Mashed Red-Skinned Potatoes
Mashed Red-skinned Potatoes are an easy side for the holidays or any day of the week. Red potatoes have a different flavor than white or yellow potatoes. They are not quite as buttery as yellow potatoes, but have a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
🍽️ Recipe Name: Mashed Red-Skinned Potatoes
⏰ Ready In: 35 minutes
⏳ Prep Time: 5 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 30 minutes
👥 Serves: 4
🥕Main Ingredients: red potatoes, butter, milk, salt, pepper
🍳 Special Equipment: large saucepan
⭐ Why You’ll Love It: Easy side dish for the holidays or any day. They are creamy, buttery and filling. Serve with gravy or just a pat of butter.
👇 Full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.
What Makes Red Potatoes Special?
Red-skinned potatoes have a thin peel that doesn’t require peeling. Red potatoes have an earthy taste, especially when the skins are left on. Their flesh is moist and creamy, with a firm texture that holds up well in potato salads, soups, and roasted dishes. When mashed, they make a thicker, heartier mash with less fluff than russets.
What You Need
- Red potatoes: Use approximately ½ pound per person.
- Butter: We like to use unsalted butter.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the best texture. You can also use ¾ whole milk and ¼ heavy cream for an even heartier mashed potato.
- Salt and Pepper: Add salt to the cooking water and then taste and add more salt and freshly ground black pepper after mashing, to taste.
How to Make Them
Wash the potatoes. Quarter the potatoes, skin on. Cut larger potatoes into eighths.
Put the washed potatoes in a large pot. Barely cover them with cold water. Add salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a fast simmer. Cook 20-30 minutes until they’re fork-tender. Drain the potatoes very well. Put them on the burner for a couple of minutes to remove excess water. Add the butter and warmed milk.
Mash with a potato masher or a hand mixer. Taste. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Mash the potatoes in the pot rather than pouring them into a large bowl and mashing them. It will save on cleanup.
Pro Tips for Your Success
- Do not overmix the potatoes, especially when using an electric mixer. They can become gluey and there is no fixing them if they do.
- To make the potatoes creamier, just add more milk instead of overmashing.
- The potato skins add sweetness, more fiber and color to the potatoes.
What to do with Leftovers
Leftovers will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. For longer storage, freeze single-serve portions for up to 3 months.
Reheat potatoes in the microwave until hot; be sure to stir occasionally so they heat through evenly. A splash of milk may be added to thin them out, if needed. Pan-fry mashed potatoes in butter until they are crisp and golden on both sides.
Add egg, flour or bread crumbs to make potato cakes or croquettes. Top shepherd’s pies with leftovers.
Variations
- Add roasted garlic to the potatoes when mashing.
- Add fresh parsley or chives for color and flavor.
- Substitute some of the milk with sour cream.
- Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
FAQs
Red potatoes are great mashed. They hold up perfectly for potato salads, roasting and boiling. They aren’t great for deep frying, like French fries or hash browns, but you can shallow-fry them in a frying pan.
No. You don’t need to peel the potatoes before cooking. You can peel them, if you’d prefer, but there is no need to.
Add a bit more warm milk and mash just to combine until you reach the desired consistency.
You can wash and quarter the potatoes 2-3 hours before cooking. This removes some of the starch. Change the water before cooking. Cook and mash them just before serving.
More Easy Sides for the Holidays or any Day
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Green Beans Almondine
- Honeynut Squash
- Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Tools that Make this Recipe Work
Try these creamy mashed potatoes for your next dinner.
Mashed Red Skinned Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red-skinned potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon salt for cooking the potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Don’t peel potatoes; the skins add color, fiber and flavor.
- Quarter the potatoes2 pounds red-skinned potatoes
- Rinse and barely cover them with water.1 tablespoon salt for cooking the potatoes
- Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until they’re tender when pierced with a fork.
- Drain well. Add the butter to the pot. Add ½ cup of the milk.2 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup whole milk
- Beat with an electric mixer or mash with a potato masher. Mash them to your preferred creaminess. Add more milk as needed.
- Taste. Then season with salt and pepper.salt and pepper to taste
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