What is Thanksgiving without Mashed Potatoes?! Especially The Best Cheesy Mashed Potatoes! This recipe takes classic mashed potatoes and adds rich cheddar cheese and sour cream to make the perfect creamy potato side dish!
Tips and Variations For This Recipe
- A little bit of milk goes a long way. When making any mashed potato recipe, be careful not to over-do-it on the milk. Adding too much milk will take creamy, fluffy potatoes and give them a glue-like consistency.
- Change up the cheese! I’m always one for just using whatever you have on hand. If you have half of a bag of colby-jack or mozzarella cheese, throw it in. There’s really no messing this up!
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to make these, rather than solely a hand-masher. The key to fluffy, clump-free mashed potatoes is an electric mixer.
What You Will Need
- 8-10 medium sized russet potatoes (2.5-3lbs.)
- ½ C. sour cream
- 1½ C. shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼-½ C. milk
- ¼ C. butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
How To Make The Best Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Wash, peel, and chop potatoes into approximately ½ inch pieces. Add the potatoes to a medium-sized pot and add enough water to just cover them.


- Boil the potatoes on high heat for 10-12 minutes, or until you can poke all the way through one with a fork. Strain the water from them, then return them back to the pot. Add the sour cream, cheddar cheese, milk, butter, and salt and pepper. Using a hand mixer, mix the potatoes on medium speed until fully combined and no lumps remain.


- Scoop the potatoes into a serving bowl and add to your Thanksgiving tablescape! This recipe makes approximately 6-8 servings. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


If you love this recipe for The Best Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, be sure to check out these other Thanksgiving recipes as well!