Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why add cream cheese to mashed potatoes? ›

Mashing the warm potatoes with softened cream cheese makes the final product unbelievably rich and creamy. Adding cream to fluffy whipped potatoes is certainly not a new technique. Mashed potatoes are always blessed with a hearty helping of butter, cream, milk, half and half, or some sort of combination.

Sour Cream: The sour cream helps keep the mashed potatoes fluffy. Cream Cheese: This adds a bit of creaminess without being too overpowering. Heavy Cream: Increases the creaminess and helps thin out the potatoes a bit.

If you run out of milk you can try cream cheese. The flavor is similar to that of milk, but it is not as sweet. The creaminess of cream cheese makes it a good substitute for milk in mashed potatoes.

Heavy Cream - While you, hypothetically, could use whole milk or something, I don't recommend it. Part of what makes these the creamiest mashed potatoes is the CREAM! Use the cream, we aren't eating mashed potatoes for our health. Sour Cream - This recipe is rich and it needs some tanginess for balance.

Will cream cheese thicken mashed potatoes? It will, but in the best way! Then the milk is used to thin the potatoes back out again for the best, creamiest texture!

Instead of regular milk, pro chefs generally use a generous helping of buttermilk and plenty of half-and-half or (even better) heavy cream in their potatoes. If you think the bartenders up front are pouring heavy, they've got nothing on the cooks in the back who are in charge of the mashed potatoes.

Is milk or cream better for mashed potatoes? I use half-and-half: it gives the potatoes the perfect creamy texture and rich taste. As a half-and-half substitute, you could also use heavy cream or whole milk. Whichever you use, just start with a little and add more as you need it.

You can also double this recipe easily—a good rule of thumb is that you want about half a pound of potatoes per person.

4 Tips From Martha's Mom for the Best Mashed Potatoes

Don't use a different potato, this recipe should be made with Yukon gold potatoes or white potatoes. Cook the potatoes just so, do not under or overcook them: the potatoes are done when you can slide a paring knife in with no resistance.

How many potatoes per person for mashed potatoes? ›

How much Mashed Potatoes should you make? As a side dish, you should plan on ½ pound of potatoes per person. That means if you are planning on 10 people, use 5 pounds of potatoes. 4 people use 2 pounds of potatoes.

Whether you're making instant mashed potatoes or real ones, you can basically put anything you want in them. I actually use cream cheese and half-and-half most of the time. If you don't have milk, you can use water, any kind of broth, half-and-half, melted butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, plain yogurt, kefir…

For the very best result every time, always gently warm the butter and milk before adding to the potatoes, rather than adding cold dairy straight from the fridge. Here's why: Warm dairy is absorbed faster and more easily, with less stirring than its cold counterpart.

Runny potatoes can happen for a few different reasons. Too much liquid: This is the most common reason. In the mashing process you may have added too much milk or broth.

Cream cheese is a soft, neutral-tasting cheese made from cow's milk and cream. Its subtle sweetness, mild tanginess, and silky smooth texture make it extremely versatile: Spread it on a bagel, mix it into cookie dough or cake batter, or use it as a base for your next creamy frosting.

Cream cheese is a versatile ingredient that is commonly used in both sweet and savory dishes. It is often used as a spread on bagels or crackers, as a filling for pastries and desserts, and as a base for dips and sauces. It can also be used to add richness and creaminess to soups and casseroles.

Garnish With Herbs

Speaking of delicious green things, both woody herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme, and leafy herbs like dill can add freshness to this starchy side. A herb-based sauce like pesto swirled into mashed potatoes is another way to add vibrant flavor.

Low in lactose: Cream cheese is lower in lactose than many other dairy products, making it a better option for those with lactose intolerance. Versatile ingredient: Cream cheese can be used in a variety of dishes, making it easy to incorporate into your diet.