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    Home » Recipes » Side dishes

    Sour cream and chive mashed potatoes

    Published: Nov 23, 2021 · Modified: Jan 27, 2023 by Trish Bozeman · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Creamy sour cream and chive mashed potatoes recipe! Fluffy, whipped mashed potatoes with tangy sour cream and chives. Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

    Sour cream and chive mashed potatoes with butter in a white bowl

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    Hi, Rhubarbarians! We've got the BEST side dish for you today: sour cream and chive mashed potatoes!

    These are whipped to perfection, creamy, fluffy, tangy, and oh so perfect for a holiday feast. Smother them in gravy and enjoy every last bite!

    Why sour cream in mashed potatoes?

    Sour cream adds the perfect amount of tangy flavor to mashed potatoes while balancing out the richness. It makes mashed potatoes a thick and creamy consistency more so than milk or cream.

    Jump to:
    • Why sour cream in mashed potatoes?
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients and equipment
    • Type of potatoes to use
    • Step by step instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Recipe tips and substitutions
    • Make ahead instructions
    • Storing and freezing
    • FAQs
    • Recipe
    • Comments and reviews

    Why you'll love this recipe

    If you love the sour cream and chive flavor combo as much as I do, these will be your new favorite mashed potatoes!

    These mashed potatoes are easy, light, and fluffy just like you like them, but have so much richness, tanginess, and tangy flavor thanks to the sour cream and chives.

    Give these a try ASAP!

    Try this with vegan cranberry portobello pot roast! So delicious.

    Mashed potatoes and gravy with 2 spoons

    Ingredients and equipment

    Full ingredients and instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.

    Ingredients:

    • Potatoes. Russet potatoes or yukon gold potatoes
    • Water.
    • Butter.
    • Sour cream.
    • Heavy whipping cream.
    • Chives.
    • Salt and pepper.

    Equipment:

    • Cutting board.
    • Chef's knife.
    • Measuring cups.
    • Large cooking pot. I love how light weight our Green Pan stock pot is!
    • Stove top, cook top, or burner.
    • Colander. I love the OXO colander for potatoes.
    • Stand mixer with flat beater attachment. I love my red KitchenAid mixer!
    • Measuring spoons.
    • Serving bowl and serving utensil.

    Type of potatoes to use

    I love the classic potatoes for mashed potatoes: russet potatoes! I've been making mashed potatoes for as long as I can cook, and russet potatoes have always been the best in terms of flavor and texture.

    For EXTRA CREAMY mashed potatoes, try using yukon gold potatoes! They have a milder flavor, but give the creamiest texture.

    For more of a strong potato flavor, try red potatoes! They will be harder to peel and won't be the creamiest, but they will taste amazing.

    Note: baby potatoes and fingerling potatoes will be very hard to peel, so they are not a good choice for making perfectly creamy mashed potatoes.

    Step by step instructions

    Here's how to make perfect sour cream and chive mashed potatoes! Full instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.

    • Start by cubing your potatoes and placing them in a large cooking pot.
    • Cover the potatoes with cold water by 2 inches.
    Cubed potatoes in a soup pot
    Water over cubed potatoes in a large pot
    • Bring the water to a boil over high heat and boil until the potatoes are very tender and mashable.
    • Place a whole stick of butter (yep) in the bottom of the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the flat beater attachment.
    • Strain the potatoes in a colander and then pour the hot potatoes over the butter in the bowl. Let sit for a minute to let the butter melt.
    A stick of butter in a stand mixer
    Cooked potato cubes in a stand mixing bowl
    • Whip the potatoes with the butter until just combined.
    • Add the sour cream, whipping cream, chives, salt, and pepper to the potatoes.
    • Whip the potatoes on low at first and then increase the speed to really whip them with the ingredients.
    • Whip until the potatoes are light, fluffy, and everything is blended together.
    Sour cream and onion mashed potatoes before mixing
    Sour cream chive mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl
    • Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
    • Serve and enjoy!

    Serving suggestions

    These sour cream mashed potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes for a hearty dinner! They are special enough for your Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas feast, but easy enough for a Sunday supper too.

    I like to serve these with my favorite vegetarian gravy recipe next to a protein and a vegetable for a Sunday supper.

    For a holiday side dish, you'll want to plan for about 1 cup per person (no judgments here if you need 2). This recipe makes 6 cups (servings) of chive mashed potatoes, so plan accordingly depending on how many people you will be serving.

    Recipes to serve with sour cream and chive mashed potatoes:

    • Vegan cranberry portobello pot roast
    • Cranberry pecan lentil stuffed delicata squash
    • Instant Pot white bean cacciatore

    Recipe tips and substitutions

    • Cover the potatoes in cold water rather than hot water before boiling. This helps the potatoes cook evenly.
    • Bring the dairy out of the fridge to come to room temperature if you can. This will keep the potatoes hot!
    • Peel your potatoes for the fluffiest texture!
    • Cut the potato cubes in even cubes to ensure an even cook.
    • You can swap the sour cream for buttermilk and still get a tangy flavor.
    • Or swap the sour cream for cream cheese for richer mashed potatoes.
    • Don't over whip the potatoes or they will become gummy.
    • If you don't have a stand mixer, you can mash the potatoes by hand! It's more work, but it works.
    Sour cream and chive mashed potatoes in a white bowl

    Make ahead instructions

    Yes, you can make these potatoes ahead of time! It's a great option if you're making a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast.

