Whip up the creamiest mashed potatoes ever with this simple Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes recipe. Smooth, rich, and full of flavor—it’s the perfect side dish for bringing everyone to the table!
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes – I’m not sure why I never thought of this before, but it hit me like a ton of bricks one day. At the time, my son was little and going through a little bit of a picky phase. One thing was for certain though, I could always get him to eat mashed potatoes like my Mom’s Secret Ingredient Mashed Potatoes.
Now, mashed potatoes aren’t exactly my most favorite side dish, so I was looking for ways to change things up a bit when this recipe idea hit me. You know I put cream cheese in my grits and my pimento cheese, so why not mashed taters? The result is FAN-TAS-TIC!
What kinds of potatoes are best for mashed potatoes?
When it comes to mashed potatoes, picking the right tater is key. For that creamy, dreamy texture we all love, you can’t go wrong with Russets or Yukon Gold Potatoes. Russets are perfect for those light and fluffy mashed potatoes that melt in your mouth, thanks to their high starch content.
Yukon Golds, on the other hand, bring a natural buttery flavor and a smooth, velvety texture that’s just right for a richer dish of mashed potatoes. Some folks even like to mix the two, getting the best of both worlds. Just be sure to mash ’em while they’re still hot, and you’ll have a bowl of deliciousness in no time!
Can I make this mashed potato recipe ahead of time?
You sure can! Just pop your mashed potatoes in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. That way, the milk and cream cheese won’t go bad. They’ll keep just fine for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to serve them, just warm them up, and they’ll taste just as good as the day you made them! You can always stir in a little milk if they’re too thick.
How do you reheat leftover mashed potatoes?
Reheating mashed potatoes is super easy if you know how to do it right. No matter how you reheat them, a little extra milk, cream, or butter will keep them smooth and tasty! Here are three ways to reheat those yummy leftover mashed potatoes:
- On the Stovetop! The stovetop is your best friend here. Just put your mashed potatoes in a pot over low heat, add a splash of milk or cream, and toss in a little butter to keep them creamy. Stir them often until they’re warmed through. If they seem a bit thick, just add more milk until they’re just right.
- In the oven! If you’d rather use the oven, preheat it to 350°F, spread the potatoes in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20-30 minutes. Be sure to give them a stir halfway through and add a bit more butter or cream if they need it.
- Microwave for quick reheating! And if you’re in a hurry, the microwave works fine, too. Just put your potatoes in a microwave-safe dish, add a splash of milk or cream, cover them up, and heat in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between until they’re hot.
Recipe Card
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup milk
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Add the cut potatoes to a large pot and just cover with water. Add the salt and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the butter, cream cheese, and milk. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes to your liking. (You can also use a hand mixer to mash the poatotes, just be cautious not to over mix or they may become paste-like.) Mix well. Add more milk if necessary to get them to a smooth consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with melted butter on top, if desired.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
From Original Post – April 30, 2013
Oh, I gotta show you something. So, the first photo shoot for the book is this weekend. It is going to be very family focused, so I wanted to have all my family gathered around a big old farmhouse table with a bunch of random chairs – you know like grandma knew everyone was coming over and just pulled all the different chairs she had together so everyone would have a seat.
I couldn’t find the right kind of table so I just built one! I used this tutorial from 2 Little Hooligans on how to give wood an aged look and I think it turned out perfect – all weathered looking. I can be a little handy sometimes but I was really pleased with how it turned out. I think it’s going to look great.
I can’t wait for y’all to see everything when the book comes out next year. If I can remember, I’ll try to post some photos to my Instagram this weekend to give y’all a sneak peek.
Tracie Flynn
I love your work, most of your recipes I use in our kitchen everyday. Thanks for sharing your thoughts & stories. I love that do your research.
Thanks so much, Tracey! I appreciate that because I do spend a lot of time working to make sure I understand the how and why behind recipes and then pass that on to y’all. I think it makes us all better cooks.
Henry Chambers
As for the sour cream idea if you want an added kick of protein, no fat and all the flavor let me recommend using Fage no fat Greek Yogurt. It’s richer and thicker than other brands. It will work beautifully in mashed potatoes along with the cream cheese.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
patty
And I of course add the butter, pepper, and all the rest of the essentials to my mashed! LOL
patty
After my Dad’s heart surgery 25 years ago, I had to come up with ways to make Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes as salt-free as possible. To replace salt in the mashed potatoes, I use lemon juice and snipped garlic chives. Ever since, that’s how everyone wants them. I do add a little Lawry’s seasoned salt now, once my Dad was allowed. We also prefer the potatoes to be slightly lumpy, not whipped. I use a 3-tine fork or one go-around with a masher. And I use red potatoes, healthier for my diabetic husband and MIL, so it’s said. Skins on! And about those 4 years when my Mom was lactose intolerant….. It was certainly a challenge over the years cooking holiday meals for everyone!
Those diets certainly do present some challenges, but you’re variations sound great! Thanks for sharing!
Linda
I use the 1/3 lower fat garden vegetable cream cheese in my mashed taters – the cream cheese just makes those taters! I just love your receipes!
Sounds like a delicious idea! Thanks for sharing!
Marsha Blackwell
I’d been putting cream cheese in my mash potatoes for over 30 years. This is nothing new. A lot of recipes these days are either recipes that needs improving or already been thought of or a little of both. Recipes are not like they use to be.
Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine???
Appol
Add some chives to it ?
Lynn
Yum, love the table!!
Thanks, Lynn!
rosy
i always put irish butter and sour cream in my mash potatoes and everyone has always loved them. compliments galore lol! i thought about trying cream cheese never did, i will next time i make them… thank you!
We sure love it in them. Hope you will too!
Samantha
Stacey, I made these Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes tonight for dinner, (with meat loaf and broccoli), and they were great! We just loved them.
By the way, I didn’t feel like getting out my mixer, so I just used a masher to do it by hand and they came out smooth and creamy. I’ll definitely make these again and again. Thanks!
Wonderful, Samantha! And truth be told, I use my potato masher a lot for the exact same reason! 🙂
Ann
I always put sour cream in my mashed pots. Also, I add sour cream!
Yum!
Marsha
My Mother made these and they never fail to WoW anyone who tastes them. Butter, salt and pepper are essential to finishing them. They are the best!!
They certainly are a favorite at our house! 🙂
Renette
I love your recipe! I tried making a little bit along with a similar recipe and yours won hands down – it was a bit healthier too since it doesn’t use sour cream like the other one does. I made a batch today with low fat chives flavoured cream cheese. It was delicious as it was, but I took it a step further. I put it in a casserole dish, dotted it with butter and baked it in the oven for 20 minutes. It was AMAZING! with a lovely crust on top.
Renette
I love your recipe! I tried making a little bit along with a similar recipe and yours won hands down – it was a bit healthier too since it doesn’t use sour cream like the other one does. I made a batch today with low fat chives flavoured cream cheese. It was delicious as it was, but I took it a step further. I put it in a casserole dish, dotted it with butter and baked it in the oven for 20 minutes. It was AMAZING! with a lovely crusty top. I tend to add more black pepper to my food than most people do, which worked particularly well here, since it added a bit of a bite without making it too spicy
It sounds wonderful, Renette! Thanks for sharing your variation!
Maria Tiramisu
Wow, your mashed potatoes photo is making me drool! 🙂 Sometimes I make mashed potatoes with olive oil, but butter is definitely better.
Love butter and cream cheese in my mashed potatoes! 🙂
Marsha Acton
I use mascarpone and unsalted real butter. If I need more moisture add half and half. Y!
YUM!!
Madelief
No idea if this is available overseas bu I like to use a garlic and herbs cheesespread (like cream cheese) for doing just that. It is so easy to do.
Groetjes from Amsterdam, The Netherlands
(found you on Pinterest)
OH, yes! That would be a great addition! Welcome, Madelief!
jessica
This is just like my family has made mashed potatoes my whole life! Except we go so far as to add a little sour cream, Lawrys seasoned salt, and sometimes a smidgen of garlic! To die for!!
YUM!!!
Linda jones
This has been my mashed potato recipe for over 20 year. My family will not eat mashed potatoes any other way. However I do not use milk justk , butter, creamed cheese, sat and pepper. Their birthday dinner request is always chicken and noodles over these potatoes.
It’s certainly a favorite at our house! 🙂
Hilly
Getting ready to make this today for Christmas Eve dinner. Glad i stumbled on to your site.
Welcome! Hope it turned out great!
Margy
Made these for the first time in August when I was expecting out of town guests who could not tell me what time they would be here. Unlike most recipes I try, I followed this one exactly (doubled) but didn’t measure milk – just added milk until they were the consistency I wanted. Potatoes were delicious, but the best thing about them was that they held PERFECTLY until we finally ate – about two hours after they had been made. I wouldn’t hesitate to make them the day before and simply warm them when dinner time came.
Hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family.
Qatari Lady
I just did it!! it tasted AWESOME!! and it looked exactly like the photo!
but I used a food processor & added a little more butter! YUM!
ever since I changed my diet to the WAP diet, I have been going CRAZY with butter! hehe 🙂
thanks so much for posting this recipe!
You are so welcome! I’m glad they turned out great!
Sheri
I ALWAYS mix cream cheese and sour cream in my mashed potatoes! Depending on my mood, there are times I will mix in some ranch dressing for some added twang!
Sounds great!
Vicki
Yummy, these will go great with my BIG FAT DIET!
Diane
The table looks great and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thanks, Diane! I hope you enjoy!
Gayle
Just found your site accidently and can’t wait till I try some of your recipes! They sound wonderful, exspecially the cream cheese mash potatoes! Thank you for putting all these recipes for all of us to try!!!
Gayle
Welcome, Gayle! I’m so glad you found me!
Tina
Yum! The mashed potatoes look delicious! LOVE the amazing table! Looks like the perfect gathering place for family and friends to me!
Thanks, Tina! I’m really proud of how it turned out.
Christine
Love the recipe, but I love, love, love the table!!!! You better start writing your “design” book next, after the cookbook!
Aww, thanks Christine!
Claudine
Stacey,
I just LOVE mashed potatoes done this way! I always do this for special occasions and also when I do Twice Baked Potatoes. For those, I add a little shredded Cheddar cheese and chopped green onion. Anyway I never met a potato I didn’t like!!! LOL!
I can’t say I’ve met one I didn’t like either!! Sounds delish!