Food and Recipes Side Dishes 24 Mashed Potatoes Recipes Sure To Be A Suppertime Smash When it comes to potato side dishes, it's hard to beat mashed. By Marissa Wu Marissa Wu Marissa Wu is a writer with a love for home, food, travel, and art stories. She holds a journalism degree from Boston University. When not editing and producing articles or updating the homepage, she's trying new 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. She's currently an Associate SEO Editor for PureWow. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on April 27, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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 24 Mashed Potatoes With Cream Cheese Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox This new recipe is basically a classic mashed potato recipe with one caveat—we swapped your usual milk or cream with cream cheese and sour cream, which yields a totally decadent, creamy result. 02 of 24 Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall 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. 03 of 24 Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox We’ll use our beloved Instant Pots to whip up just about anything, so it was only a matter of time before we developed a mashed potato recipe using the handy kitchen tool. “These are delicious—and beautiful,” wrote one five-star reviewer. 04 of 24 Rutabaga-Sweet Potato Swirl Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Rutabagas are the underdog of the turnip family, but this creamy, beautiful recipe from author Jessica B. Harris puts them front and center. Harris even recommends swapping the sweet potatoes for more rutabagas to let them shine. 05 of 24 Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Tart, tangy sour cream brings a flavor punch to old-fashioned mashed potatoes that milk just can’t. You can doll this recipe up with some fresh garlic or shredded cheese, but it’s wonderful as-is. 06 of 24 Lisa Cericola's Herbed Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis "I'm not big on mashed potatoes throughout the year, but they are required at Thanksgiving," writes Senior Editor Lisa Cericola. "This recipe is ultrarich thanks to butter, half-and-half, cream cheese, and a generous swirl of Herbed Brown Butter on top. It is guaranteed to upstage the other sides on the buffet." 07 of 24 Mashed Sweet Potatoes Emily Laurae/Southern Living With just five ingredients and a bit of hands-on time, you can get an easy, colorful vegetable side dish on your dinner table. We add a bit of maple syrup for sweetness but mostly rely on the sweet potatoes’ natural goodness. 08 of 24 Fried Mashed Potato Balls Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Christina Daley 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. 09 of 24 Mashed Potatoes and Rutabaga with Collards Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch 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. 10 of 24 Homemade Mashed Potatoes Diana Miller 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. 11 of 24 Caramelized Onion Mashed Potato Bake Jennifer Davick 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. 12 of 24 Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Vidalia Onions Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall 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. 13 of 24 Joanna Gaines' Mashed Potatoes Recipe Amy Neunsinger/Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines 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. 14 of 24 Mashed Potato Casserole Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey 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. 15 of 24 Mashed Potato Cakes Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners 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. 16 of 24 Tasty Tex-Mex Mashed Potato Bake Jennifer Davick 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. 17 of 24 Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese Hannah Zimmerman / Southern Living 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. 18 of 24 Onion-Topped Sausage 'n' Mashed Potato Casserole Jennifer Davick; Stylist: Lisa Powell Bailey 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. 19 of 24 Cheesy Potato Casserole Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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. 20 of 24 Bacon and Blue Mashed Potato Bake Jennifer Davick 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. 21 of 24 Mashed Potato Bar Alison Gootee; Styling: Suzonne Stirling 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. 22 of 24 Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes Southern Living 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. 23 of 24 Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole Atonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer 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. 24 of 24 Creamy Spinach Mashed Potato Bake Jennifer Davick 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