Sour cream and Chive Creamy Mashed Potatoes
“I don’t trust people who don’t like potatoes”
“If I were to be stranded on an island, all I would need is a cooked potato”
“Potatoes are my favorite fruit” (and yes…I know they aren’t actually a fruit)
These are all phrases I say at least once a month. I think the moral of the story is…WHO doesn’t love potatoes?
Holidays, birthdays, date nights, or just a rainy day…potatoes always seem to deliver, and this specific mashed potato recipe is my go-to. Not only do I love the flavor profile of sour cream and chives with potatoes, but this cooking method seems to render the creamiest results.
For years I have gone out to restaurants and always wondered HOW the chefs got their potatoes so smooth. Don’t get me wrong I love a chunky smashed potato, but nothing beats a smooth mashed potato without a lump in sight, perfect for draping hot gravy on top and letting it all melt in your mouth.
The answer? A potato ricer! I’ve watched Food Network for years and seen ricers being used but never had one of my own. I didn’t think it would make that big of a difference but one day I caved and decided to buy one when I was hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and let me tell you…it’s a game changer! It’s also not for the weak, which is why it’s my husband's job haha. They make it look so easy on TV! You just need to make sure that if you are using a ricer you allow your potatoes to really cook so they are soft to squeeze through those tiny little holes.
The other little trick to creamy mashed potatoes is heating all the ingredients you want to add vs. putting cold butter or cream into the hot potatoes and cooling them down. It doesn't take long, and you are really just getting everything warm so once combined with the hot potatoes you can stir quickly and serve without having to overwork the potatoes.
Potatoes are hard to mess up, but there is one mistake people make that will completely ruin an entire batch, and thats over whipping or overworking them. They start to form a chalky paste, and it does NOT taste good. There is a lot of starch in potatoes so if you overwhip them, that starch will turn into a glue. This is why a stand mixer, hand mixer, or emersion blender are all no-nos if you’re trying to make creamy potatoes.
The only other way you can really mess up potatoes is if they are undercooked…so be patient! When you stick a fork in the potato to check to see if it's done it should pretty much break the potato in half and not even allow for you to hold it up in the air on the fork because it’s so soft.
Recipe Instructions
- Peel and roughly cut potatoes into 1’ cubes
- Put potatoes in cold water with lots of salt (about 3 tbsp)
- Place pot of potatoes on the stove on medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil
- Let cook for about 10-15 minutes or until a fork can easily slide through your largest pieces of potatoes
- Drain potatoes then immediately mash using a masher or for extra creamy potatoes use a potato ricer
- In a separate pot melt the butter, add the heavy whipping cream and sour cream, and heat on medium heat until warmed (do not bring to a boil)
- Add all warm cream ingredients to the riced or mashed potatoes and stir together with a wooden spoon.
- Once mixed well and potatoes are smooth and creamy add chives and lots of salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with extra chives and serve immediately.
