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Mashed red potatoes are creamy, chunky, and loaded with flavor. This recipe leans into their natural richness, folding in warm butter and half-and-half, plus a spoonful of horseradish to wake things up.
With their thin skins and waxy flesh, red potatoes stay intact as they cook, no peeling required, just a mash with more texture and character. The result is a bold, buttery mash with texture and bite.
Here’s Why This Mashed Red Potatoes Recipe Works
No peeling required: Thin red skins blend right in, adding texture and saving time.
Horseradish cuts the richness: Just enough heat to balance the butter and cream, without turning it into a sinus-clearing event.
Warmed dairy = smoother mash: Hot butter and half-and-half blend more easily and keep the potatoes from cooling down.
Rustic texture, not glue: Red potatoes are waxy, so mash them by hand. A few lumps? That’s the point.
If you like this recipe, try my crockpot mashed potatoes or my creamer mashed potatoes (no pealing required).
Serve these potatoes with Swiss steak or my chipotle short ribs.
Recipe Tips
Cut evenly: Uniform pieces cook at the same rate so you don’t have raw centers or mush.
Start with cold water: Potatoes heat gradually, so they cook evenly from the inside out.
Warm the butter and cream: Keeps the mash hot and helps it absorb smoothly.
Mash by hand: Mixers overwork red potatoes and turn them gummy.
Season last: Taste after mixing and adjust salt, pepper, or horseradish to your liking.
Salt the water generously: Potatoes absorb seasoning as they cook; salting later can’t fully make up for it.
Drain well, then steam-dry: Let the potatoes sit in the hot pot for 30–60 seconds after draining to cook off excess moisture.
Add dairy gradually: Fold it in a little at a time so you can stop when the texture feels right.
Don’t overcook: Fork-tender is the goal; splitting skins and waterlogged potatoes lead to a bland mash.
Ingredient Notes
Baby red potatoes: Their thin skins and waxy flesh hold up when mashed, giving you a creamy base with texture. No peeling required. Just cut them evenly so they cook at the same rate.
Kosher salt: Used both in the cooking water and at the end for seasoning. Salting the water ensures the potatoes are seasoned from the inside, while final seasoning lets you fine-tune.
Half-and-half: Adds richness without making the mash heavy. Warming it with the butter helps it blend smoothly and keeps the potatoes hot.
Butter: This is where most of the flavor comes from, so use a good-quality butter. Adding it warm helps the potatoes absorb it instead of turning greasy.
Prepared horseradish: Use the freshly prepared kind, not creamed. It adds a gentle heat that cuts through the richness without overpowering the potatoes.
White pepper: Milder than black pepper and visually subtle, it adds warmth without speckling the mash. Black pepper works too if that’s what you have.
Pair this mash with turkey neck gravy.
Horseradish Smashed Potatoes
These horseradish mashed red potatoes are bold, buttery, and proudly chunky. They’re built for roast beef, grilled sausages, or any meal that needs a side with substance. And yes, they reheat well, especially with a splash of extra cream.
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Horseradish Mashed Red Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 3 pounds baby red potatoes, washed and cut into chunks of uniform size
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ cups half-and-half
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 to 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish , not the creamed type
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, set over medium-high heat, add the potatoes and salt. Cover with cold water and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the potatoes are tender.
- While the potatoes cook, add the butter and half-and-half to a small saucepan and heat on medium-low until warm. Remove from the heat and reserve.
- Drain the potatoes and mash slightly with a potato masher, add the butter-cream mixture while mashing. Add the horseradish, and combine.
- Taste the mashed potatoes and add the salt and white pepper as well as any additional horseradish, depending on your preference. Transfer the potatoes to a warmed serving bowl and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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