture and flavor simply by leaving the skins on the potatoes and mashing and mixing them very quickly with hot cream and melted butter.

The seasonings for these mashed potatoes are simple salt and freshly ground black pepper. Potatoes require a great deal of salt to make them taste delicious, which is why I use both salted butter and add additional salt.

However, it is a personal preference as to how much salt is enough - some people like more, and others like less. I recommend you always cook the potatoes with ½ teaspoon of salt in the water. Then add ½ teaspoon when you add the melted butter and cream. If you prefer more salt, you can always add more.

So, let's cook!

Ingredient Notes

Here's what you need to make these Rustic Mashed Potatoes with Butter:

• Small Potatoes - You can use any small new, waxy, potatoes in this recipe. Baby potatoes cook quickly and are my first choice. Great varieties to use in this recipe are Yukon gold potatoes, small red potatoes, and white potatoes. The only potatoes that are not ideal are russet potatoes.
• Cold Water - Always start to cook potatoes in cold water for the best texture and flavor.
• Fine Sea Salt - Potatoes need salt to taste delicious and it may surprise you just how much you need. I use salt to cook the potatoes and I add more salt when I mash them. 
• Heavy Cream - Heavy cream is the magic that makes these potatoes extra rich and creamy.
• Salted Butter - A good amount of salted butter is essential for creamy, delicious potatoes. I mix a specific amount of melted butter into the potatoes when they are mashed and you can add more to top the mashed potatoes when they are served. Don't miss my post on How to Measure Butter for a quick way to measure butter.
• Black Pepper - Freshly ground black pepper is flowery and spicy and pairs well with potatoes.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Substitutions & Variations

• Skinny Version. Substitute whole milk for the butter and substitute chicken broth for the cream to make a lower calorie and less fat version.
• Sour Cream Version. Substitute sour cream for the butter.
• Substitute Cream Cheese. You can substitute cream cheese for the butter.
• Substitute Boursin Cheese. For a big boost of flavor, you can substitute any box of Boursin cheese for the butter. My favorite flavor is the Caramelized Onion and Herbs.
• Substitute Flavored Cream Cheese. Instead of butter, you can use your favorite savory cream cheese spread like Garlic and Herb or Chive and Onion.
• Add Parmesan Cheese. Add ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese and you will have parmesan "smashed" potatoes.
• Add Chopped Fresh Herbs. Many herbs are delicious in mashed potatoes. Good choices are basil, chives, dill weed, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme. 

How to Make Rustic Mashed Potatoes with Butter

1. Prepare Potatoes. Wash and scrub the potatoes well. Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a pot large enough to hold no more than 2 layers of potatoes. Cover them with at least 1 inch of cold water and add ½ teaspoon salt.

2. Boil Potatoes. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes until they are tender, but not soft. A toothpick, fork, or knife will easily pierce a potato when it is cooked.

3. Heat Cream & Butter. As the potatoes cook, heat the heavy cream and the butter in a 1 cup measuring cup in the microwave for 1 minute, or until the butter is melted and the cream is hot. You can also use a small saucepan on the stove over low heat.

4. Drain & Mash. Drain the potatoes of all of the water. Use a potato masher to mash the hot potatoes using a single up-and-down motion for each potato or group of potatoes, leaving the potatoes in large chunks.

5. Season & Add Warmed Dairy. Sprinkle in the freshly ground black pepper and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt to the potatoes and add the warmed cream and melted butter. Stir just enough to blend in the melted butter, cream, and seasonings. 

Serve with additional butter and a sprinkling of chopped fresh chives.

Equipment

You will need a large pot to cook the potatoes and a potato masher is the best tool to mash the potatoes. If you do not have a potato masher you can also use a large serving fork to break the potatoes into large chunks.

How to Reheat Leftover Mashed Potatoes

• Microwave. Gently reheat them in the microwave in a microwave-safe container. Stir them midway through the reheating time.
• Oven. If you have a larger quantity of leftover mashed potatoes, place them in a buttered baking dish, top them with grated cheese, and bake them in a 350° oven until they are heated through.
• Pan Fry. Leftover mashed potatoes can be formed into small patties, coated with seasoned panko, and gently pan-fried over medium heat in a large skillet with a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter.