Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

These Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes are fluffy, flavorful, and extra creamy. You'll savor every bite!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings (1 cup each)

Calories 304kcal

5 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into large, uniform sized pieces (see note 1)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup butter melted (2 sticks, see note 2)
1 cup milk hot, plus more if desired (up to 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sour cream

In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, add potatoes and 2 tablespoons salt. Add cold water to cover potatoes by 1 inch.
Over medium-high heat, bring to boil and partially cover pot. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife, stirring once or twice, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well, tossing in colander to remove excess water.
Wipe pot dry. Return potatoes to pot and mash to a uniform consistency. Using a rubber spatula, fold in melted butter until just incorporated.
Slowly stir in 1 cup hot milk and sour cream. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to adjust the consistency as desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper).

Potatoes: For the fluffiest, smoothest, and most flavorful mashed potatoes, choose high-starch potatoes like russet, Idaho, or Yukon gold potatoes. Waxy potatoes (such as new, red, or white varieties) require more mashing to become creamy which could result in gluey, pasty spuds.
Butter before milk: Always add the butter first so the butter fat coats the potato starch molecules. Then, add the hot milk to make them creamy. If you mix up the order, you could end up with gluey spuds. (Thanks Cook's Illustrated for this tip!)
Yield: This recipes makes about 10 cups mashed potatoes, enough for 10 (1-cup) servings.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes: Add the peeled, cubed potatoes and 1 ½ cups milk to the bottom of a crock pot. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt, cover, and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, stirring every hour or so. Mash to a smooth consistency and stir in ½ cup (1 stick) butter until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.