If you’ve been looking for the perfect mashed potato recipe, these Creamy Ranch Mashed Potatoes are for you. With easy-to-find ingredients and minimal prep time, these are sure to become a favorite.
Ingredients
You can make the most flavorful mashed potatoes with only a handful of simple ingredients!
- Russet Potatoes – These are the most common type of potatoes for mashed potatoes. Be sure to rinse and scrub them before using them in the recipe.
- Butter – Butter gives the potatoes their rich texture. I prefer unsalted so that I can control the saltiness of the potatoes but you can use salted if that’s what you have on hand.
- Sour Cream – I use this to give the potatoes a touch of tanginess and a creamy texture.
- Dry Ranch Seasoning – You can have ranch mashed potatoes with out the ranch! Use the dry seasoning for concentrated flavor.
- Fresh Chives – These give the potatoes a pop of color and fresh flavor.
- Fresh Dill – Dill also adds color and jazzes up the potatoes with its herbaceousness.
Variations
It’s easy to switch up these easy mashed potatoes!
- Cheese – Blend in some cheddar, parmesan, or your favorite cheese.
- Garlic – Add roasted garlic for a deep, earthy flavor and a little kick!
- Bacon – You know what they say — bacon makes everything better!
- Cream Cheese – Swap out some or all of the sour cream for cream cheese.
- Heat – Spice these up with some cayenne pepper powder, crushed red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.
- Cauliflower – Replace some or all of the potatoes with this veggie to make mashed cauliflower.
How to Make Ranch Mashed Potatoes
It only takes a few easy steps to make this delicious dish!
- Prep the potatoes. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel the potatoes before dicing them into cubes. Then place them in the pot and fill it with water before draining it and refilling with water so that the diced potatoes are completely submerged.
- Cook the potatoes. Place the pot on the stove and heat until the water boils. Continue to allow the water to boil until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Drain. Pour the potatoes and water into a colander. Once the water has drained off, pour the potatoes back into the pot.
- Mash. Place the sour cream, ranch seasoning, and most of the butter into the pot with the potatoes and use a potato masher to completely combine. Then, fold the fresh dill and chives into the potatoes.
- Serve. In intervals, melt the rest of the butter in the microwave (or melt it on the stovetop). Then, spoon the potatoes into a bowl for serving and pour the butter over top. Sprinkle more of the herbs over the potatoes and serve.
What to Serve with Ranched Mashed Potatoes
Is there anything you can’t serve with mashed potatoes? That’s questionable… Of course, you have your classics like stuffed meatloaf and roast beef, but maybe also try them with BBQ Meatballs or Instant Whole Chicken.
Pair with veggies like this broccolini recipe or grilled broccoli. And leftovers can be used to make mashed potato cups.
Storage and Freezing
These potatoes stay fresh for several days and are easy to warm back up. Just place them in an oven-safe dish, dot the top with some fresh butter, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes until heated through.
How to Store Ranch Mashed Potatoes
You can store any leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge. They can be made into mashed potato cups or even used in a loaded baked potato casserole.
Can I Freeze Mashed Potatoes?
Freeze leftover potatoes for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container or resealable freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat on the stove, adding a small amount of milk and butter to make them creamy again.
Common Questions about Ranch Mashed Potatoes
If you cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes it will generally take about 10 minutes, after the pot comes to a boil, to reach the desired tenderness. You will know the potatoes are done when you can pierce them with a fork. They should be tender, but not so soft that they fall apart.
You can soak or rinse the potatoes to lessen the amount of starch which will help your mashed potatoes to be lighter and fluffier.
Yes, you can overwhip potatoes. Mixing the potatoes too much can result in sticky mashed potatoes, so be careful not to over-mix.
My favorite potato for mashing is the russet potato. When cooked, russet potatoes have a soft texture that breaks apart easily and makes them perfect for mashing without having to overwork them.
My second choice would be Yukon gold potatoes. Sometimes I will use a 50/50 mixture of the two for a richer flavor.
Russet – Russets are probably the potato that 90% of mash is made from due to a higher starch content.
Yukon Gold– Also high in starch, these come in second.
Red Potatoes– Lower starch content and therefore higher risk of pasty potatoes.
Plain White – Also low in starch.
More Delicious Potato Recipes
If you’re as big a fan of potatoes as we are you’re going to want to check out some of our other favorites!
Creamy Ranch Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3.5 pounds Russet potatoes
- 12 tablespoons butter , divided
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives , minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill , chopped
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 inch cubes.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water to approximately 2 inches above the potatoes.
- Place the pot on high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for approximately 10 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the warm pot with the burner on low.
- Add 10 tablespoons of the butter, sour cream and the ranch seasoning.
- With a potato masher, mash the potatoes just until they are creamy and smooth. You can also use a ricer or large fork for more texture.
- Stir in the fresh dill and chives.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe dish or in a small pot on the stove.
- Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish and drizzle with melted butter and garnish with additional herbs, if desired.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
These were delicious with my roast dinner this weekend. I used yellow potatoes instead and it worked perfectly!
So delicious and easy to make!
These potatoes are a flavorful and hearty side dish. Can’t wait to make these for my family.
Adding ranch seasoning is totally a game changer. We all had our best mashed potato in a while. 🙂
You had me at mashed potatoes, but those are wonderful flavours. I might have a problem not eating it all before it got to the table. Sharing this one 🙂