How Many Potatoes are Needed for Mashed Potatoes?

If you’re planning to make mashed potatoes as a side dish for meatloaf, roast, or short ribs, you’ll need to figure out how many potatoes to use. The answer depends on the size of your potatoes.

But, first things first. You’ll need to choose the right potatoes for mashing.

Which Potatoes are Best for Mashing?

Russet or Yukon gold potatoes work best for mashing. They have more starch than red or white potatoes and will produce a fluffier result.

If you use waxy potatoes, like the red ones, they’ll require extra mashing, which could result in gluey potatoes. Yuck!

How Many Potatoes You Need

Most mashed potato recipes call for three pounds of potatoes, yielding six servings. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh your potatoes to see how many you need.

If you don’t have a scale, you can estimate that three medium potatoes weigh a pound, so you’d need nine medium potatoes for three pounds. If your potatoes are large, estimate two potatoes per pound.

Of course, you can always make a smaller batch of mashed potatoes. If a recipe calls for three pounds of potatoes, you can use just 1 1/2 pounds and halve the remaining ingredients, yielding four servings.

How Many Pounds of Potatoes Per Person?

For mashed potatoes, you can estimate you’ll need ½ pound of potatoes per person. This allows for a decent serving, but if you know people will want heaping portions (or seconds), you can estimate ¾ pound per person.

Storing Mashed Potatoes

Keep in mind, you can store leftover mashed potatoes in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to four days. Mashed potatoes freeze well, if made with lots of fat such as butter and cream. Store them in resealable freezer bags, with the air squeezed out.

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