Classic Mashed Potatoes with Butter and Milk
A favorite side dish made by the book - never gets boring! Mashed potatoes are traditionally made with butter and milk. They pair with any main - meat, fish, poultry, or offal. Kids and adults love them. The key is a few details to make them airy and tasty.
Updated : 27 January, 2026
Easy
About 20 min.
Ingredients
1 kilograms
Potato
200 milliliters
Milk
50 grams
Butter
to taste
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to make mashed potatoes with butter and milk? Prepare the ingredients. Choose starchy potatoes that break down well - those make the tastiest mash. Any milk fat percentage works. Choose high-quality butter with no vegetable additives.
Step 2
Wash the potatoes well under running water using a brush, then peel them. Cut large potatoes into a few pieces so they cook faster. Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with clean cold water. Filtered or bottled water is best so there’s no tap-water taste. The water should fully cover the potatoes. Use a larger pot - the water will boil vigorously.
Step 3
Cook the potatoes over medium heat. Once the water boils, lower the heat so it keeps simmering but doesn’t boil over. Salt to taste. Cook for 20-30 minutes, depending on the variety and the size of the pieces. Check doneness with a knife - it should pierce the potato easily.
Step 4
Drain all the water. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. At this stage the mash won’t be perfectly smooth because there’s no liquid yet.
Step 5
Put the butter into a small saucepan and pour in the milk. Heat just until it comes to a boil, then immediately start pouring the hot milk-butter mixture into the mashed potatoes. If you add cold milk, the mash can turn gray, sticky, and unpleasant - always warm the milk first. Add it in small portions, mashing thoroughly each time.
Step 6
Now the mash will become smooth. The more you mash, the fluffier it will be. I don’t recommend using a mixer at this stage - it can make the mash gluey. Adjust thickness with the amount of milk you pour in. If needed, boil a little more milk. Choose the consistency you like.
Step 7
Serve the mashed potatoes right away. Enjoy!
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