Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

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You can stop looking for the perfect mashed potatoes because these Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes are the dreamiest, creamiest side dish ever. Soft, buttery, and full of flavor, they stay light and fluffy thanks to a few key steps that really make a difference. The cream cheese adds richness without turning heavy, and the texture is smooth enough to make anyone at the table pause mid-bite. They’re not just another “holiday” mashed potato… they’re the mashed potatoes you’ll make on repeat.

 

Ingredient Notes + Variations

These mashed potatoes with cream cheese are made with simple ingredients that work perfectly together to make the silkiest, most flavorful mash. Each one has a job to do, so don’t skip them!

• Potatoes: Use Idaho (russet) potatoes for that classic fluffy texture. Yukon Golds work too if you like a creamier, slightly buttery flavor.
• Butter: Softened butter melts right in, creating that rich, glossy finish everyone loves.
• Cream Cheese: The secret to smooth, dreamy mashed potatoes. It adds just enough tang and creaminess to take them from good to wow.
• Whole Milk: Warm it before mixing to keep the potatoes from seizing up and help everything blend together.
• Salt and Pepper: Use plenty of salt! Potatoes need seasoning to shine.
• Chives: Optional, but that pop of green adds color and a little freshness on top.

How to Make Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are easy to make, and they’re basically impossible to mess up once you follow the steps below. For full recipe details, including ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card down below.

Step 1: Prep Your Potatoes

I wash and peel my potatoes with a sharp vegetable peeler. After they are washed and rinsed, cut them into large, evenly sized pieces.

Step 2: Boil Your Potatoes

Add your cubed potatoes into a large pot of salted water and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until fork tender. My only note here is to be sure to not overcook your potatoes! Overcooking will water log your potatoes and give you a bit of a grainy texture that mashing won’t correct. As soon as they are fork-tender, drain them! Read more about How Long To Boil Potatoes.

Step 3: Dry Potatoes Before Mashing

In my recipe card instructions below, it says to return the potatoes to the hot pan right after draining. Don’t skip this step! Doing this helps “steam” the potatoes and remove any extra moisture. We don’t want to taste that starchy cooking liquid, so evaporating as much of it as possible really helps taste (and overall texture).

Step 4: Mash Your Potatoes!

This is a personal preference thing. I like mashing my potatoes by hand (my favorite masher here), but some choose to use a potato ricer, hand mixer or even a stand mixer! My only caution is don’t over mix! You can go from fluffy delicious potatoes to a gloopy, starchy mess in a hurry, especially when using an electric mixer. You should be fine if mashing by hand.

If using a ricer: Set a large bowl on the counter and fit a potato ricer over it. Working in batches, scoop a few pieces of hot potato into the ricer and press down firmly so they push through the small holes. Keep going until all the potatoes are riced.*

Step 5: Add Salt, Pepper, Butter + Cream Cheese

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, butter, and cream cheese directly to the hot riced potatoes, stirring until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Step 6: Serve + Garnish

Spoon into a serving dish, swirl the top, and add a few pats of butter and fresh chives.

Pro Tip: To effectively use a potato masher, begin gently pressing down until the large chunks break apart. Then, switch to more deliberate mashing motions (press and twist) to smooth things out.

Tips for Success

• For extra richness, swap half the milk for heavy cream.
• Use warm milk, not cold, to keep the potatoes creamy and lump-free.
• Rice, don’t whip. A potato ricer or hand masher gives you the best texture.
• Always salt your cooking water… it’s the first step to flavorful mashed potatoes.
• Work quickly while everything’s warm, so the butter and cream cheese melt perfectly.

What to Serve with Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

• Best Meatloaf Recipe – If you’re not serving meatloaf with mashed potatoes, you’re doing it wrong.
• Roast Chicken – Classic comfort food duo that never fails.
• Homemade Turkey Gravy – Drizzle it over the top for pure comfort.
• Green Bean Casserole – Adds texture and freshness to the plate.
• Dinner Rolls – Because scooping potatoes onto a roll is a power move.

These Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes deserve a spot at every table. They’re rich, silky, and completely foolproof, thanks to the cream cheese that makes them extra creamy without being heavy. Once you taste how smooth and flavorful they are, you’ll start finding excuses to make them again and again. The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!

Variations

Since this is such a simple recipe, you can easily add different ingredients to fit your dinner style. Feel free to customize this recipe to your liking! Here are a couple of ideas to get you started.

• Roasted Garlic – for the garlic lovers and for the Italian style dishes. Try roasting your garlic beforehand for an extra-strong flavor. Or use my Garlic Mashed Potato Recipe.
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes – sweet potatoes are a seriously delicious alternative to Idaho potatoes and are still perfect for the holidays.
• Cajun Seasoning – this is a great way to spice up your potatoes. Add as much or as little as you want.
• Loaded Potatoes – I already have a recipe for this! Check it out here: Loaded Smashed Potatoes.
• Twice Baked Potatoes – Mashed potatoes are placed back into the skins and then loaded up with cheese and other goodies.

More Potato Recipes to Try

• Funeral Potatoes
• Pan Fried Potatoes
• Fail-Proof Baked Potato Recipe
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Fondant Potatoes

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.