Classic mashed potatoes are a simple side, yes, but there's nothing ordinary (or optional) about them—forgetting to serve this dish at any holiday meal is arguably punishable by law. The good news is that all you really need for rich and fluffy mashed potatoes is milk, cream, or buttermilk, plus plenty of butter (and salt, pepper, and spuds, of course). But fresh herbs, a dollop of sour cream, and some toasted garlic will bring them into another dimension. There are also various techniques that will kick your go-to mashed potato recipe up a notch, like mixing Russets with Yukon Golds, cooking them in heavily salted water, and mashing with a potato ricer (find every step you can take to cook better mashed potatoes here).
The next time you're preparing a side of silky mashed spuds, use one of these delicious recipe ideas to get an all-new dish with the same creamy, comforting goodness.
20 Delicious Ideas for Leftover Mashed Potatoes
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Smashed Red Potatoes With Miso
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This masterful recipe mixes boiled red potatoes and onions with miso-scallion butter and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. If you've never cooked with miso paste—a gut-friendly ingredient that aids in digestion—you're in for a real treat. White miso, the type called for in this recipe, is the mildest form and tastes slightly sweet.
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Creamy One-Pot Mashed Potatoes
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Call this creamy one-pot mashed potato recipe the classic to end all classics. You'll use Yukon Gold potatoes, rather than the traditional Russet variety, to cut down on the starch content that can lend an overly gummy texture. Then you'll mix them with half and half and use a potato ricer to mash them (which makes all the difference in transforming the dense spuds into fluffy grains). Fold in butter, salt, and sour cream. The result? A revelation.
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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
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Just like traditional dish, Instant Pot mashed potatoes should be done with russet potatoes (sometimes referred to as Idaho potatoes), which are best for creating a light, fluffy texture. You'll place the potatoes into the Instant Pot with cold water and salt, then pressure cook for 8 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, warm some milk or cream and butter on the stove before pressing the potatoes through a ricer and folding in dairy, salt, and pepper.
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Luscious Mashed Potatoes
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There are a few components that make these mashed potatoes so luscious. First, a cup of heavy cream. You'll add it to milk and butter that's infused with rosemary and bay leaf for a super sophisticated twist that won't lean too hard into the herbal notes. (Because, let's be honest, nobody wants a sprig of rosemary stuck in their teeth.)
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Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
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With only 15 minutes of hands-on time and four ingredients, you'd be hard-pressed to find an easier (or more flavorful) recipe for mashed potatoes. Don't skimp on the sour cream, which adds a deliciously tart-and-tangy touch to the already creamy taters.
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Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
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In under 30 minutes, you can use your Instant Pot to transform the tough, starchy spud into a creamy side dish that balances sweet, spicy, and citrusy flavors. This simple side dish also packs plenty of beta carotene, Vitamin A, and potassium, too.
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Garlic Mashed Potatoes
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These get an added lift thanks to the addition of fragrant garlic butter (yum). Rather than just add a bunch of raw garlic to the potatoes, you'll sauté it in melted butter first, mellowing it's bite and infusing the butter and half-and half with its flavor.
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Mashed Potatoes With Toasted Garlic and Smoked Paprika
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The paprika gives these potatoes a warm, smoky kick.
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Mashed Potatoes With Lemon and Olives
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Lemon zest and quartered olives lend a bright zing and brininess.
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Mashed Potatoes With Bacon and Blue Cheese
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Creamy mashed potatoes get even richer when you mix in pungent blue cheese and crumbled bacon.
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Mashed Potatoes With Ricotta and Parmesan
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Ricotta adds a mild creaminess to the potatoes, while the Parmesan lends a salty bite.
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Mashed Potatoes With Peas and Scallions
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Sweet peas and sliced scallions provide a beautiful shot of color in this side dish.
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Mashed Potatoes With Carrots and Dill
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The carrots cook along with the potatoes in the pot, saving you time and clean-up effort.
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Mashed Potatoes With Horseradish and Chives
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For an even spicier kick, substitute finely grated fresh horseradish root for the prepared horseradish.
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Mashed Potatoes With Mushrooms and Thyme
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To get a head start on this side dish, you can prepare the mushroom-thyme mixture up to 2 days in advance.
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Mashed Potatoes With Brown Butter and Sage
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Browned butter adds a delicious nuttiness to the creamy potatoes.
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Mashed Potatoes With Chipotle and Cheddar
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The cheddar melts as it's mashed in with the warm potatoes, infusing every bite with cheesy goodness.
