Savory With Soul

  • Spring
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Spring
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Spring
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes / Appetizers

    Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

    Published: Nov 10, 2023 · Modified: Nov 10, 2023 by Sally · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    47 shares
    • Facebook
    • Yummly
    • Mix
    • X
    Jump to Recipe

    This cheesy mashed potatoes recipe is a wonderfully delicious, fool-proof side dish to add to your everyday meals or special holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.

    You can make them as smooth or lumpy as you like. The flavor is out of this world with lots of butter, sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, and garlic powder! Your family will lick their plates clean.

    Perfect mashed potatoes for adding gravy or delicious without. Leftovers are a breeze to deal with by turning them into these tasty fried mashed potato patties.

    Great served with London Broil, Meatloaf, Salisbury steak, turkey dinner, ham, or any meat or roast you're serving.

    Jump to:
    • 💖 Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 📖 Substitutions / Variations
    • 🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
    • 💭 Expert Cooking Tips
    • 🧐 Recipe FAQs
    • 🍲 More Side Dish Recipes
    • 📋 Recipe

    💖 Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • Easy - Simple ingredients and simple steps - your kids can even help with the process.
    • Satisfying - Potatoes are very filling and the epitome of comfort food! The flavors in these cheesy garlic mashed potatoes mean that gravy is not needed, but you can certainly add gravy to take it up another notch.
    • Great for Daily or Special occasions - Easy enough for everyday, but special enough for guests and special meals like Thanksgiving.

    🥘 Ingredients

    What You'll Need:

    Ingredient Notes:

    • Potatoes: Use whatever potatoes you have on hand, but I believe the best potatoes for mashed are russets, as they tend to be drier and fluffier. Red- or yellow-skinned potatoes don't mash as readily and are more likely to clump. Just make sure you cook them thoroughly, and you shouldn't have a problem with lumpiness.
    • Butter: I use salted butter. If you use unsalted, you will likely need to add more salt to the potatoes. Be sure to taste before adding more salt.
    • Sour cream: I use full-fat sour cream (is there anything such as low-fat sour cream?). You can also use plain yogurt if you wish. Whichever you use, please don't skimp on the fat - by doing so, you will skimp on flavor.
    • Milk: I like to use whole milk, as it makes a creamier mashed potato. You could also use half and half or cream. If you use a lower fat milk, just realize your potatoes may not turn out as creamy.

    (See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions)

    📖 Substitutions / Variations

    • Cheese: I love using sharp cheddar, as the flavor really adds to this recipe, and the cheese melts readily. You can use other cheeses, as long as they melt readily and have good flavor, or you can leave the cheese out altogether.
    • Potatoes: I tend to use russet potatoes, as they are a drier potato and turn fluffier and smoother when mashed, but you can use yellow or red potatoes as well. You can even leave some or all of the skin on as long as the potatoes are nice and fresh and have unblemished skin. You don't want dark spots or bruises in your mashed potatoes. I don't recommend leaving any skin on for thicker-skinned varieties like russets - only the thinner-skinned varieties.
    • Sour cream: I have used plain yogurt instead of sour cream before, and the flavor and texture are the same.
    • Broth vs water: You can use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth in place of the water if you have it. This will lend an extra bit of flavor to your cheesy mashed potatoes.

    🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

    How To Make Mashed Potatoes From Scratch:

    Step 1: Peel, wash, and chop potatoes, removing any dark spots.

    Step 2: Add potatoes to medium-sized pan, and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook covered for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are softened.

    Step 3: Drain water and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, butter, and cheese.

    Step 4: With burner still on low heat, mash ingredients together with a fork or potato masher until butter and cheese are melty.

    Step 5: Add milk and sour cream and stir together. Heat on low until heated through.

    Step 6: With a hand mixer, mix until as smooth as desired. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Serve hot.

    (Scroll down for full recipe and print capabilities)

    💭 Expert Cooking Tips

    • Don't overcook your potatoes, as they will start to incorporate into your water. Cook just until softened. You should be able to poke them with a fork or sharp knife, and they will separate a bit when done.
    • Don't leave out the sour cream if possible, as this ingredient really adds a nice depth of flavor and creaminess to the recipe.
    • Use a hand mixer, stand-up mixer, or food processor to get your potatoes as smoothly mashed as you like.

    🧐 Recipe FAQs

    What are the best potatoes for mashed potatoes?

    I like to use russet potatoes, as they are dryer and turn out fluffier and smoother when mashed. However, you can use other types of potatoes, such as Yukon gold or red potatoes - just make sure to cook them until nice and soft and blend them well if you want them to be smooth.

    How long to boil potatoes for mashed potatoes?

    This depends on how large your potato pieces are and how much you have in the pan. If you bring the potatoes and water to a boil, then turn heat down to low and cover, it should take about 10 minutes for the potatoes to cook. Check to make sure they break apart when you poke with a fork, and that means they are done.

    How many potatoes for mashed potatoes?

    About 6 small-to-medium-sized potatoes weighs about 2 pounds. This makes mashed potatoes for about 4 people.

    🍲 More Side Dish Recipes

    • Creamed peas in bowl ready to eat.
      Creamed Peas Recipe
    • Four corn zucchini fritters with red peppers stacked on plate.
      Zucchini and Corn Fritters (2 ways!)
    • Bacon with broccoli and other salad fixins
      Broccoli Bacon Salad (Easy & Tasty)
    • Green bean casserole topped with fried onions and bacon on plate with turkey covered in gravy.
      Crockpot Green Bean Casserole Recipe (with bacon)

    If you tried this Cheesy Mashed Potatoes recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    📋 Recipe

    Mashed potatoes with cheese in serving bowl.

    Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

    This cheesy mashed potatoes recipe is a wonderfully delicious, fool-proof side dish to add to your everyday meals or special holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 302kcal
    Author: Sally

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds potatoes
    • ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper more to taste
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon dry parsley
    • ¼ cup butter salted
    • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
    • ¾ cup milk or cream or half and half
    • 4 ounces sour cream

    Instructions

    • Peel, wash, and chop potatoes, removing any dark spots.
    • Add potatoes to medium-sized pan, and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook covered for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are softened.
    • Drain water and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, butter, and cheese.
    • With burner still on low heat, mash ingredients together with a fork or potato masher until butter and cheese are melty.
    • Add milk and sour cream and stir together. Heat on low until heated through.
    • With a hand mixer, mix until as smooth as desired. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Serve hot.

    Notes

    • Don't overcook your potatoes, as they will start to incorporate into your water. Cook just until softened. You should be able to poke them with a fork or sharp knife and they will separate a bit when done.
    • Makes 4 servings. Easy to double or triple recipe if needed.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 593mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 889IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 289mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Share it Today!Mention @SavoryWithSoul or tag #savorywithsoul!

    More Southern Side Dish & Appetizer Recipes

    • Gouda Mac and Cheese Recipe
    • Closeup of apple slaw in large metal bowl
      Green Apple Coleslaw Recipe
    • Cooked green beans with spices served in bowl.
      Cajun Green Beans (quick & spicy)
    • Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto with Sage
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    I'm Sally, and I love great food! Whole foods, specifically, and savory, yummy eats! I love using spices and trying new combinations - in fact, I consider it an art form, as I smell and taste my way through each dish.

    More about me →

    Spring Recipes

    • Cooked broccoli with red bell pepper slices and garlic on plate.
      Sauteed Broccoli Recipe with Red Pepper
    • Tuna and Rice Casserole Recipe (quick stovetop)
    • Bacon with broccoli and other salad fixins
      Broccoli Bacon Salad (Easy & Tasty)
    • chicken bacon pasta bake fresh out of the oven
      Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake
    • Spinach Ravioli Recipe with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce
    • Panera Thai Chicken Salad (copycat)

    Trending Recipes

    • Cooked flaky biscuits stacked on plate ready to serve.
      Easy Homemade Biscuits Recipe (Southern Style)
    • Crock Pot Great Northern Beans - Southern Style
    • Bojangles Dirty Rice Recipe (easy copycat)
    • Creamy linguini with chicken and bacon served on plate with salad
      Creamy Chicken Bacon Pasta (quick & easy)
    • Tuna and Rice Casserole Recipe (quick stovetop)
    • Panera Turkey Chili Recipe (copycat)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    FEATURED ON

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility

    SIGN UP for emails and updates

    Recipe Index

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Savory With Soul, All Rights Reserved

    47 shares

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.