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Light and Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

These are moms old fashioned Light and Fluffy Mashed Potatoes. Made with russet potatoes, melted butter, half & half, and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. That's it! Delicious on their own or dressed with your favorite gravy.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings
Calories 300 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large stock pot

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, rinsed, and cut in 2-inch pieces
  • 6 tbsp melted butter
  • 1/3 cup half & half
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add potatoes and a good pinch of salt to a large stock pot. Fill with cold water about 1-inch above the potatoes.
  • Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Drain cooked potatoes in a colander then add them to a large bowl or back in the stock pot.
  • Add melted butter and half & half. Mash potatoes until preferred consistency. If it seems dry, add more liquid as needed. Be careful not to over-mash. It should be fluffy like pillowy clouds.
  • Season to taste with salt & pepper and serve immediately or keep warm until ready to eat.

Notes

Tips:
  • Start with cold water- Make sure to start with cold water before cooking. This will ensure the potatoes cook evenly.
  • Cooking time- There is a fine line between underdone potatoes and ones saturated in water. As a rule of thumb, I start checking for doneness at the 10 minute mark. If a fork easily slides through the potato, it's done. You'll know it's overcooked if the potatoes break apart and basically disintegrate in the water. No Bueno!
  • Keep cooked potatoes hot- Make sure to mash potatoes very soon after they're cooked. If the potatoes cool off too much, they'll be less fluffy and creamy.
  • Mashing methods- I personally like to use a good ol' trusty potato masher (specifically one with holes). This method allows me to control the texture and ensure I don't overmix them. I also like to use a food mill or potato ricer. This takes a little more time but if you want your potatoes smooth like butter, this is the way to go. A hand mixer is another way to get fluffy mashed potatoes, but as a caution, it's easy to overmix resulting in gummy potatoes.
  • Taste and season- In that order. You can't un-season once you've added in the salt and pepper. Taste first, then season to you're liking. You may need to do this a few times, and boy would that be a shame. 😉
  • Adding milk or stock- Depending on how many potatoes you're cooking you will need to adjust the liquid quantity. Start with a few splashes of milk or stock before mashing and go from there. Too much liquid will cause the potatoes to be soupy; not enough will leave them dry and stiff.
 
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
 
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5
Amount per serving  
Calories 300
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15.9g 20%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 43mg 14%
Sodium 118mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 36.3g 13%
Dietary Fiber 5.4g 19%
Total Sugars 2.7g  
Protein 4.4g  
Vitamin D 10mcg 48%
Calcium 41mg 3%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 948mg 20%
Keyword Butter, Half & Half, Russet potatoes, Salt and pepper