Food and Recipes Side Dishes 18 Mashed Potatoes Recipes Sure to Be a Suppertime Smash By Marissa Wu Marissa Wu Marissa Wu is an Editorial Fellow and Southern transplant by way of San Francisco, Boston, and Paris, France. She writes about anything and everything as it pertains to the South, but mostly home, food, and the occasional garden stories. Recipe reviews are a particular pleasure, as well as discovering the latest home trends.When not editing and producing articles or updating the homepage, she's trying new Southern Living recipes, jolting along in her manual transmission car, Fitz; hammering out a manuscript on her 1930s Royal Aristocrat typewriter, Georgie; and making film photographs with her Rolleiflex, Cecil.Marissa graduated from Boston University with a degree in journalism and a minor in French Studies. She still can't follow a football conversation but hopes her cheese straws make up for it. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on October 20, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Atonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer To some, the definition of a comforting dinner is meat and potatoes. When the cooler months roll around, nothing beats the hearty flavors of this classic combination. No matter how they're served, potatoes are a particularly beloved suppertime side. Baked, fried, and roasted potatoes are all welcome additions to a menu, but at most family dinner tables, it's hard to beat mashed potatoes. The velvety texture mixes with butter and cream to create a side that's easy to pile high on your plate. Plus, you can make the case that mashed potatoes can be a whole meal on their own. Skeptical? Just look at this list. Want an irresistible side that'll be the talk of the potluck? Our cheesy Bacon and Blue Mashed Potato Bake does the trick. If you want to sneak in some greens, whip up our Mashed Potatoes and Rutabaga with Collards and the kids won't even know they've had their helping of vegetables for the evening. So, if you're searching for the best mashed potatoes recipe, look no further—we're sure these will be a smashing success. 01 of 18 Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Buttermilk and crème fraîche combine forces for ultra-decadent mashed potatoes, with just a little heat thanks to white pepper. You can also reheat these in a slow cooker or a tightly covered baking dish if you have leftovers. 02 of 18 Fried Mashed Potato Balls Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Recipe: Fried Mashed Potato Balls You know what they say; everything's better fried. Fried mashed potatoes are guaranteed to be a hit at the dinner table. This recipe even uses refrigerated mashed potatoes to keep it simple and cut down on active time. 03 of 18 Mashed Potatoes and Rutabaga with Collards Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Mashed Potatoes and Rutabaga with Collards Whoever said eating greens isn't fun has yet to fold them into mashed potatoes. Positively dripping in butter and cheese, this recipe promises that even the most fervent vegetable haters will lick the plate clean. 04 of 18 Homemade Mashed Potatoes Diana Miller Recipe: Homemade Mashed Potatoes No Southern holiday is complete without a mashed potatoes, and this classic recipe is tried-and-true. It's like spooning a bit of nostalgia onto a your plate. 05 of 18 Caramelized Onion Mashed Potato Bake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Caramelized Onion Mashed Potato Bake Think of this like French onion soup, but none of the broth business. Just creamy, fluffy potatoes intertwined with caramelized onions and Gruyère cheese. You're welcome. 06 of 18 Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Vidalia Onions Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Vidalia Onions Can dairy-free mashed potatoes be delicious? Yes, we say. Absolutely. Chives, plenty of pepper, and Vidalia onions ensure you aren't missing a thing. 07 of 18 Joanna Gaines' Mashed Potatoes Recipe Amy Neunsinger/Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines Recipe: Joanna Gaines' Mashed Potatoes Recipe We love Chip and Joanna Gaines, and if they love these mashed potatoes, then we do, too. Gaines leaves the skin on her potatoes which just adds another layer of goodness to this recipe. 08 of 18 Mashed Potato Casserole Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey Recipe: Mashed Potato Casserole Piled high with Swiss cheese and breadcrumbs, this is a hearty casserole that'll comfort anyone on a chilly evening. We also love the addition of fried onion which reminds us of our favorite green bean casserole. 09 of 18 Mashed Potato Cakes Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Mashed Potato Cakes Mashed potatoes with a crispy exterior? Don't need to ask us twice. With chopped leeks and cheese, this recipe gives new life to last night's mashed potatoes. 10 of 18 Tasty Tex-Mex Mashed Potato Bake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Tasty Tex-Mex Mashed Potato Bake Mashed potatoes could never be boring with these ingredients. Chorizo? Check. Green chiles? Check. Pepper Jack? Check, check. Your guests will love this simple spin on a beloved dish. 11 of 18 Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese Southern Living Recipe: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese This pick is for everyone juggling a long Thanksgiving or holiday menu. Just bring the potatoes to room temperature the day of and bake according to instructions. You can make this comforting side up to two days in advance to help make your holiday at little less hectic. 12 of 18 Onion-Topped Sausage 'n' Mashed Potato Casserole Jennifer Davick; Stylist: Lisa Powell Bailey Recipe: Onion-Topped Sausage 'n' Mashed Potato Casserole On busy weeks, this two-for-one dinner can make any night feel like a special occasion. With a little bit of Italian seasoning and cheese, this recipe brings a extra heartiness to a side-turned-dinner. 13 of 18 Cheesy Potato Casserole Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Cheesy Potato Casserole Sometimes we just need cheese and butter. Our side-dish casserole will warm your soul in the only way that mashed potatoes can. This recipe is the ultimate, hearty side that will also make an impressive presentation on the holiday sideboard. 14 of 18 Bacon and Blue Mashed Potato Bake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Bacon and Blue Mashed Potato Bake A little bit of creamy goat cheese paired with crispy bacon in buttermilk mashed potatoes? Sign us up! This recipe uses a whole wedge of blue cheese, so if you are a true blue lover, you can't miss it. 15 of 18 Mashed Potato Bar Alison Gootee; Styling: Suzonne Stirling Recipe: Mashed Potato Bar This is a surefire way to make sure everyone's happy at the dinner table. With a spread of tasty topping options, there is something for everyone. 16 of 18 Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes Southern Living Recipe: Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes We've made a lot of mashed potatoes over the years, but this recipe is a Test Kitchen favorite. The goat cheese adds and tang and richness that will keep your guests. 17 of 18 Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole Atonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole This recipe takes your classic mashed potatoes to a whole new level. We brown the butter in this recipe to really add to the richness of the dish. 18 of 18 Creamy Spinach Mashed Potato Bake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Creamy Spinach Mashed Potato Bake This is essentially spinach dip with substance. Spinach is just ruffage. What really got us was the buttery garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese call for here. Plus pecans for crunch. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit