Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Creamy mashed potatoes are an essential part of many cozy fall and winter meals. Potato enthusiasts may disagree on the perfect mashed potato consistency, but one thing is certain: It’s the gravy that can make a good potato even better. Mashed potatoes and gravy take about 25 minutes, placing them in the quick Thanksgiving sides category. They’re easy enough to make on hectic, busy days, yet delicious enough to include on your Thanksgiving menu and with your impressive Christmas dinner ideas.

How to Make Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

There are a few keys to creamy potatoes. First, choose the right type of potato for mashing. Russet is a popular choice because it makes for fluffy mashed potatoes. Next, use full-fat dairy products. Even if you use nondairy substitutes for the butter and milk, choose full-fat versions to keep the potatoes rich and creamy. Finally, employ a mashing technique that doesn’t turn the potatoes gummy and gluey. Use a handheld potato masher or a potato ricer. Skip the blender; it makes them gooey.

For the gravy, we prefer to make ours from scratch by starting with a roux. This is a cooked mixture of flour and butter. From there, the addition of stock or broth thickens into a gravy. Seasonings like salt, pepper and herbs are added to give the gravy a finishing savory touch.

Ingredients for Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

• Potatoes: You’ll use peeled potatoes for this recipe to get that lusciously creamy, smooth texture.
• Salt: Most foods taste better with some of salt, but foods like potatoes really need salt to bring out their flavors. Even if you’ve cooked your potatoes perfectly, if they aren’t salted properly, they might just not taste the way you want.
• Butter: We recommend using unsalted butter here so you can control the amount of salt with what you add by hand.
• Garlic cloves: Garlic and butter cook together for the milk mixture in this recipe. They provide a lovely browned, savory edge that brings lots of depth to the potatoes.
• Whole milk: The fat in whole milk helps provide richness in mashed potatoes. You could also sub in a little cream or half-and-half for even more richness.
• Gravy: The gravy starts with butter and flour. Then, you’ll mix in chicken stock to turn the roux into a sauce. Salt, pepper and thyme provide the savory seasoning.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the potatoes

Place the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a stockpot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the stockpot.

Editor’s Tip: You’ll season the potatoes at different points in this recipe. Here, you’re cooking them in salt water so they can deeply absorb some seasoning as they boil.

Step 2: Cook the garlic

Mark Derse for Taste of Home

While the potatoes cook, place the butter and garlic in a small saucepan. Cook them over medium heat until the garlic is browned in the butter, about one minute.

Editor’s Tip: Be sure to stir the garlic in this step or you risk burning it. You want it golden all around.

Step 3: Add the milk

Mark Derse for Taste of Home

Add the milk to the garlic mixture in the saucepan. Heat the mixture until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Keep the mixture warm.

Editor’s Tip: Again, stir here as the milk mixture cooks to prevent burning or scalding. To keep it warm, you can cover it and keep it over very low heat on the stovetop. Check it every few minutes and give it a stir.

Step 4: Mash the potatoes

Mark Derse for Taste of Home

Mash the drained potatoes in the stockpot while gradually adding the milk mixture until you get your desired consistency. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.

Step 5: Make the roux for the gravy

Mark Derse for Taste of Home

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until the mixture is smooth, whisking constantly.

Editor’s Tip: As you cook the flour and butter, you can let it cook for just a minute or so for a blonde roux with a light, golden flavor. Or, you can cook it for several minutes, stirring, until the flour turns a darker brown color and takes on a deep, savory flavor.

Step 6: Finish the gravy

Mark Derse for Taste of Home

Gradually whisk the broth, salt, pepper and thyme into the roux. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until the gravy is thickened, one to two minutes.

Mark Derse for Taste of Home

Serve the gravy over the mashed potatoes.

Mark Derse for Taste of Home

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Variations

• Use buttermilk instead of whole milk: Swap out the milk for whole buttermilk for the same creaminess, but with an extra hint of tang to balance all the buttery flavors.
• Keep the skins on: For the same rich, indulgent potatoes but with a bit more texture and earthiness, follow the recipe but use unpeeled potatoes. The skins will give your mashed ‘taters a little more personality.
• Get more inspiration: Our recipe for traditional mashed potatoes features even more variations for you to try out, like giving mashed potatoes a poutine topping or adding breadcrumbs on top.

How to Store Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

You can store your mashed potatoes and gravy much like the way you store your other leftover foods: in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How long do mashed potatoes and gravy last?

To store your mashed potatoes and gravy, let them cool, then store the two components separately in airtight containers. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to four days. If they become too dried out to enjoy, mix in a bit of water or milk, or repurpose them in dozens of recipes for leftover mashed potatoes.

Can you freeze mashed potatoes and gravy?

Yes, you can freeze both mashed potatoes and gravy quite easily. Let them cool completely, then store them separately in freezer containers. They’ll last in the freezer for up to three months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator before reheating them.

How do you reheat mashed potatoes and gravy?

To reheat your mashed potatoes and gravy, you can place the potatoes in an oven-safe dish, then cover them with foil and bake them at 350°F until they’re warmed through. For the gravy, you can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop, stirring as needed to make it smooth again.

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Tips

Mark Derse for Taste of Home

What’s the best way to mash potatoes?

We typically stick with mashing methods that let us do the work by hand so we can monitor how much work the potatoes get. Overmixing them can turn them gluey, tacky and generally unappealing. We like to use a handheld potato masher or a potato ricer.

How do you thicken gravy for mashed potatoes?

The tastiest way to thicken your gravy is to make another flour-butter roux, then add it to the gravy, whisking until the mixture thickens. You can also make a cornstarch slurry, though it won’t give you the same rich flavor and truly buttery feel. Our article on how to fix gravy will walk you through your options.

What can you serve with mashed potatoes and gravy?

To make a complete meal, we recommend you serve your mashed potatoes and gravy with a savory protein, a side of greens and/or colorful vegetables, and a sweet-savory fruit dish. A holiday turkey might be the most obvious, but there are so many other options.

For your protein, choose from steak recipes, roast chicken or even tofu recipes. Roasted Brussels sprouts dotted with cranberries, southern collard greens or creamy, crunchy coleslaws make perfect sides. Fried onions and apples are an interestingly sweet side that pairs well with starchy potatoes.