Our Yukon gold mashed potatoes recipe is a fool-proof recipe that will make perfect mashed potatoes for you and your family every single time you make them. They are smooth, with a creamy texture, and so deliciously ymmy!!
🥔Complete Ingredient List
- 5 pounds of Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 teaspoons of table salt
- 1 room temperature stick of unsalted butter = 1 stick of butter equals 1/2 cup
- 1/2 cup of milk – your choice of whole milk, fat free, 1%, or 2%
👩🍳How to Make this Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes Recipe
These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.
Step 1. Prepare the Potatoes
The first step is to rinse each potato under cold running water. We left the skins on the potatoes. If you would rather remove the skins, peel the potatoes now. After that, cut the potatoes in 1/4 chunks, that is, cut each potato in half, then in half again, and then half again. You should have eight chunks for each potato.
Optional: As you cut the potatoes in chunks, drop them in a large pot or bowl of cold water. The photo below doesn’t show that.
Why Soak Cut Potatoes in Cold Water?
Potatoes contain a high starch content. Soaking them in cold water for a few minutes, (up to 30 minutes, or overnight), will wash away excess surface starch, but not in the inside of the potato, thus, lowering the starch content. This method also keeps the cut potatoes from turning brown until it is time to cook them.
Example: Have you ever rinsed raw rice in cold water before cooking it, and notice how cloudy the water becomes? What you are seeing is the starch residue in the water from the rice. You can see the same starchy residue in the water when soaking potatoes.
We usually soak our potatoes in cold water while we are pealing and cutting the potatoes into chunks, and then after that, rinse them until the water runs clear. You can soak your cut up potatoes for longer, if you prefer.
Step 2. Boil the Potatoes
Pour out the water you soaked the potatoes in, then rinse the potatoes one more time. Put the cut potatoes in a large saucepan. Fill the saucepan with cold water just above the potatoes. Turn the burner on high heat, then bring the water to a boil. Make sure the water level stays above the potatoes during cooking.
TIP: Be sure to use cold water instead of hot water. Using hot water before the water comes to a boil can cook the outside of the potatoes first, leaving the inner part of the potatoes uncooked, which in turn will make the outside of the potatoes turn to mush before the inside of the potatoes are done.
Step 3. Add the Salt
When the water starts to boil, add two teaspoons of table salt to the water. Then, continue to cook the potatoes for about 15 more minutes, or until a fork slides into the potato with ease.
TIP: If the boiling water is splashing out of your pot, turn the burner down to medium heat. Also, do not overcook the potatoes. This will make the potatoes fall apart and become too mushy when it’s time to add the milk.
Step 4. Drain Water from Cooked Potatoes
When the potatoes are fully cooked, drain the water out of the pot. You can tilt the pot and pour the water into the sink. That’s the hard way to do it though, since the potatoes can fall out of the pot. The best way to drain the water from the cooked potatoes is to put a colander in the sink, then dump the water and potatoes into a colander. After that, return the potatoes to the pot.
Step 5. Add the Milk
The next step is the add the milk. Pour 1/2 cup of milk into the pot with the cooked potatoes. We used 1% milk, but you can use any kind of milk you like best, such as whole milk, 2% milk, or fat free milk.
Step 6. Add Butter
After adding the milk, add one stick (one stick equals one half cup) of softened unsalted butter, to the potatoes in the pot. To soften the butter, just take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the countertop for about 15 to 20 minutes.
TIP: Make sure the butter is room temperature soft, not frozen from the freezer, or just taken out of the refrigerator. Usually refrigerated butter takes about 15 or 20 minutes sitting on the countertop to soften the butter. It takes much longer to thaw frozen butter, unless you microwave it.
Step 7. Mash the Potatoes
It’s time to mash the potatoes. You can use a traditional masher (or hand masher), an electric hand mixer, or potato ricer to mash the cooked potatoes. We used a traditional hand masher. Keep mashing the potatoes until there are no lumps left in the pot.
Serve immediately. Do not let the mashed potatoes sit on the stove on a hot or even warm burner, as they will start to stick to the bottom of the pan, and can eventually start to burn.
TIP: If you choose to use an electric potato masher, make sure to start the mixer on the lowest setting so the potatoes won’t fly out of the pot.
🛒Recipe Variations
- Depending on the type of potatoes you prefer, other choices can also be Russet potatoes, yellow potatoes, or red potatoes.
- If you don’t like the skins on the potatoes, peel them.
- Add any of your favorite seasonings to this mashed potato recipe, such as black pepper, or garlic powder.
- You can use kosher salt instead of table salt, if you prefer to do so.
- For hot and spicy mashed potatoes, sprinkle red pepper flakes on your serving.
- If you want a creamier texture, just add a little splash of milk until you are satisfied with the results.
🙋FAQs
Put any leftover Yukon gold mashed potatoes in an airtight container, or in a bowl covered with aluminum foil, then store them in the refrigerator. Do not leave the leftover mashed potatoes on the countertop at room temperature. It is food, and icky bacteria can start to grow on them and make you very sick.
Yes, you can freeze leftover mashed potatoes, but the texture can change slightly and may not be the same as fresh mashed potatoes. To freeze leftover mashed potatoes, let the mashed potatoes cool completely, which doesn’t take very long since mashed potatoes cool down very quickly. After that, flatten the mashed potatoes into individual patties. Put each potato patty into an individual freezer bag. Close the freezer bag, getting as much air out of the bag as possible.
When ready to use, thaw as many potato patties you need, overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat, add the potato patties to a saucepan, then add a little bit of milk and butter. Thoroughly mix all together.
You can also make fried potato patties. Put a little bit of olive oil in a frying pan, then brown each side of the potato patty until nice and crispy on the outside.
💭Final Thoughts
Our creamy mashed potatoes recipe is an easy side dish to make for family dinners.
Each serving can be topped with all your favorites, such as sour cream, fresh garlic, your favorite cheese, Greek yogurt, red pepper flakes, fresh chives, chopped green onions, or gravy. Want more buttery flavor? Add an extra pat of butter on top of your serving. If you love mashed potatoes like I do, our mashed potatoes recipe tastes great as is.
📄Recipe Card
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes Recipe (Quick)
🫕 Equipment
🧂 Ingredients
- 5 lb bag yukon gold potatoes
- 2 tsp table salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter (equals 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup milk
👩🍳 Instructions
- Wash potatoes.
- Cut potatoes into 1/8 chunks.
- Put potatoes into the saucepan. Fill with cold water just covering the potatoes.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add the salt.
- After the water starts boils, continue to cook the potatoes for 15 more minutes or until a fork slides easily into the potato without falling apart.
- Drain the water from the potatoes.
- Add the milk and the unsalted butter.
- Mash the potatoes and serve.
*️⃣ Recipe Notes
- You can substitute any of your favorite potatoes, such as Russet potatoes, yellow potatoes, or red potatoes.
🧡More Free Potato Recipes You Will Love
- Baked Potato (No Foil) – So easy to prepare and the taste is great.
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes is another simply way to make baked potatoes.
A wife, a mother to a son and a daughter, and a grandmother to three granddaughters. Flo loves sharing recipes passed down from her own mother, her mother-in-law, and her grandmother as well as new recipes created with her daughter, Tamara Ray.
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