If there’s one other ingredient crucial to making the best mashed potatoes, it’s butter. The richness, the creaminess, the comfort… butter just makes the fluffy, savory peaks of potato all the better. Extra Buttery Mashed Potatoes agree, which is why they upped the butter as high as it can go! The result is potatoes just bursting with butter flavor, and ready to be served with, you guessed it, even more butter. If Thanksgiving is the holiday of indulgence, then Extra Buttery Mashed Potatoes are the side dish to match!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 3 sprigs thyme, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, plus more for serving
- ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Place the potatoes in a large pot.
Step 2 –Pour in enough cold water to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch.
Step 3 –Add 1 tablespoon of the salt.
Step 4 –Bring the water to a boil.
Step 5 –Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are very tender but not saturated or crumbly, about 20-25 minutes.
Step 6 –Drain the potatoes.
Step 7 –Return the potato to the pot and place the pot over low heat.
Step 8 –Gently stir the potatoes until dry, about 1 minute. This helps improve the texture of the mashed potatoes.
Step 9 –Heat the milk, the thyme, the bay leaves, and 3/4 cup of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted.
Step 10 –Transfer the butter mixture from the heat.
Step 11 –Pass the hot potatoes through a ricer or begin mashing them in the pot.
Step 12 –Discard the herbs from the butter mixture.
Step 13 –Gradually add the butter mixture to the potatoes, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until combined and smooth.
Step 14 –Taste the potatoes for seasoning.
Step 15 –Serve with the extra butter.