    Make the sour cream and chive potatoes following the instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this article. Let the potatoes cool and then place them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

    Reheat the potatoes in a pot on the stove top (recommended) or in the microwave. You will want to stir in some extra whipping cream after reheating to make them light and fluffy again.

    Top the potatoes with freshly chopped chives for color (optional).

    Storing and freezing

    Storing:

    Store any leftover mashed potatoes in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

    Freezing:

    I'm not the biggest fan of the texture of frozen mashed potatoes, but yes, you can freeze them! Freeze the potatoes in a freezer safe sealed container for up to 3 months.

    Thaw the potatoes in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat the potatoes in a pot on the stove top (recommended) or in the microwave. You will want to stir in some extra whipping cream after reheating to make them light and fluffy again.

    FAQs

    Can I use a potato masher?

    Yep! I recommend the stand mixer if you have one, but a potato masher works wonderfully too. Just more work for you.

    How many potatoes per person?

    Plan on one cup of potatoes per person! Maybe two if your family and friends love mashed potatoes as much as I do.

    Do I have to peel the potatoes?

    You don't have to peel the potatoes. But peeling the potatoes makes mashed potatoes the fluffiest, so I recommend it for a holiday dinner.

    Can I use buttermilk instead of sour cream?

    Sure!

    How do I make these vegan?

    There's a lot of dairy in this recipe, so making these vegan will taste very different. Find vegan butter, sour cream, and whipping cream that you like the taste of and swap the dairy for those.

    How do I make these gluten free?

    These sour cream and chive mashed potatoes are naturally gluten free!

    Why sour cream in mashed potatoes?

    Sour cream adds the perfect amount of tangy flavor to mashed potatoes while balancing out the richness. It makes mashed potatoes a thick and creamy consistency more so than milk or cream.

    Does sour cream change the taste of mashed potatoes?

    Yes, it does. Sour cream gives mashed potatoes a delightfully tangy flavor. If you like the taste of sour cream you'll love it in mashed potatoes.

    Mashed potatoes topped with gravy in a white bowl
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    Recipe

    Sour cream mashed potatoes with butter and chives

    Sour cream and chive mashed potatoes

    Trish Bozeman
    Creamy sour cream and chive mashed potatoes recipe! Fluffy, whipped mashed potatoes with tangy sour cream and chives. Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 cups
    Calories 437 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 cups cubed russet potatoes
    • water - enough to cover potatoes by 2"
    • 8 Tablespoons butter 1 stick
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
    • 1 cup finely chopped chives 1 ounce
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon cracked pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Place the cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 2 inches.
    • Bring the water to a boil and rapidly boil the potatoes until very tender and mashable, about 12 minutes.
    • Strain the potatoes through a colander.
    • While the potatoes are boiling, prep your stand mixer with a flat beater. Add the butter to the mixing bowl of the stand mixer.
    • Pour the hot, strained potatoes over the butter in your mixing bowl and let sit for about a minute to let the butter melt.
    • Lock the stand mixer and whip the potatoes on low just enough to mash them with the butter a bit. About 10 seconds.
    • Add the sour cream, heavy whipping cream, chives, salt, and pepper to the potatoes. Whip the potatoes on low at first, increasing the speed to medium and then high until they are light and fluffy. Check on these every 20 seconds to see if they are blended enough, as you don't want to over whip them.
    • Taste and whip in more salt and pepper if desired.

    Notes

    • Cover the potatoes in cold water rather than hot water before boiling. This helps the potatoes cook evenly.
    • Bring the dairy out of the fridge to come to room temperature if you can. This will keep the potatoes hot!
    • Peel your potatoes for the fluffiest texture!
    • Cut the potato cubes in even cubes to ensure an even cook.
    • You can swap the sour cream for buttermilk and still get a tangy flavor.
    • Or swap the sour cream for cream cheese for richer mashed potatoes.
    • Don't over whip the potatoes or they will become gummy.
    • If you don't have a stand mixer, you can mash the potatoes by hand! It's more work, but it works.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupCalories: 437kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 6gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 569mgPotassium: 932mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1291IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword christmas, holiday, thanksgiving, vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Recipes to try next:

    • Instant Pot baked potatoes
    • Instant Pot baby potatoes with herb garlic butter
    • Potato and cauliflower curry stew

    If you make this recipe, please let us know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag us on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians

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    Hi, I'm Trish, a vegetarian mom with a passion for cooking meatless meals with seasonal produce. I'll help you create vegetarian recipes that your whole family will love. Welcome!

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