These easy, copycat Bob Evans mashed potatoes come out so creamy, buttery, and dreamy you'll swear they were delivered straight from the refrigerated section-but hotter, fresher, and so much better.
There's comfort food… and then there's these mashed potatoes-the kind that taste like someone whispered secrets to the Yukon Golds before mashing them into silky, cloud-soft perfection. Rich with butter, a little tangy from sour cream, and so smooth they practically melt before you finish chewing. If you've ever grabbed those Bob Evans mashed potatoes for a quick dinner and thought, "Lord, I wish I could make these at home", you just found the homemade version that actually hits harder. Make them once and they'll become your weeknight staple, holiday favorite, and emotional support side dish.
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🗝️ Why these creamy mashed potatoes get requested every single time
These copycat Bob Evans mashed potatoes deliver ultra-creamy, restaurant-style flavor with just five simple ingredients and 15 minutes of cook time. They're silky, buttery, and full of cozy comfort-food magic.
No weird additives, no powdered shortcuts, just real Yukon Golds whipped into cloud-soft perfection with butter, sour cream, and a splash of warm evaporated milk. They're quick enough for weeknights, dreamy enough for holiday dinners, and so reliable you'll wonder why you ever bought the grocery-store tub.
Add a scoop of these next to a plate of hamburger steak and gravy for a delicious, hearty meal. So easy you'll want them on regular rotation on your meal plan
🧾 Ingredients you'll want to have on hand
Just a handful of simple ingredients turn into the kind of rich, creamy mashed potatoes people swear must be "restaurant-style." Yukon Golds bring the natural buttery flavor, sour cream adds that Bob Evans smoothness, and a little warm evaporated milk ties it all together into silky perfection. Nothing fancy-just comfort food magic that behaves every single time.
- Yukon Gold potatoes - the buttery divas of the potato world; they mash themselves if you look at them right.
- Butter - an obscene amount, because we're not here to make diet food.
- Sour cream - the secret weapon that makes people whisper, "Why are these so good?"
- Kosher salt - because table salt is for boiling pasta water and bad decisions.
- Evaporated milk - warms up smooth and turns your potatoes into velvet. You can substitute regular whole milk but it isn't as creamy.
This mashed potatoes kitchen cheat sheet printable is your secret weapon for silky, lump-free, stress-free mashed potatoes every single time. All the steps, all the shortcuts, and all the "don't you dare forget the butter" reminders wrapped up in one tidy little page. Print it, use it, and let it make you look effortlessly brilliant.
📖 Recipe
Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes.
- Cut in fourths but do not peel. ( You can peel if you like but when you use these Yukon Gold thin skinned potatoes there's no need and it saves a ton of time!)
- Place in a deep pot and add enough water to almost cover.
- Add about 2 teaspoons of salt to the water.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat, turn the heat down to medium.
- Simmer until the potatoes are very tender.
- Drain potatoes in a colander.
- Put the cooked potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer if whipping or a large mixing bowl if mashing by hand.
- Heat about ½ cup of the evaporated milk until it's hot to the touch - you can do this in the microwave.
- Add the butter, the sour cream, and about 2 tablespoons of the evaporated milk.
To Whip
- Add the paddle attachment and turn the mixer on low.
- Blend until the potatoes are mashed, adding a little more evaporated milk as needed to get a consistency you like.
- Taste and add salt as needed.
To Mash by Hand
- Push down firmly with a potato masher until the potatoes are mashed.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula to make sure all the potatoes are mashed and no lumps remain.
- Add a little evaporated milk at a time to get the consistency you like.
- Stir and make sure the butter, sour cream, and milk is mixed in well.
Notes
- Start potatoes in cold water to cover.
- I find it's super easy to mash these with my kitchenaid mixer. I use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed.
- For the absolute creamiest mashed potatoes don't over-mix or overwork the potatoes!
- You can make the mashed potatoes ahead of time and warm up in the slow cooker!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪 How to make copycat Bob Evans mashed potatoes
This is where the magic happens-simple steps, big payoff. No fancy techniques, no culinary gymnastics, just real-deal comfort food coming together in one pot. Follow along and you'll end up with creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes that taste like you hired Bob Evans himself to work your holiday table… only yours will be hotter, fresher, and a whole lot better.
- Wash and cut the potatoes in quarters. No need to peel Yukon Gold unless you absolutely want to.
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a couple of teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender.
- Drain, add butter, sour cream, and a little of the evaporated milk.
- Mash with a hand-held electric mixer, stand mixer, or hand masher, adding a little milk at a time until you get the perfect consistency. Don't overwork the potatoes. Add salt to taste.
👩🍳 Your questions, answered before the potatoes get cold
Every bowl of mashed potatoes comes with at least one curious bystander asking if they have to peel the potatoes, why theirs turned gummy, or whether Bob Evans is whispering secrets into his tubs. Quick answers, real talk, and zero judgment-just how we like it. More questions? Download the free cheat sheet or ask in the comments.
Yes you can! You can freeze the kind you buy from the store and you can freeze this copycat recipe as well.
Yukon Golds for rich, buttery flavor and no peeling. Russets if you want fluffy, cloud-like potatoes. Red potatoes if you're going for rustic farmhouse chic (no need to peel these, either).
You are overmixing, my friend. Back off and mash just until light and fluffy.
📚 More Southern comfort to pile on your plate
Who doesn't love side dishes?
If mashed potatoes are the heart of a Southern supper, then Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle are the sultry younger sister who walks in wearing too much confidence and a hint of smoke. They're silky, sweet, and carrying just enough heat to make the whole meal wake up and pay attention. When you want something cozy with a little edge-something that tastes like autumn leaning in to whisper a secret-those whipped sweet potatoes deliver every single time.
Then there are Mashed Red Skinned Potatoes, the no-fuss, big-flavor favorite that looks rustic in the best possible way. They're tender, buttery, and just a little messy-like something your grandmother made without measuring a blessed thing. And if you really want to make folks swoon? Slide a plate of Fried Potatoes onto the table. Crispy edges, soft centers, and pure comfort-food magic. They're the kind of side dish that disappears before you even sit down, which is exactly how you know you're doing it right.
Plus this is one of the best comfort foods ever. If you love the creamy texture of the Bob Evans mashed potatoes give this recipe a try.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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C.J. says
I use fresh goats milk as a rule to make mashed potatoes! Such elevated taste! Also butter goes in!
Sue Turcsany says
I'm made these before and they came out great. I did peel them as I don't like the tiny pieces of skin in with the creamy mashed potatoes. I volunteered to bring mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving to my sister's house. When I last made these I served them immediately. You mentioned that these heat well in a crockpot. I will probably double this recipe as I have a 7 quart crockpot. How long would you suggest heating them? I will heat them at home and bring them hot in the crockpot, then we can just leave them on low setting for a while and then turn it to warm until ready to eat. What do you think?
Marye says
That should work
Christy Mcgeorge says
Good morning! Thank you for this recipe and tip to cook before the big day. Question, is it 1/4 or 1/2 c of evaporated milk? The recipe lists 1/4 while the directions mention 1/2. I know ultimately you have to go with consistently but just curious what to start with. Thank you!
Marye says
So in the instructions it says to heat all of it and add it like 2 tablespoons at a time. You'll need up to 1/2 cup. It usually only takes 1/4 cup for me but it can be different.
Cathy says
Have you ever tried making ahead and then reheating in a crockpot? Oven space is a premium - especially during the holidays.
Marye says
Works like a charm!