Thanksgiving is just days away and our mouths are already salivating over the turkey and other delicious fixings, such as the mashed potatoes.

Mashed potatoes are a staple in many family Thanksgiving meals; it's a side dish that is so easy to manipulate to make it unique. Standard, traditional mashed potatoes are great, but we're so very thankful for some of the more adventurous recipes and flavors that arise. We've put together some of our favorite recipes for you to enjoy this year.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Greek Yogurt
Sweet potatoes add a level of flavor that regular potatoes do not possess. Plus, the addition of Greek yogurt will give these mashed potatoes a zing necessary to go with the brown sugar and maple syrup found in this recipe. The Greek yogurt totally balances the ratio of sweet and sour. Food & Wine notes these mashed potatoes only take about 30 minutes, which gives ample time for other parts of your Thanksgiving feast.

Buttery Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes
You'll likely be enjoying pumpkin pie for dessert along with a variety of other pumpkin treats, but why not incorporate pumpkin into the main meal? This recipe from Food & Wine definitely jazzes up the typical mashed potatoes, especially with the vibrant orange color provided by the pumpkin. You will delight your guests in roughly 40 minutes with these buttery pumpkin mashed potatoes.

Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes
If you're not one to adventure too far from the norm, this recipe from the Cooking Channel is perfect for you. Sour cream and chives have been paired with mashed potatoes for a very long time since they complement each other so well. Plus, the chives sprinkled on top will certainly add a pop of color to the otherwise bland-looking mashed potatoes. All you'll need is about 35 minutes to whip these up.

Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Shallots
Another recipe that doesn't drift too far from the traditional mashed potatoes is this recipe from Food & Wine, which involves adding garlic and shallots to the mix. The garlic will cook with the potatoes so its flavor will infuse into them, especially upon the mashing. Furthermore, the addition of sweet crispy shallots on top will cut the potency of the garlic. This recipe only takes 45 minutes and will put regular old mashed potatoes to shame!

Mashed Potatoes with Butternut Squash
Want to try a recipe that has a lot of vibrant color similar to the mashed sweet potatoes and pumpkin mashed potatoes mentioned above? This is for you! Food & Wine is well aware that butternut squash is a staple of fall. This variety of squash easily blends well with mashed potatoes, giving a rich yellow hue in just around 50 minutes.

Red Skin Potato Mash
Perhaps you're not fond of peeling potatoes since it is a bit of a tedious task. If that is the case, you'll love this recipe from Food & Wine. You'll still obviously have to scrub the potatoes, but there will be zero fuss over the peeling. This take on mashed potatoes has that home-style feel since the side dish will look so rustic with the skins still attached. All you'll need is 40 minutes to whip these red mashed potatoes up!


These mashed potatoes recipes are sure to liven up your table this Turkey Day, while holding fast to some of our favorite traditional dishes. Happy Thanksgiving!