The Easiest Mashed Potatoes You'll Ever Make

The secret to the perfect texture of these easy mashed potatoes is a combination of uber starchy russets and creamy-dense Yukon Gold potatoes. Mixed together, they yield mashed potatoes that are simultaneously fluffy and creamy. (Alternatively, you can swap both for sweet potatoes, if you prefer.)

Half-and-half adds a little extra richness to this recipe, but whole milk would also work. For a smoother texture, you can pass the potatoes through a ricer instead of using a masher.

To make this classic side dish in advance, simply cook the potatoes and mash them with butter only. Chill the mixture until ready to use and then gently reheat. Warm up the half-and-half separately and gradually add it into the warm potatoes before serving.

Delicious kept plain, there are also a few easy ways to spruce up these spuds. For tangy mashed potatoes swap out one cup half-and-half for one cup whole buttermilk. For garlic taters, add six peeled cloves to the cooking water. Or for cheesy mashed potatoes, fold 3/4 cup grated Parmesan into the mixture. Those are just three ideas, but you can build and create more flavor combinations from there.