Sour cream mashed potatoes are a dish you would be proud to serve your guests. The smooth texture combined with the sour cream, cheese, and the buttermilk give this recipe a slightly tangy taste, which is unforgettable.
Want to try something a bit different with spuds? We think you'll love our colcannon and duchess potatoes.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Starchy potato. In the US, use Yukon gold, russet, or Idaho potatoes for the smoothest and fluffiest mashed potatoes. A waxy potato won't give you the same results.
- Cooking method: Use peeled, cubed potatoes for a smooth texture. Cook in salted water, as the potatoes will absorb water and flavor as they cook. Cook until fork or knife tender.
- Drain and rinse with hot water to remove excess starch. Place back in the hot pot to remove more excess water. Drying out the potatoes first will help them absorb more sour cream.
- Use a stand mixer for fluffy potatoes. It will also save time and your arm, so you don't have to hand mash them.
- Add other ingredients gradually in this order butter, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper, buttermilk and chives. Use a spatula to help scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. This is a very important step. Mashed potatoes require salt to make them taste just right. Taste, stir, repeat until it's perfect.
Ingredients
The ingredients for our sour cream mashed potatoes are all pantry staples and are easy to find at your local grocery store. Let's talk about the key ingredients.
- Potatoes: We used 5 pounds of russets that are scrubbed, peeled, and cubed.
- Dairy: We used sour cream, salted butter, buttermilk, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. You can also use Asiago.
- Spices: We used salt and black pepper to taste.
- Vegetables: We used three tablespoons of chopped chives, but you can substitute with green onions.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients to make this recipe. To start the prep, scrub, peel, and cut up the spuds to a similar size. Grate the cheese and chop up the chives.
- Dump them into a large pot and cover them with cold water, add coarse salt (roughly a tablespoon). Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes or fork tender.
- Drain into a colander, and rinse with hot water. Place back into the hot pot for a few minutes so they dry out more.
3. Transfer them into the bowl of a standing mixer. Put on low speed until they are smooth, then add the butter, cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, and spices. Beat on low, then medium speed, until smooth and fluffy. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or sour cream. Add most of the chives, reserving some for garnish at the very end.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl or keep warm in a crock pot. Garnish with more chives and cracked black pepper.
Recipe FAQs
Russet or Yukon Gold, which is a type of yellow potato, are the best because they are high in starch. Red or white spuds are waxy and should be avoided, as they could turn into a paste when mashed.
Yes, you can, but you won't get that tang! We love using a blend of sour cream, butter, and buttermilk to give mashed spuds great flavor and a thick, creamy texture.
Yes, that's our preferred method. Peeling and cutting in advance make the whole process much easier and the spuds cook more quickly.
Yes, the mashed spuds do have a subtle tang of sour cream that taste amazing, and give them a more complex flavor.
Serve
These spuds taste amazing when served with other meaty main course entrees like our Salisbury steak, pan seared pork chops, roast turkey, spiral ham, and Scottish steak pie.
Round out your meal with a healthy vegetable side dish, a crisp green salad, and a slice of freshly baked bread.
Store
- Make Ahead: This recipe can be made the day before and reheated, or kept warm in a crock pot.
- Leftovers: Allow to cool and place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Since there is so much sour cream in these potatoes, they don't freeze well; the water in the sour cream separates from the potatoes when they are thawed. If you want to freeze the potatoes, omit the sour cream.
- Reheat: Place in an oven proof dish at 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through, or place in a pot over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Add more butter or buttermilk.
Variations
- Want a healthier dish? Use low-fat cheese, sour cream, and milk.
- Don't want to peel the spuds? They'll taste great, but the texture won't be as smooth.
- Optional add ins: Scallions, crumbled bacon, roasted smashed garlic
Expert Tips
- Put the spuds in cold, salted water and bring the pot to a boil.
- Make sure they're fork tender or they will be lumpy when whipped.
- Use a stand mixer to make them fluffy.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more salt, sour cream, or buttermilk as needed.
- Make ahead and keep in a crock pot with the temperature on the warm setting.
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Recipe
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes
- 2 cups sour cream
- 7 tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
- Wash and peel the spuds, then cut them into bite-sized chunks and place in a large pot of col, salted water.
- Bring them to a boil, then simmer until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse them with hot water. Place back in hot pot to remove excess water for a few minutes.
- Dump them into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low speed until smooth.
- Add the butter, cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, salt, and pepper into the bowl, mixing until evenly blended.
- Beat them on medium, then high speed until smooth. If they are too thick, add more sour cream or buttermilk to get the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or sour cream. Stir in most of the chopped chives, reserving some for garnish.
- Garnish with cracked pepper and chives. Serve warm.
Notes
- Put the spuds in cold water and bring the pot to a boil.
- Make sure they're fork tender or they will be lumpy when whipped.
- Use a standing mixer to whip them to make them fluffy.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more salt, sour cream, or buttermilk as needed.
- Make ahead and keep in a crock pot with the temperature on the warm setting.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
This recipe post was originally published on September 22, 2017. It was updated on October 19, 2018 with new photos and content. It was updated with resized photos and new content on November 18, 2022.
Viviana
Hello Brooke and Emma,
Want to do the sour cream mashed potatoes recipe for Christmas Day lunch. I managed to buy the buttermilk, but unfortunately did not find the sour cream. I know that I can use whipped cream and lemon to make homemade sour cream but I was wondering if instead of cream if I can use Greek yoghurt.
Thank you.
Love your blog.
Merry Christmas
Emma
Thank you, Viviana! Greek yoghurt would be the best substitute for sour cream in this recipe. Enjoy!
Alex
These creamy mashed potatoes are smooth and fluffy. The chives accent the sour cream nicely. Mashed potatoes are my favorite food in the whole world! 🥔🌎
Emma
I'm so glad to hear that, Alex! I really like mashed potatoes, too.
Beth
I adore mashed potatoes 🥔 ! They taste really good with chives. These mashed potatoes are very creamy and smooth.
Emma
I agree--chives make mashed potatoes so much better!
Pam
I am roasting a turkey tomorrow, so I will give your giblet gravy recipe a try and the sour cream mashed potatoes too, ha - - since I never meet a potato I didn't like : )
Brooke
So glad that you are trying the giblet gravy and sour cream mashed potatoes recipes! Please share how it turned out. I also will be roasting a turkey tomorrow and making giblet gravy!