This quick and easy recipe for Old Fashioned Creamed Potatoes features cubed potatoes cooked to perfection, blanketed in a silky bechamel sauce made with heavy cream, and brightened with a touch of lemon juice and nutmeg.
Like my Southern Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Parmesan Potatoes Au Gratin, this family favorite is full of creamy potato goodness. It makes an impressive side dish that is perfect for serving on special occasions and at holiday meals. Rich and satisfying, it will have everyone asking for more.
If you are a potato lover like me, I know you will agree that they are the epitome of comfort food. Not only is this indulgent side-dish delicious, but these southern creamed potatoes also pair well with any entree and are an excellent substitute for traditional mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.
Read on if you are ready to discover how to make the best creamed potatoes; plus, have the option to view a video that will walk you through every step of the recipe. In addition, you will find serving suggestions, recipe variation ideas, and optional directions for baking this dish in the oven.
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💭 Why you will love this recipe:
- It’s quick and easy to prepare, and you can have it on the table in less than 20 minutes. Plus, kids love it!
- It’s made with pantry and fridge staples, so you probably already have everything you need; no crazy or hard-to-find ingredients with weird names that you have to order online.
- A blast from the past, this is a classic recipe for a reason. It’s just as good today as when your grandmother made it many years ago.
📋 Ingredient Notes:
- Russet potatoes – also called Idaho potatoes, have a high starch content that helps thicken the sauce.
- All-purpose flour – is the backbone of the bechamel or white sauce, which is considered a “mother sauce.”
- Unsalted Butter – is another essential ingredient in the bechamel sauce. The flour cooks in the butter and creates a roux.
- Milk & heavy cream – add a creamy texture and silkiness to the bechamel sauce.
- Seasonings – (kosher salt, ground black or white pepper, and nutmeg) enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Lemon juice – adds just a touch of brightness to this creamy dish.
- Paprika – is optional. Just a touch adds a pop of color. (Not pictured)
🔪 Step by Step Directions:
- Scrub, peel and cut the potatoes into bite-size cubes.
- Add the potatoes to a large pot of cold water over medium-high heat. Make sure they are fully submerged by at least an inch, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add one teaspoon of salt and cook uncovered at a simmer until they are tender all the way through when pierced with a fork.
- The cooking time will be between eight and twelve minutes, but the time will vary depending on the size of the cubes. Drain them in a colander and set them aside when they are done.
- While the potatoes cook, make a roux by adding butter to a medium-size skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts, sprinkle the flour over the top and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cook for about two minutes, and slowly add the milk while continuing to whisk.
- Continue whisking the sauce until it thickens, which should take two or three minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the heavy cream, half of a teaspoon of salt, lemon juice, white or black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the cream sauce over the potatoes and serve immediately. Optional, before serving, garnish with a pinch of paprika.
💬 Recipe FAQs:
Creamed potatoes make a perfect accompaniment to just about any entree. Some of my favorite pairings include Blackened Grouper, Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs, Smoked Ribeye Steak, New York Strip Roast, Blackened Steak, Southern Fried Chicken, or Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs.
Of course, for Thanksgiving or Christmas, they would be wonderful served with Smoked Turkey or Baked Ham.
I think Russets work the best in this recipe. Full of starch, these spuds are creamy when cooked and have a wonderful texture. My second choice is Yukon gold, with red or new potatoes coming in a distant third.
Now don’t get me wrong, no matter what kind you use, the dish will still be flavorful; the texture will just be a little different.
Bechamel sauce is a fancy French term for a white sauce made from a roux, which is butter and flour cooked with milk, with just a bit of seasoning. The result is a rich cream sauce that elevates this dish into the stratosphere. If cheese is added to bechamel sauce, it becomes a mornay sauce.
While the ingredients for both dishes are similar, creamed potatoes are cubed and blanketed in a cream sauce; mashed potatoes are “mashed,” and the add-ins are mixed in.
Yes, you can make the dish as directed up to 24 hours in advance. After adding the cream sauce, let the dish cool, then cover and store in the fridge. Next, reheat in a saucepan over medium-low on the stove or in a baking dish in a 350 °F oven until warm.
