I’ve got the cutest (and most delicious) holiday side dish to share today: Mashed Potato Snowmen! A thick and creamy homemade mashed potatoes recipe is shaped into 3-tiered snowmen, decorated with a carrot sliver nose, peppercorn eyeballs and buttons, and pretzel stick arms. Easy, family-friendly, and festive! Click the jump to recipe button above if you’re ready to get cooking, or keep scrolling to see step-by-step photos and cooking tips for how to make a mashed potato snowman.
What you need to make this homemade mashed potatoes recipe:
For the mashed potatoes:
- 2 ½ pounds russet potatoes
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
For the mashed potato snowmen:
- 5 matchstick carrots (julienned carrot slivers)
- 25 peppercorns
- 5 pretzel sticks
- Optional for garnish: Rosemary sprigs
How to make mashed potato snowmen
To make these mashed potato snowmen, first, you’ll make the mashed potatoes. You can use your own favorite recipe, or even instant mashed potatoes if you like. To make my thick and creamy homemade mashed potatoes recipe, start by peeling the potatoes and chopping them into one-inch cubes.
Add the potatoes to a large pot over medium-high heat and cover with hot water. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the water maintains a low boil.
Cook until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork and almost fall apart (about 25 minutes from when you put the pot on the heat). Drain the potatoes in a large colander.
Place the drained potatoes in a large bowl. Add cream cheese, half-and-half, butter, and garlic salt to the bowl with the potatoes.
Mash the potatoes with the other ingredients with a potato masher until everything is well blended and the potatoes are smooth.
Now it’s time to assemble the mashed potato snowmen! Scoop a 2.5-inch wide ball of mashed potatoes onto each dinner plate.
Scoop a slightly smaller ball (about 2-inch wide) on top of each, followed by a third smaller ball (about 1.5-inch wide) on top of that. If desired, smooth the balls with your hands.
Add a carrot sliver in the top ball as a nose, along with two peppercorns as eyes. Add three more peppercorns in a vertical line down the center ball as buttons. Snap a pretzel stick in half then add each half to the sides of the center ball as arms.
How cute are these Mashed Potato Snowmen?? Just sayin…
Here’s the detailed recipe. I hope you enjoy them!
Mashed Potato Snowmen
The cutest (and most delicious) holiday side dish: Mashed Potato Snowmen! A thick and creamy mashed potatoes recipe shaped into a 3-tiered snowman, decorated with a carrot sliver nose, peppercorn eyeballs and buttons, and pretzel stick arms. Easy, family-friendly, and festive!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into one-inch cubes
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 5 matchstick carrots (julienned carrot slivers)
- 25 peppercorns
- 5 pretzel sticks
- Rosemary sprigs (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot over medium-high heat and cover with hot water. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil then reduce heat so water maintains a low boil. Cook until potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork and almost fall apart (about 25 minutes from when you put the pot on the heat). Drain in a large colander.
- Place the drained potatoes in a large bowl. Add cream cheese, half-and-half, butter, and garlic salt to bowl, and mash with a potato masher until well blended.
- Scoop a 2.5-inch wide ball of mashed potatoes onto each dinner plate. Scoop a slightly smaller ball (about 2-inch wide) on top of each, followed by a third smaller ball (about 1.5-inch wide) on top of that. If desired, smooth the balls with your hands. Add a carrot sliver in the top ball as a nose, along with two peppercorns as eyes. Add three more peppercorns in a vertical line down the center ball as buttons. Snap a pretzel stick in half then add each half to the sides of the center ball as arms.
- Optional: Add rosemary sprigs around the base as a garnish.
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