I made 4 celebrity mashed potato recipes, and only one deserves a spot on your Thanksgiving table
by Micah Siva · BuzzFeedPosted on Nov 12, 2026 UTC
With Thanksgiving around the corner, I'm in the trenches of planning and perfecting my holiday menu, which means I'm obsessing over every detail. Unlike years prior, I'm not hosting Thanksgiving, and I thought it would make it less stressful. Instead, I've poured all my energy into making sure my potluck contribution blows it out of the water, garnering the most compliments and praise possible.
I'm someone who has a lot of opinions about food, and when it comes to classic, seemingly simple dishes, it's worth seeking perfection, especially when it's for a special occasion. That means that I'm trying (and judging) the top-rated recipes to make sure that the one I'm bringing is the best it can be, from crispy golden turkeys to silky, creamy mashed potatoes.
The Celebrity Mashed Potato Taste-Test
I decided to mash my way through four celebrity mashed potato recipes from Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, Snoop Dogg, and lastly, Julia Child.
Each recipes starts with potatoes, but after that, they transform with similar but differing ingredients and methods. To keep things as fair as possible, I followed each recipe as closely as possible.
Most recipes gave the choice of Yukon Gold or Russet spuds. When presented with a choice, I used Yukon Gold. Otherwise, I followed them to a "T".
4. Martha Stewart's Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Martha's recipe is classic for a reason. Milk, potatoes, nutmeg, and a little butter. Unlike other recipes, she doesn't specify what type of milk, so I used whole milk because I believe that skim milk in mashed potatoes should be illegal.
Martha has a unique method for creamy spuds. She suggests using either a food mill or a ricer, or adding the hot potatoes to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. I chose the latter and was worried it would get gummy; instead, I found that it left noticeable chunks where I was hoping for smooth and silky. The ratio of potato to liquid was also low, so these were a little looser than I prefer.
Rating: 🥔🥔🥔
These were the chunkiest of the bunch, and I didn't care for the nutmeg. They have a classic creamy flavor, but they were a little too loose for my liking. As noted, I used Yukon Gold potatoes, but I do wonder whether this amount of liquid is best suited to Russet potatoes.
Overall:
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 2/5
Richness: 4/5
Ease: 3/5
3. Ina Garten's Garlic Mashed Potatoes
I'm biased in that I measure garlic with my heart, so a recipe that uses this much garlic is always welcome in the kitchen. As the queen of dinner parties, I'm not surprised that Ina goes the extra distance by making confit garlic and oil to flavor her mashed potatoes, opting for olive oil in lieu of butter for a more complex, more fragrant, and somehow lighter mash.
Rating: 🥔🥔🥔 ½
These potatoes were surprisingly subtle, with a mellow garlic flavor. Despite the amount of oil and cream, they felt lighter than the others, with a hint of spicy olive oil flavor and a rich yellow hue. These are potatoes that I could make all year round.
Overall:
Taste: 4/5
Texture: 3/5
Richness: 3/5
Ease: 4/5
2. Snoop Dogg's Mayo Mash
Leave it to Snoop Dogg to throw a curveball in there. Snoop's are by far the most decadent, with cream, butter, and the wildcard addition of mayonnaise. Even as someone who doesn't care for mayonnaise, I loved how the mayo transformed the potatoes.
Snoop doesn't use a ricer; instead, a trusty potato masher for smooth spuds (and easy cleanup!). Honestly, I'm into it. Ricers are a pain to clean. Thanks, Snoop!
Note: I used plant-based mayo because that's what I had in my fridge, but I'm sure that you can use whatever brand you love.
Rating: 🥔🥔🥔🥔
These were the richest of the bunch, with a slight eggy flavor and a tang from the addition of mayonnaise. The fat almost coats the mouth with richness. They were surprisingly fluffy and smooth despite not calling for a ricer. I would make these for a special occasion; they aren't your weekday potatoes, that's for sure.
Overall:
Taste: 4/5
Texture: 3/5
Richness: 5/5
Ease: 4/5
1. Julia Child's Mashed Potatoes
Julia's (yes, we're on a first-name basis) were the most labor-intensive. She has you make a garlic-butter béchamel sauce that is rich in butter and garlic, thickened with flour before folding in some parsley. But are the extra steps actually worth it? Or are we overcomplicating things? Julia doesn't give the option of spuds, with Russet potatoes as her number one pick.
Julia has you slowly cook garlic cloves in butter before adding flour to make a pale roux, then adding warmed milk for a creamy béchamel sauce. This is the most labor-intensive of the recipes, but it can be made in advance. The sauce took a bit more time and effort, and I don't fully understand why it worked, but it did. After I took a taste, it felt like something I could pour over lasagna or pasta — mellow garlic and a lot of butter. Is there anything better?
Rating: 🥔🥔🥔🥔 ½
These potatoes are super fluffy with a deep garlic flavor. They are thick and rich and could absolutely stand up to a healthy pour of gravy. I love the addition of parsley that helps these feel a little lighter and fresher.
Overall:
Taste: 5/5
Texture: 4/5
Richness: 5/5
Ease: 3/5
Overall Winner: Julia Child
Let's be honest, I've never met a mashed potato I didn't like — I mean, what's not to love? Carbs! Butter! That said, I loved how fluffy Julia's potatoes turned out, and they had a rich, buttery flavor from the ultra-rich béchamel, lending a velvety smooth texture. They hold their shape, which means that these spuds are ready to be drowned in gravy, a very important role at your holiday dinner.
Which potatoes lead to the best mash?
When choosing a potato, ask yourself if you want a creamy or a fluffy texture (I prefer fluffy). Yukon Gold potatoes will yield a creamy, buttery, flavorful mash, whereas Russet will lean a little fluffier. Yukon Golds have a very thin skin that you can leave on, while Russet potatoes should be peeled.
Do you need a ricer or a food mill?
I'm vehemently against single-use (or single-occasion) kitchen tools and gadgets, and you certainly don't need to go and buy a food mill or ricer for silky-smooth potatoes. If you like chunky, rustic mashed potatoes, stick with a potato masher.
Alternatively, you can press the potatoes through a colander with a spatula or wooden spoon, but be warned: this is time-consuming and messy! I do not own a ricer and, frankly, don't care to purchase yet another tool, so when the recipes called for one, I took the time to push it through the strainer for a silky mash.