Mashed Potatoes are an all-time favorite side dish, which is easy to make and incredibly delicious.
While you can make these mashed potatoes the traditional way with a potato masher, this recipe for KitchenAid Mashed Potatoes focuses on how to make buttery, creamy, fluffy and flavor-rich homemade mashed potatoes from scratch using your stand mixer in just a few simple steps.
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It is no secret that Germans love their potatoes in all kinds of variations, and I am no exception! Potatoes are incredibly versatile and you can bake them, boil them, fry them, enjoy them in a salad, soup and even make bread or pasta with them.
But even though there are so many options for great potato side dishes out there, mashed potatoes will always be my all-time favorite. A spoon of these creamy mashed potatoes never fails to make me happy!
Mashed potatoes are not only so popular because of their delightful flavor, but also because they are so easy to make. They are an amazing side dish for a weeknight dinner, but also a perfect holiday side dish for Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving!
For the longest time, I made my mashed potatoes the traditional way, by hand with a potato masher and you certainly don't need fancy equipment to make your own delicious homemade mashed potatoes. However, recently I tried to use my KitchenAid stand mixer and was pleasantly surprised about how creamy and fluffy these mashed potatoes turned out to be.
Why we love this recipe
- It is a perfect side dish for day-to-day cooking and for festive holidays.
- Super easy to make, yet incredibly delicious.
- Can be made ahead of time and easily be reheated.
- Suited to be made in large and small batches.
- Great side dish to be made from leftover potatoes.
- Make your personal favorite mashed potates, with or without chunks, super fine, super fluffy, super buttery.
What you need
All ingredients and equipment you need are listed and explained below. Detailed measurements can be found in the recipe card.
Potatoes are what this recipe is all about. My personal favorite are Yukon Gold potatoes. I love their color, consistency, and flavor. However, if you prefer a different kind, that's entirely up to you.
Butter is the second most important ingredient for amazing mashed potatoes. I use European style butter for all my recipes, which has a higher percentage of butterfat. However, any type of butter you have available will give your mashed potatoes the buttery and rich flavor we are aiming for. You can totally opt for a plant-based alternative here to make these mashed potatoes vegan.
Milk - I have tried multiple options. You can use regular cow milk, or heavy cream to make your mashed potatoes extra rich and creamy! My go-to is actually plant-based. I use almond milk most of the time and I recently tried oat milk, which added a very nice nutty flavor to the mashed potatoes. Absolutely delicious!
Nutmeg - The seasoning that is absolutely essential for me when making mashed potatoes. If you have never tried it, please do. Even though you can buy nutmeg already ground, I recommend buying the whole nutmeg and grinding it freshly, using the fine zesting side of a grater. Please watch your fingers carefully during this step!
Salt & Pepper - Standard kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper are what I use.
Which Stand Mixer and Attachments to Use
Mashing potatoes with a Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer* will by far achieve the most fluffy and creamy results, since the rotation will keep your mashed potatoes loose and less dense than mixing all ingredients by hand.
Making mashed potatoes in a stand mixer is also a great option for large batches, where using a potato masher can be quite tiring.
I use a KitchenAid 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer*, but any stand mixer with the right attachments will create amazingly airy and creamy potato mash.
As for attachments, I use a Flat Beater first and for extra fluffy results, switch to the whipping attachment called Wire Whip afterward. If you own a KitchenAid Stand Mixer, both these attachments should have come with your Mixer.
Instead of the Flat Beater, you can also use a Flex Edge Beater* if you have it available. The Flex Edge Beater will scrape the potato mash nicely from the sides of the bowl and you won't have to stop mixing in between to scrape the edges down with a spatula manually.
I don't have a Stand Mixer - Equipment Alternatives
Even though this recipe explains how to make indulgent potato mash in a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer, you can also use a standard potato masher, a potato ricer or even a hand mixer.
When mashing potatoes using a Potato Masher*, you will get mashed potatoes that have some more chunks in them. I personally really love this texture and the potato masher has been my tool of choice for many years.
