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Elevate your mealtime with these luxuriously creamy, Mashed Potatoes For One. Created with a blend of milk and cream, this single serve mashed potatoes recipe takes an ordinary spud and transforms it into a heavenly dish. It’s the ideal comfort food to enjoy whether you’re cooking for one or having an intimate dinner.
Want more single serving side dish recipes? Try my buttery Sautéed Green Beans, the best Small Batch Cornbread, a creamy Broccoli Casserole, or our rich Risotto.
Why You’ll Love This Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Unparalleled Creaminess: Cooking potatoes in milk and cream instead of water sets a new standard for creaminess.
- Robust Flavor: The thoughtful blend of garlic, ground coriander, and stone-ground mustard adds a gourmet flair.
- Quick Satisfaction: No need to wait for holidays or family gatherings; satisfy your cravings in under 30 minutes.
- Perfectly Portioned: Say goodbye to leftovers. This recipe makes just enough for you or adds a side to a dinner for two.
- Adaptable for Guests: Hosting a get-together? The recipe doubles or triples seamlessly to cater to more guests.
Ingredients
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes are my top pick for this recipe. Their natural buttery flavor and creamy texture make them the ultimate choice for mashed potatoes. If you’ve got extra potatoes, consider using them in Shepherd’s Pie or Beef Stew.
- Milk: Feel free to use any milk—skim, whole, or anything in between. The choice of milk won’t dramatically change the texture but can slightly alter the fat content.
- Heavy cream: This is the secret to achieving that indulgent, creamy texture. If you’re going for ultra-creamy mashed potatoes, you can even skip the milk and use only heavy cream. For a lighter version, half-and-half can be used in place of heavy cream. If you’ve got leftover cream, consider using some in Chicken Alfredo, a Crustless Pizza Quiche, or a Strawberry Milkshake.
- Flavor Enhancers: Garlic, ground coriander, stone-ground mustard, salt, and pepper infuse the potatoes with rich, multidimensional flavor. Feel free to adjust the spices according to your taste. For a different spin, try adding a bit of smoked paprika or grated Parmesan.
- Butter: Salted butter adds that extra oomph of flavor and creaminess. Unsalted butter can be used, but you may need to adjust the added salt to taste.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil brings a robust, authentic olive flavor to the dish, making it my go-to choice. It also retains more nutrients than other olive oil varieties. If you prefer a milder taste, a light olive oil will do the trick.
How To Make Mashed Potatoes For One
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small batch of mashed potatoes. See the recipe below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Chop the potatoes into quarters and place them in a small saucepan. Add the milk, cream, garlic, and coriander and stir. Add a little extra milk or cream if the potatoes are not almost completely covered by the liquid.
- Cook on medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender and the tip of a knife easily goes through.
- When the potatoes are tender, put a bowl on the counter and a colander inside that bowl. Pour the potatoes through the colander, and the cream will collect in the bowl.
- Put the potatoes back into the pot and pour some of the garlic-infused cream over them. Mash the potatoes with either a potato masher or an immersion blender.
- Add butter, olive oil, and stone ground mustard and stir. Add more of the reserved cream, if necessary so that the mashed potatoes are the consistency you prefer.
What To Serve With Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are the ultimate side dish. They pair well with everything from a juicy steak to a vegetable casserole.
- Roast Chicken: The creamy texture complements the juicy meat of a well-roasted chicken.
- Beef Tenderloin: For an upscale dinner, serve these creamy mashed potatoes next to a succulent beef tenderloin.
- BBQ Ribs: Elevate your comfort food game by pairing these creamy mashed potatoes with succulent BBQ ribs. The smoky, tangy flavors of the ribs perfectly complement the rich and buttery texture of the potatoes.
- Vegetable Casserole: Imagine a colorful medley of roasted vegetables and melted cheese, all baked to perfection. The creamy texture of the mashed potatoes acts as a wonderful counterpoint to the varied textures and flavors in the vegetable casserole.
Expert Tips
- Choose Yukon Gold Potatoes: For the creamiest and most flavorful mashed potatoes, Yukon Golds are the way to go. Their naturally buttery taste enhances the overall dish.
