Old-fashioned Creamed Potatoes are one of the best potato side dishes around! These creamy potatoes require minimal ingredients and whip together quickly — plus they’re a great changeup from your typical mashed potatoes.
Try some of our other favorite potato side dish recipes like smashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or au gratin potatoes!
What Is The Difference Between Mashed Potatoes And Creamed Potatoes?
Mashed potatoes are, well, mashed into a smooth consistency while creamed potatoes retain their small cubed pieces and texture. Creamed potatoes are boiled and then tossed in a delicious, creamy sauce complete with a sprinkle of paprika.
Creamed Potatoes
My mother-in-law is practically famous for a dish that has claimed the name of “favorite potatoes” in our family. I don’t know that anyone follows any kind of formal recipe; all I know is that boiled potatoes get tossed with melted butter and sour cream. As far as I know, my mother-in-law ingeniously created it–and it certainly lives up to its name. This is one of the best potato side dishes and a total crowd favorite!
As a complete potato fanatic, I always look forward to eating dinner with my in-laws since I know the absolute best potatoes will be on the table, And thanks to my mother-in-law, this side dish has now become a part of my own family tradition– not just my husband, but now the kids all request grandma’s potatoes! ❤️
What Potatoes Are Best For Creamed Potatoes?
Our all-time favorite potatoes are gold potatoes. They’re buttery, smooth, creamy, and slightly sweet, which pairs nicely with the sour cream.
Gold potatoes (also called Yukon gold, Yukon, or yellow potatoes) are small to medium-sized with light yellow flesh and delicate skin. The skin is so delicate that you can skip peeling them, though we usually do for this creamed potatoes recipe.
Russet potatoes also work well. If you use Russet potatoes, be sure to peel them.
Quick Tip
To make a creamed new potatoes recipe: use new (also called baby) gold potatoes.
New potatoes have thin, wispy skin and a crisp, waxy texture. They are harvested young and are usually about 1 inch in diameter. Since they aren’t fully grown, they are a bit sweeter because their sugars haven’t fully converted to starch. For this recipe, you can boil whole new potatoes, or cut them in half or quarters if they are larger. There’s no need to peel them first!
We prefer baby gold potatoes, but you could also use baby red potatoes for Red Creamed Potatoes.
How To Make Creamed Potatoes
- Prep the potatoes. This takes some time! So turn on your favorite playlist or podcast and peel, rinse, and then chop ’em up.
- Boil. Add the potatoes to a pot and cover in cold water. See “quick tip” below!
- Remove ALL extra moisture. After straining the boiled potatoes, give the potatoes time to fully dry out — about 5-7 minutes– to avoid watery Creamed Potatoes. Just let them sit– the steam will dry them out.
- Toss potatoes in the cream sauce which is made up of two main ingredients — sour cream and butter.
Quick Tip
When cooking potatoes, it’s always a good idea to start with cold water. Because potatoes are dense and require more time to cook all the way through, adding them to hot water will end up cooking the outsides faster than the insides. Unevenly cooked taters? No thanks!
Tips For Making Old-Fashioned Creamed Potatoes
- Don’t forget the salt and pepper. These two simple ingredients make a huge difference. Taste a few times before serving and adjust the salt and pepper to your preference. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!
- Use unsalted butter. The salt content in salted butter varies by brand and even by package. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the seasoning perfectly.
- Use full-fat sour cream. Fat-free or lower-fat sour cream often works, but not in this creamed potato recipe. Lighter versions tend to break or get watery.
Variations
Variations
- Make Creamed Potatoes and Peas by adding frozen peas to the boiling potato water 1 minute before draining.
- Garnish with thinly sliced green onions or chives.
Make Ahead Of Time
To save time prepping potatoes for a special dinner (especially around the holidays!) you can peel and chop the potatoes ahead of time.
As soon as you’ve prepared the potatoes, add them to a large bowl and fully cover them in water to prevent browning. Cover tightly and store in the fridge for up to a day before boiling in this recipe.
When ready to use the potatoes, drain them thoroughly before adding to a pot with new water.
Serve These Creamed Potatoes Alongside:
Pretty much any dish where you’d serve mashed or roasted potatoes on the side is a great place to feature Creamed Potatoes. We typically serve them alongside a meat main (like Pulled Pork, Grilled Chicken, a Flat Iron Steak, or Blackened Chicken) with a big Garden Salad or Roasted Vegetables.
These potatoes are also a great addition for a holiday dinner.
- Add to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table along with Crockpot Turkey Breast, Sweet Potato Casserole, Thanksgiving Salad or Winter Salad, Thanksgiving Dressing, and the best, no-knead Dinner Rolls.
- Add to your Easter spread along with this Deviled Egg Recipe, Asparagus Salad, Roasted Asparagus, Cobb Salad, and these easy Drop Biscuits.
Creamed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 cups (3 pounds) gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, see note 1
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1-1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder and pepper
- 1 container (16 ouces) full-fat sour cream, Note 2
- Paprika, for topping
Instructions
- Peel, wash, and dice potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Add to a large pot, cover with 8 cups of cold water, and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Boil until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and let the potatoes air dry in the strainer for 5 minutes.
- In the same pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in garlic powder, pepper, and seasoned salt. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add sour cream and whisk until smooth.
- Return the potatoes to the pot and gently stir to coat. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with a sprinkle of paprika. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
