Mashed Red Potatoes are made with the skins on: rinse and quarter 2 pounds of red potatoes, start them in cold salted water, simmer until fork-tender, then mash them in melted butter with warm milk and a splash of heavy cream. There’s no peeling, and the whole side dish takes about 30 minutes. It serves 6.
How to make them: Quarter the potatoes, cover with cold water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until a fork slides in. Drain, melt the butter in the pot, then mash the potatoes with half the warm milk. Add the rest of the milk a little at a time, stir in the cream, season and serve.
Why You’ll Love Them
- No peeling: the thin red skins stay on, which saves 10 minutes or more of prep.
- Texture and color: bits of red skin show through the mash.
- Quick: about 30 minutes from cutting board to table.
- Goes with almost anything: a weeknight dinner or a holiday table.
Ingredient Notes
Red potatoes: 2 pounds is 7 or 8 small red potatoes, or 14 or 15 red new potatoes. Rinse them and look them over before cutting.
Salt for the water: 1 tablespoon. Generously salted water is what seasons the potatoes all the way through.
Salted butter: 1 stick. Unsalted butter works too; just taste and add more salt at the end.
2% milk and heavy cream: 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup cream, both warmed. Warm dairy blends in more smoothly and keeps the potatoes hot. Half-and-half can replace the milk for a richer mash; warm it first.
Salt, black pepper and fresh parsley: to taste, with parsley as an optional garnish.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes, rinsed and quartered, skins on
- 1 tablespoon salt, for the cooking water
- 1 stick salted butter
- 3/4 cup 2% milk, warmed
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, warmed
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
How to Make Mashed Red Potatoes
1. Cut the potatoes. Rinse the red potatoes and cut them into quarters. Leave the skins on.
2. Start in cold salted water. Put the quartered potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer until fork-tender. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Warm the milk and cream while they cook.
4. Melt the butter. Drain the potatoes well. Add the butter to the pot and cook over medium-low heat until it is melted.
5. Mash with half the milk. Add the drained potatoes and half of the warmed milk to the pot. Mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth, leaving some bits of skin and texture.
6. Add the rest of the milk and the cream. Keep mashing while you add the remaining warmed milk a little at a time. When the potatoes are close to the texture you want, stir in the warmed heavy cream.
7. Season and serve. Taste, then season with salt and black pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like and serve warm.
Do You Have to Peel Red Potatoes for Mashing?
No. Red potatoes have a thin skin that mixes right into the mash, so every step above keeps it on. You get flecks of red, a little more texture, and 10 minutes or more back from skipping the peeler.
If you’d rather have a smooth, skinless mash, peel them first. Larger potatoes are easier to peel.
How to Keep Skin-On Mash Creamy, Not Gluey
- Start in cold water. The potatoes cook evenly from the inside out instead of turning soft outside and hard in the middle.
- Keep the pieces big. Quarters, or chunks no smaller than 1 1/2 inches, cook quickly without soaking up extra water.
- Judge by the fork, not the clock. They’re ready when a fork or knife slides into the center easily.
- Drain well and dry them. After draining, you can set the potatoes back in the hot pot over low heat for a minute or two, shaking now and then, so extra moisture steams off.
- Warm the milk and cream. Cold dairy cools the potatoes and is harder to absorb, so you end up mashing longer.
- Use a masher or a ricer. A food processor or handheld blender overworks the potatoes and releases too much starch.
- Add the milk gradually. Half first, then the rest a little at a time.
- Stop early. Mash just until smooth and creamy. Over-mashing is what makes them pasty.
If they do turn gummy: they won’t go back to fluffy, but they’re not wasted. Spread them in a baking dish, top with shredded cheese and bake until golden. Or fold them into a soup, use them to top a shepherd’s pie, or loosen them with more warm milk, cream and butter.
Variations
- Garlic Parmesan: cook 4 cloves of minced garlic in the butter, then mash in 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, black pepper and parsley. For a baked version, try garlic Parmesan mashed potato cups.
- Olive oil and garlic: steam 1-inch cubes for 25 to 30 minutes, then mash with butter cooked with garlic, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil and fine sea salt. Top with chives.
- Sour cream and herbs: swap part of the cream for sour cream and stir in chives, thyme and green onions.
- Other dairy: half-and-half, whole milk, buttermilk or a plant-based milk, as long as it’s warm or at room temperature. Whole milk is creamier than low-fat.
- Add-ins: roasted garlic, shredded sharp cheddar, crumbled bacon, a few spoonfuls of cream cheese, or minced herbs like rosemary, thyme, dill or chives.
Make Ahead, Storage & Reheating
Make ahead: Refrigerate the finished potatoes in an airtight container and reheat them in a small saucepan with a splash of warm milk, cream or broth and a little more butter, stirring until steaming.
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour if the room is above 90°F) in shallow covered containers. They keep 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for 3 to 4 months. Spread single portions on a sheet pan until firm, then move them to a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheating: Cover and reheat to 165°F. In the microwave, rotate the dish, add a little liquid if needed and check the temperature in several places. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker. For a buffet, heat them to 165°F first, then hold them at 140°F or warmer in a preheated slow cooker, chafing dish or warming tray.
What to Serve With Them
Mashed red potatoes go with almost any main. For a Sunday dinner, serve them with slow cooker pot roast with gravy or beef tips with mushroom gravy. For a weeknight, try Parmesan meatloaf or Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy. At the holidays, set them next to slow cooker turkey breast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do red potatoes make okay mashed potatoes?
Yes. Red potatoes mash into a creamy side with bits of skin. Drain them well and mash lightly so they don’t turn gluey.
How long do you boil red potatoes for mashed potatoes?
Quartered red potatoes simmer 15 to 20 minutes after the water boils. Check with a fork: it should slide in easily.
Do you peel red potatoes before mashing?
No. The skin is thin and mixes into the mash. Peel them only if you want a smooth, skinless texture.
Can I use half-and-half instead of milk?
Yes. Half-and-half makes them richer and creamier. Warm it before adding.
How much mashed potato do I need per person?
About 1 cup, or 1/2 pound, per person, a little less when there are several sides on the table.
Final Notes
Quarter, simmer, drain, mash, and leave the skins where they are. If you try a garlic Parmesan or sour cream batch, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Mashed Red Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes rinsed and quartered, skins on
- 1 tablespoon salt for the cooking water
- 1 stick salted butter
- 3/4 cup 2% milk warmed
- 1/4 cup heavy cream warmed
- salt and black pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish; optional
Instructions
- Rinse the red potatoes and cut them into quarters. Leave the skins on.
- Put the quartered potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Warm the milk and cream while they cook.
- Drain the potatoes well. Add the butter to the pot and cook over medium-low heat until it is melted.
- Add the drained potatoes and half of the warmed milk to the pot. Mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth, leaving some bits of skin and texture.
- Keep mashing while you add the remaining warmed milk a little at a time. When the potatoes are close to the texture you want, stir in the warmed heavy cream.
- Taste, then season with salt and black pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like and serve warm.
