Your favorite mashed potatoes recipe

As a side for bbq, I'll hand smash some with butter, kosher salt, milk or heavy cream, onions and garlic sauteed in a little olive oil and butter, a dash of hot sauce, and a little cajun seasoning (Dinosaur BBQ rub).

A lot depends on the kind of spud you start with. Some potatoes are "all purpose", but others are best for chips, french fries, baked, mashed, or whatever. "Idahos" are usually one of the 5 or 6 major russet varieties grown there. They can be mashed, but are generally known for great fries or as bakers. "Round Reds" found in the supermarket, are more often than not the Red La Soda variety, and they, IMO, are great for mashing. Green Mountains make great bakers here in New England, where some russets are hard to grow. 

I have not knowingly tried them yet, but my recent research shows that the "secret" to the very best mashed potatoes is to use the fairly new "Caribe" variety. It is an early, purple skinned variety, with snow white flesh. Potatoes are grown from "seed potatoes" which are not actual seeds, but rather specially grown potatoes that are cut, 1 or 2 eyes per piece, and planted. I almost waited too long, but I was able to obtain 10 lbs of Caribe for spring planting. I should end up with 80 to 100 lbs of eating (aka "table stock") potatoes. I look forward to reporting here. 

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I did them very quickly this past Thanksgiving.

6 large idaho potatoes
1 cake (8 ounces) cream cheese

Peel potatoes & quarter them. Then cut each quarter in half again. Put them into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil & simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. While potatoes are boiling, cut cream cheese into cubes. When potatoes are ready, drain all water off & drop cubes into the pot one by one as you are mashing the potatoes.

You can add chives, onions, seasonings, etc. We usually let people do that at the table.

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My sister made that for thanksgiving with the addition of chives. She mashed it well, then put it into a casserole dish, dotted with butter, and baked it. It was really quite good. There were delicious little bits of cream cheese striated throughout the mashed taters.
 
MMMMMMMMMM.