If you don't have a stand mixer but are a fan of those very fine and chunk free mashed potatoes, the Potato Ricer* might be your tool of choice.
The Potato Ricer looks like a ginormous garlic press. Simply push the boiled potatoes through the potato ricer for very finely ground potatoes. Riced potatoes are perfect not only for mashed potatoes but for any recipe that requires chunk-free potato mash, such as homemade gnocchi or potato bread.
Lastly, you can also use your Hand Mixer* if you have one available to make delicious and fluffy mashed potatoes.
How to make Mashed Potatoes in a KitchenAid Mixer
Now that we talked about which equipment and ingredients are needed for this mashed potato recipe, let's get started. You can find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Start with peeling the potatoes using a peeler or a peeling knife. Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces.
- To boil the potatoes, you can either immerse the potato pieces in water with some salt and boil them until a fork glides into the potato pieces effortlessly (depending on the size of your potatoes, 13-18 minutes). If you have a steaming tray, I recommend steaming potatoes instead of boiling them immersed in water, as they will retain more of their flavor.
- Drain the boiled potatoes and transfer them into the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on low rotation using the flat or flex edge beater* until the potatoes are partially mashed. Slowly add milk, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. When all ingredients are incorporated, continue mixing for another couple of minutes, increasing the speed to medium low.
- Replace the flat or flex edge beater with the wire whip attachment and whisk on medium high for roughly 2-3 minutes until your mashed potatoes are fluffy. This step adds air to your mashed potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
The Flat Beater, Flex Edge Beater and/or Wire Whisk attachment. For more details go to the section "What You Need".
I do not recommend using any kind of blender to mash potatoes. It is likely that you will over mix the potatoes, resulting in an increased release of starch and your mashed potatoes will turn gluey and sticky.
Yes, you can use a potato masher, ricer or electric hand mixer instead. Please refer to the section "What You Need" for more information.
Even though I specifically refer to a KitchenAid Stand Mixer in this post, any Stand Mixer with the right attachments will do the trick.
It is likely that you overmixed your potatoes, which resulted in too much starch being released.
You might have undercooked your potatoes. When you do the "fork test" to check whether the potatoes are cooked, the fork should glide into the potato without effort. I even slightly overcook mine for mashed potatoes, resulting in the potato breaking apart when I prick them with a fork.
How to serve Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes are incredibly versatile and easy to make. Therefore, they pair exceptionally well with many types of meat, as well as a variety of vegetables.
The flavor of mashed potatoes is typically not overpowering and complements stews, chicken, fish, lamb or pork chops, meatloaf, turkey, but also steak equally well.
For inspiration, I listed a few of my recipes below to serve with these mashed potatoes:
Storage and Food Safety
The mashed potatoes will last in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I do not recommend freezing mashed potatoes, since it will change the flavor, as well as texture.
For more information, please see guidelines at USDA.gov for instructions on the safe handling of fresh ingredients.
Fluffy KitchenAid Mashed Potatoes
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer (or Potato Masher/Ricer, Hand Mixer)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs potatoes (Yukon Gold)
- ½ cup milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly ground)
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes using a peeler or a peeling knife.
- Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces.
- Boil the potatoes until a fork glides into the potato pieces effortlessly. Depending on the size of your potatoes it should take 13-18 minutes.
- Drain the boiled potatoes and transfer them into the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Mix on low rotation using the flat or flex edge beater* until the potatoes are partially mashed.
- Slowly add milk, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- When all ingredients are incorporated, continue mixing for another couple of minutes, increasing the speed to medium low.
- Replace the flat or flex edge beater with the wire whip attachment and whisk on medium high for roughly 2-3 minutes until your mashed potatoes are fluffy. This step adds air to your mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Don't overmix the mashed potatoes to avoid them turning gluey and sticky.
- If you have a steaming tray, I recommend steaming the potatoes instead of boiling them immersed in water. They will retain more of their flavor.
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