- Personalize with Herbs and Spices: Don’t hesitate to make this recipe your own. Incorporate your favorite herbs like rosemary or thyme to kick the flavor up a notch.
- Mustard Variations: While stone-ground mustard adds a unique depth to the dish, you can easily substitute it with Dijon mustard for a smoother, more refined flavor profile.
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Meatless Meals
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely, you can prepare these mashed potatoes in advance and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just be sure to cover them tightly. When you’re ready to enjoy them again, add a dollop of butter for extra creaminess and reheat in the microwave. This storage tip is great for meal planning and ensures you’ll have a delicious side dish ready in minutes.
Absolutely, you can easily double this mashed potatoes recipe. Simply double the amount of each ingredient and switch to a larger pot to accommodate the increased volume.
You can use a fork or a whisk to mash the potatoes. However, a potato masher or an immersion blender will produce a smoother and creamier texture.
For optimal results, a 2-quart saucepan works best. For best results, please use a pan of similar size.
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
More Delicious Potato Recipes To Explore
Craving more potato goodness? Discover a world of flavors with these other single serving and small batch potato recipes:
If you’ve tried these creamy mashed potatoes or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mashed Potatoes For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- potato masher optional
Ingredients
- 2 medium Gold potatoes , quartered and unpeeled
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled and smashed
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
- Chop the potatoes into quarters and place them in a small saucepan. Add the milk, cream, garlic, and coriander and stir. Add a little extra milk or cream if the potatoes are not almost completely covered by the liquid.
- Cook on medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender and the tip of a knife easily goes through.
- When the potatoes are tender, put a bowl on the counter and a colander inside that bowl. Pour the potatoes through the colander, and the cream will collect in the bowl.
- Put the potatoes back into the pot and mash them with either a potato masher or an immersion blender. Next, take some of the garlic-infused cream and fold it back into the potatoes until smooth and creamy.
- Fold in the butter, olive oil and the stone ground mustard.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve.
Notes
- Opt for Yukon Gold Potatoes: For the creamiest and most flavorful mashed potatoes, Yukon Golds are the way to go. Their naturally buttery taste enhances the overall dish.
- Personalize with Herbs and Spices: Don’t hesitate to make this recipe your own. Incorporate your favorite herbs like rosemary or thyme to kick the flavor up a notch.
- Mustard Variations: While stone-ground mustard adds a unique depth to the dish, you can easily substitute it with Dijon mustard for a smoother, more refined flavor profile.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
We really enjoyed the potatoes. I only had russett so maybe not as creamy as should have been. I did need to monitor the cooking in cream and milk to keep from overboiling. I had to cook on med low. The addition of the mustard was something I have never heard of but we didn’t mind it. I will make it again but with the gold potatoes. Served it with your mini Turkey Meatloaf.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them.
All good – Except – milk scalds good cookware and is very difficult to remove! Potatoes should have cooked in the microwave if using milk.
I actually disagree. I’ve never had an issue with ruining cookware or difficulty cleaning cookware after making mashed potatoes this way. I also would not recommend making this mashed potatoes recipe in the microwave. The potatoes should be cooked on the stove and if the mashed potatoes were cooked following this recipe and on medium-high heat, not high heat, there should not be a problem.
Would it be ok to use dijon mustard instead of stone ground?
Yes.
so happppy since I (ashamed) have been eating those instant cup mashed potatoes….now I can enjoy the home made version!!! yipppeee
what happens to the rest of the liquid after step 3?
Not all of the liquid will be used. Slowly add back the liquid, a little at a time until you arrive at the consistency you like.
thank you 🙂
Is there a reason the potatoes are unpeeled in this recipe, or is it just personal preference?
It sounds so wonderful!
It’s personal preference and also because the skin on Yukon Gold potatoes is thinner and I don’t believe that peeling them is necessary.
You can't go wrong with mashed potatoes! This dish looks fantastic!
I love your Thanksgiving for One series! It's the perfect size for me when my husband is away on business!
These look so creamy and delicious!
These mashed potatoes look WONDERFUL! And I love that you've made a recipe for a single person — that is REALLY helpful!
Thank you, Jennifer!