If you want to partially make this side dish more than 24 hours ahead, follow the directions to cook and drain the potatoes. Cover and store in the fridge for up to five days. Then when you are ready to serve it, make the cream sauce and add it. Follow the directions above to reheat it.
If you want to change up this recipe, you could add a handful of frozen English peas, cooked cut-up green beans, or broccoli. You could also kick the sauce up a notch by adding fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley, dill, or chives.
And finally, if you love cheese as I do, you could add a handful of shredded parmesan, white cheddar, or gruyere cheese to the sauce and let it melt before adding it.
👩🏻🍳 Sharon’s Tips:
- The secret to a smooth, silky cream sauce is don’t stop whisking until the sauce has thickened. When you first add the milk, the flour will look like it’s forming lumps, but if you keep whisking, it will smooth out.
- Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to four days. You can reheat on the stove, in the oven, or in the microwave.
- For the best results, when adding paprika, pour a little in your hand and then take a pinch and sprinkle it over the dish. Sometimes when you sprinkle it directly out of the container, too much comes out, and you can end up with a big red glob of paprika.
- Some folks say you can freeze potatoes, but I think it changes the texture, and I don’t recommend it.
- If you use salted butter, leave out the salt in the sauce.
- Russet potatoes will produce the creamiest dish. However, Yukon Gold, red potatoes, baby potatoes, or fingerlings can also be substituted. I have never tried using canned.
- I peel russets but usually don’t peel other types of potatoes. It’s up to you.
- If you prefer, you can also bake creamed potatoes in the oven. Add the cooked potatoes and sauce to a baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top with about a cup of panko or crushed ritz crackers mixed with a tablespoon of melted butter. Bake in a preheated 350 °F oven for about 25 minutes.
🥔 More Potato Recipes:
If you like potatoes as we do, you might also enjoy these popular recipes on my blog:
You can find even more side-dish recipes or menu ideas here.
★★★★★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
📋 Recipe:
Easy Old Fashioned Creamed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes about 4-5 medium size potatoes, between 4-5 inches long
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground white or black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch paprika Optional garnish
Instructions
- Scrub, peel and cut the potatoes into bite-size cubes.
- Add the potatoes to a large pot of cold water over medium-high heat. Make sure they are fully submerged by at least an inch, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add one teaspoon of salt and cook uncovered at a simmer until they are tender all the way through when pierced with a fork.
- The cooking time will be between eight and twelve minutes, but the time will vary depending on the size of the cubes. Drain them in a colander and set them aside when they are done.
- While the potatoes cook, make a roux by adding butter to a medium-size skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts, sprinkle the flour over the top and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cook for about two minutes, and slowly add the milk while continuing to whisk.
- Continue whisking the sauce until it thickens, which should take two or three minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the heavy cream, half of a teaspoon of salt, lemon juice, white or black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the cream sauce over the potatoes and serve immediately. Optional, before serving, garnish with a pinch of paprika.
Notes
- The secret to a smooth, silky cream sauce is don’t stop whisking until the sauce has thickened. When you add the milk, the flour will look like it’s forming lumps, but if you keep whisking, it will smooth out.
- Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to four days. You can reheat on the stove, in the oven, or microwave.
- For the best results, when adding paprika, pour a little in your hand and then take a pinch and sprinkle it over the dish. Sometimes when you sprinkle it directly out of the container, too much comes out, and you can end up with a big red glob of paprika.
- Some folks say you can freeze potatoes, but I think it changes the texture, and I don’t recommend it.
- If you use salted butter, leave out the salt in the sauce.
- Russet potatoes will produce the creamiest dish. However, Yukon Gold, red potatoes, baby potatoes, or fingerlings can also be substituted. I have never tried using canned.
- I peel russets but usually don’t peel other types of potatoes. It’s up to you.
- If you prefer, you can also bake creamed potatoes in the oven. Add the cooked potatoes and sauce to a baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top with about a cup of panko or crushed ritz crackers mixed with a tablespoon of melted butter. Bake in a preheated 350 °F oven for about 25 minutes.
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