The Mix-In You Need For The Silkiest Holiday Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes and gravy are usually an asset to the holiday table, unlike certain unpopular Thanksgiving sides like hideously gloppy green bean casserole or unevenly marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes (though the latter may be less off-putting now that sweet and savory flavor pairings are trendy). Still, if there's one dish that deserves permanent exile from Thanksgiving Island, it would have to be lumpy mashed potatoes. How can you avoid this holiday faux pas? Hold on to your socks for this shocking revelation: The creamiest mashed potatoes are the ones made with cream.

Wow, really? Yes, and here's the reason: Whole milk contains only about 4% butterfat while 2% milk, of course, has 2% (hence the name). Half-and-half contains roughly 12% butterfat, while heavy cream has 30% to 35%. (Butter is only about 80% butterfat instead of 100%, go figure.) When it comes to making extra-rich, extra-creamy potatoes, the more butterfat, the better. The holidays come but once a year (depending on which ones you celebrate), so what the heck, break out the good stuff. Make mashed potatoes with whipping cream and a big old hunk of butter, to boot.

Mashed potatoes are usually a reliable vegetarian holiday side (as long as you resist the temptation to add bacon bits, chicken broth, or schmaltz), but you'll need to avoid adding dairy products if you want something vegans can eat. While you could substitute a variety of non-dairy milks for the cream (some vegan mashed potato recipes call for oat milk while others favor pea, almond, or coconut), the problem is that most of these milk substitutes have very distinctive flavors that can clash with the potatoes. 

Sure, canned coconut milk is sufficiently creamy that it often substitutes for heavy cream in dessert recipes. But if a more traditional taste is what you're going for, you're better off sticking with a different product: commercial vegan butter. Or, for a cheaper alternative, margarine. Check the ingredient label for the latter, however, since although most margarines are vegan, a few brands do sneak in some dairy.

Creamy (or cream-ish) vegan mashed potatoes start with choosing the right tubers, and Yukon Golds are highly recommended for their soft texture. Boil the heck out of them, mash them, and mix them with a generous amount of your preferred butter substitute as well as any seasonings you like. (If you're going with garlic, you can add it to the cooking water or sauté it in with the butter.) You'll also want to add a cup or so of the potato cooking water to make the potatoes extra starchy and fluffy.