I Tried Dolly Parton’s Famous Mashed Potato Recipe

“I never met a spud I didn’t like,” Dolly Parton exclaims in a now-iconic interview with WIRED magazine. The humble, adaptable root vegetable is the one food Parton says she can’t live without, and adores celebrating them every which way: “Every diet I’ve ever [fallen] off of has been because of a potato. French fries or mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. Potato, potato, potato!”

From the roasted potatoes that come in her heat-and-eat Beef Pot Roast frozen meal to her simple but spectacular baked potato technique, the singer/actor/philanthropist/entrepreneur hasn’t been shy about sharing her love of spuds over the years. In fact, just last year, Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George published Good Lookin’ Cookin, and three of the cookbook’s 80 recipes are for mashed potatoes. One rendition in particular caught my eye: “Holiday Potatoes.” I was lured in by the unique technique; no masher is required. Plus, the substantial ratio of dairy makes Dolly and Rachel’s formula stand out from its side dish competition. 

With the fall and winter holidays just a couple months away, I thought it might be timely to “audition” this side dish to find out if it might be worthy of a role in my Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving menus this year. Luckily, it doesn’t take “9 to 5” to make it. Only 45 minutes are required, and only 20 of those are hands-on time.

How to Make Dolly Parton’s Mashed Potatoes

Available in the sisters’ cookbook, and on our sister site, Allrecipes, these Holiday Potatoes only call for six ingredients. (That is, if you count salt, pepper, and butter as freebies, which we do since most home cooks always have these in stock.) 

Here’s how to make Dolly Parton’s mashed potatoes: 

• Prepare the potatoes. Wash, peel, and quarter russet potatoes into evenly-sized pieces. Place them in a colander, and rinse under cold water until the water running through the bottom begins to appear clear. Dump the potatoes into a large pot, add cold water to 2 inches above the top of the potatoes, and season the water with salt. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes, or until fork-tender.
• Dress up and mix. Using a colander, drain the potatoes. Place the cooked quartered russets in a large bowl. Add salt, garlic, and sour cream, plus room temperature whole milk, cream cheese, and butter. Using an electric hand mixer, blend on medium speed. Pour in a little more milk, then mix on high to whip the potatoes until they’re fluffy.
• Spiff up and serve. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, top with more room temp butter, a generous amount of chopped fresh parsley, and black pepper.

Tips For Making Mashed Potatoes

The method for this classic mashed potato recipe is such a cinch to follow that I think I’ll have the recipe memorized after a few more attempts. In fact, although these are deemed “Holiday Potatoes,” they’re easy enough to whip up for a weeknight dinner. No matter when or why you make them, here are a few pointers if you decide to give this recipe a shot:

• Pick your potatoes wisely. Russets (also known as “Idaho potatoes” if they’re grown in that state) are ideal for light and fluffy mashed potatoes. They work great here, but you have a couple other great options when selecting the best potatoes for mashing if you’d like to swap in another variety. Yukon golds or white potatoes are stellar if you’re seeking soft and silky results. Save waxy potatoes like red potatoes, fingerlings, new potatoes, and baby potatoes for other purposes like potato salads or stews. These sturdy spuds require so much mashing to break down that they can err on the gluey side by the time the side dish is ready to serve.
• Mind your temps. Pockets of cream cheese might be welcome in treats like cheesecake brownies or danishes, but that’s not the goal here. The Parton sisters suggest bringing the milk, butter, and cream cheese to room temperature so they blend in better—and so they don’t cool down the spuds too much. Speaking of small but mighty temperature details, it’s wise to follow their lead and start the potatoes in cold water (rather than already boiling) so the spuds cook more evenly. 
• Push the speed limit. Start by blending the potatoes on medium to combine the mix-ins with the tender taters. Add the final ½ of milk, then crank things up to high. This makes it possible to whip in more air for a fluffy finished product.
• Feel free to freeze. As written, this recipe serves 10 to 12. If you’re not sharing this with a holiday-sized crowd we like to scoop leftovers into a silicone muffin tin to preserve single-serving portion sizes for later. Freeze the mashed potatoes in the pan until firm, then pop out the portions. Transfer them to a labeled zip-top storage bag, freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and diving in.

The Verdict on Dolly Parton’s Mashed Potatoes

The delightful amount—and variety—of dairy included in this recipe didn’t disappoint. The flavor was rich, yet still allowed the mild earthiness of the potatoes to shine through.

As for the texture, I admit that I was a bit worried when I saw that the strategy involved a mixer rather than a food mill and/or masher. Although I was confident the electric mixer would make the mashed spuds smooth, chef pals of mine have always advised me that this was a surefire way to make gummy since it’s all too easy to overblend and cause the potatoes to release too much starch. But the ratio of potatoes to dairy, in tandem with the sisters’ tip to whip only until fluffy, resulted in light, lofty, and creamy potatoes.

To take things over the top, the sisters’ suggestion of extra butter and parsley certainly don’t hurt. But why stop there? Our Test Kitchen’s Million Dollar Mashed Potatoes reminded me of the power of a good topping. To make these fluffy potatoes even more festive, consider crowning Parton’s potatoes with crispy crumbled bacon, French-fried onions, a drizzle of pesto, or a pool of gravy. I think Dolly would approve of a little accessorizing!