The Best Addition To Mashed Potatoes Adds A Creamy, Tangy Touch

We've all had a love affair with mashed potatoes. Whether it's on your Thanksgiving plate mingling with the turkey and green beans under a blanket of gravy, or it's your favorite side to pair with steak for dinner on any random evening, mashed potatoes are truly a culinary heavy lifter. But is there anything more disappointing than taking a bite of this beloved side dish to find out they're dry, lumpy, and flavorless? Don't despair — there's an easy trick to make your mashed potatoes richer and smoother: cream cheese.

Next time you're peeling potatoes for mashing, check your fridge to see if there's a block of cream cheese that you need to use up. The simplicity of adding this one extra ingredient will make your mashed potatoes perfectly creamy and give it a subtle tang, which helps cut through the richness of the butter and milk. The flavor of cream cheese also matches nicely with other ingredients commonly added to mashed potatoes, such as garlic, chives, and other cheeses.

Along with bringing delectable texture and great flavor, adding cream cheese to mashed potatoes is easy and doesn't require any extra steps. All you have to do is dump softened cream cheese in with your butter and milk before mashing up the cooked potatoes. Exactly how much cream cheese you need depends on how many people you're feeding. In general, two average sized russet or Yukon gold potatoes yields about one cup of mashed potatoes. If you're feeding six to eight people (or just want plenty of leftovers for yourself), you'll want to use about five or so potatoes, and an entire 8-ounce brick of cream cheese. Adjust accordingly based on how big of a crowd you're expecting.

Remember, the cream cheese is an addition to the mashed potatoes, not a replacement for the butter or milk. You will still want to add both of those ingredients to the potatoes before mashing to ensure the consistency stays creamy, and doesn't get too thick. Plus, the tangy flavor of the cream cheese and richness of the milk and butter complement each other, so adding them all together only means tastier potatoes. Next time you're on mashed potato duty for a holiday gathering or just a normal dinner with family, try incorporating cream cheese into your recipe. You'll probably get asked to make them again ... and again ... and again.