Ina Garten’s Best Mashed Potato Recipes for Thanksgiving

Updated November 2026

I’ve often said that mashed potatoes are my favorite food group, and thankfully, Ina Garten has given us plenty of ways to turn the humble potato into something spectacular!

You really can’t go wrong with potatoes, butter, cream, salt, and pepper. But this is Ina we’re talking about, so of course she’s taking things up a notch with truffle butter, roasted garlic, Parmesan, goat cheese, fresh basil, and even lemon.

While cooking my way through all of Ina’s recipes, I had the very difficult task of eating nine different versions of mashed potatoes. Life is rough!

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’m resharing my ranking of all nine, including the latest addition from Simply Ina! The number one pick is the one everyone who tries it raves about.

You really can’t go wrong with any of these, but the ranking goes beyond my original ratings. I’ve also factored in how they compare (obvs), which ones I keep coming back to, and, most importantly, which deserve a spot on your Thanksgiving table.

Enjoy!

9. Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Simply Ina)

In Simply Ina, Ina gives her Garlic Mashed Potatoes from Barefoot in Paris the store-bought is fine treatment, swapping homemade potatoes for Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes and dressing them up with garlic confit, half-and-half, butter, and garlic oil.

They get you about 80 percent of the way to homemade while skipping the most annoying prep. Although making the garlic confit means you’re only saving about 10 to 20 minutes overall. But make that ahead, and you’re just 10 to 15 minutes away from buttery, garlicky mashed potatoes.

So why last place? They’re delicious for what they are, but when compared side by side with Ina’s homemade versions, the texture and flavor just don’t quite measure up. I’ll stick with homemade for Thanksgiving, but this is a great weeknight hack to have in your back pocket!

Recipe not online

8. Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Sometimes you just want a classic mashed potato without anything fancy, and these deliver! Yukon Golds are whipped with warm milk, butter, and sour cream for a creamy, comforting mash.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with these, but compared to Ina’s other mashed potatoes, they just don’t have anything that makes them particularly memorable. They’re delicious, but I’d much rather have the garlicky, cheesy, or more flavorful versions that rank higher on my list.

That said, if you’re planning to cover your potatoes in gravy (and why would you not), these are a great choice.

Recipe

7. Puréed Potatoes with Lemon

I would’ve never thought to add lemon to mashed potatoes, but Ina makes it work! These are very rich, with two full sticks of butter for just 2.5 pounds of potatoes, but the lemon zest cuts through a lot of that richness.

These are also passed through a food mill (Ina’s favorite) for an extra-smooth texture, but the food mill isn’t a must!

I love how unexpected these are, and they’d be a great way to brighten up a Thanksgiving plate full of rich, heavy dishes. But when I’m craving mashed potatoes, I’m usually looking for something a little more comforting and savory. The lemon makes them interesting, but it’s also why they don’t rank higher for me for Thanksgiving.

Recipe on BarefootContessa.com

6. Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

With just potatoes, butter, milk, and buttermilk these are fairly straightforward, but that buttermilk makes all the difference. It adds a subtle tang that balances the richness of the butter and gives these a little more personality than your standard mashed potatoes.

They’re a really solid recipe, but the buttermilk alone isn’t quite enough to compete with the more flavorful variations higher on this list. I’d happily make them again, but with so many delicious options from Ina, these aren’t the first ones I’d reach for.

Recipe on FoodNetwork.com

5. Make-Ahead Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

This recipe checks two very important boxes: delicious mashed potatoes and one less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving Day!

The potatoes are loaded with garlic, garlic-and-herb goat cheese, sour cream, and half-and-half, then topped with Parmesan and baked until hot. The goat cheese adds a wonderful tanginess that pairs perfectly with the garlic and Parmesan.

The real win is that you can assemble the entire dish up to three days ahead, then just pop it in the oven before serving.

These don’t quite crack my top four because I prefer the flavors of those recipes a little more, but if I were ranking solely on Thanksgiving practicality, they’d be right at the top.

Recipe on FoodNetwork.com

4. Potato Basil Puree

I know basil might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think mashed potatoes, but trust me on this one! Ina blends fresh basil into warm half-and-half, then combines it with Parmesan and mashed Yukon golds for a creamy, herbaceous purée.

The basil-Parmesan combination brings so much flavor that you won’t miss that there’s no butter involved

These earn their spot in the top four because they’re one of Ina’s most interesting takes on mashed potatoes, and the flavors work so well together. The only reason they don’t rank higher is that the basil makes them a little less versatile.

Recipe on FoodNetwork.com

3. Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Barefoot in Paris)

Who doesn’t love a garlic-forward recipe? Ina slowly cooks peeled garlic cloves in olive oil until they’re tender and golden, then mashes them right into the potatoes.

The slow cooking mellows the garlic’s sharp bite, giving the potatoes a rich, savory flavor without being overpowering. And with just a little cream added at the end, the garlic really gets to be the star of the show.

As much as I love garlic, the Parmesan Smashed Potatoes edge these out with their combination of flavors and rustic texture. But if you’re a garlic lover, I wouldn’t argue with you for putting these at No. 1!

Recipe on FoodNetwork.com

2. Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

Sometimes the simplest recipes really are the best, and these Parmesan Smashed Potatoes from Ina’s very first cookbook are a perfect example!

For starters, you don’t have to peel the potatoes, which is easily one of my least favorite kitchen tasks! They’re mashed with half-and-half, butter, sour cream, and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan for a rich, creamy mash with just the right amount of cheesy flavor.

I love how the Parmesan adds a salty, nutty flavor without overpowering the potatoes, while the sour cream gives them a little tang. And leaving the skins on adds some nice texture without taking away from how creamy they are.

These edge out the garlic version because I think the flavors are a little more balanced. They’re classic enough to please just about everyone at Thanksgiving, but the Parmesan makes them feel a little more special!

Recipe on FoodNetwork.com

1. Truffled Mashed Potatoes

I’m not sure you’ll ever need another mashed potato recipe after trying this one! Ina takes buttery, creamy Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and turns up the volume with white truffle butter, Parmesan, and half-and-half.

The white truffle butter makes it feel special without overpowering the potatoes – get that truffle oil outtttta here!

They taste like something you’d get at a fancy restaurant, but they’re just as easy to make as any regular mashed potatoes. The only challenge is tracking down the white truffle butter, but I promise it’s worth the hunt! Your best bet is to order online if you aren’t in a big city.

These have become a Thanksgiving tradition, and my friends specifically request them every year. Even after making all nine of Ina’s mashed potato recipes, these are the ones I keep coming back to. They’re my personal favorite, everyone who’s tried them raves about them, and I can’t imagine Thanksgiving without them!

Recipe on FoodNetwork.com