With a creamy texture and elevated taste, these better instant mashed potatoes can be on the table in under 15 minutes, making them a weeknight side dish win or speedy ingredient shortcut.
Prep time: PT5M
Cook time: PT7M
Total time: PT13M
Rating
5 stars (3 reviews)
Keywords
instant mashed potatoes
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups water
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup cold milk (your preferred kind)
¼ cup sour cream (light is fine (see cream cheese substitute))
1⅓ cup instant potato flakes (plus an extra sprinkle, if needed)
Ground black pepper
Chopped chives (or other herbs)
Categories
Side Dish
Cuisine
American
Steps
Measure out and prep the ingredients before beginning as this recipe moves quickly.
Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan and add the butter, salt, and garlic powder. Stir until the butter melts, then remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in the milk and sour cream until liquefied.
Add the potato flakes and stir very briefly, just enough to moisten them all and submerge them in the liquid. Then let everything sit undisturbed for 60-90 seconds for the flakes to absorb the liquid and thicken, then briefly stir again as the mashed potatoes take shape.
If after letting the potatoes sit and briefly stirring you find they are thinner than you'd like, sprinkle/stir in additional potato flakes about one tablespoon at a time until to your liking. If at any point the potatoes thicken up too much, stir in an extra drizzle of milk. Don't overstir the potatoes during this point - use a fork to work any extra flakes or milk in.
Serve with freshly cracked black pepper, chopped chives, melted butter, gravy, etc.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 189 kcal
Carbohydrates: 23.5 g
Protein: 3.5 g
Fat: 9.7 g
Saturated Fat: 6.1 g
Cholesterol: 29 mg
Sodium: 392 mg
Sugar: 3.5 g
Reviews
Pinky on 2026-07-05 (5 stars): Excellent recipe! Thanks for the warning that the recipe moves very quickly. It does indeed! The mashed potatoes are so fluffy and flavorful. Thanks again!
Rose on 2026-01-08 (5 stars): I had all the ingredients and decided to give your recipe a try. I’m so glad I did! I used sour cream, added dried chives, and a handful of shredded cheddar cheese! I would definitely make again!
Jan on 2026-01-02 (5 stars): This recipe was everything you said it would be, so yummy and fluffy. I added bacon bits and chives then sour cream with more chives.
