Cracker Barrel mashed potatoes are some of the best-tasting homestyle mashed potatoes you can get in a restaurant. I discovered this truth thirty years ago on a cross-country road trip with my college roommates. After eight hours of driving, we stumbled into a Cracker Barrel in Tennessee, and those mashed potatoes—creamy, buttery, with those perfect little lumps—were like a warm hug on a plate. I’ve spent years perfecting this copycat recipe, and my family swears it’s even better than the original.
Last Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law (who guards her potato recipe like a state secret) asked me for mine! These potatoes have become our Sunday dinner tradition; with this recipe, they can become yours, too. The best part? You need just five simple ingredients to bring this restaurant favorite home.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The secret to recreating Cracker Barrel’s iconic mashed potatoes lies in both the technique and simplicity. You avoid the gumminess that ruins so many homemade versions by starting with cold water and cooking the potatoes just until fork-tender (never overdone). The traditional hand-mashing method deliberately leaves small lumps that give these potatoes their authentic “homestyle” texture—something that’s impossible to achieve with electric mixers or food processors. Finally, the combination of margarine (yes, margarine specifically, just like the restaurant uses) and milk creates that distinctive Cracker Barrel flavor profile that balances richness with a light, fluffy consistency.
Cook Your Potatoes the Right Way
Poor potato-cooking technique is the one reason mashed potatoes turn out gummy and inedible. With a few tricks, you will never have to apologize for your potatoes again.
- Peel and cut your potatoes into pieces. The shape doesn’t really matter as long as they are all about even in size. Uneven potatoes cook will never be finished cooking at the same time. Smaller pieces cook faster, so you need to adjust the timing accordingly.
- Place the cut potatoes into a pot with just enough cold water in it to come to about half an inch over the potatoes. Always start cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots in cold water to help ensure more even cooking.
- Start checking on your potatoes at around seven minutes to see if they are cooked through. Overcooking potatoes become gummy, so don’t get distracted. You can tell the potatoes are ready when a knife can easily pierce the potato to the center.
- Drain the potatoes and then return them to the same pot over low heat. Gently shake the pot back and forth for around a minute. Doing this will help drive out any remaining moisture from the potatoes and help keep your mashed potatoes from becoming soggy and dense.
Why You’ll Love These Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
- Restaurant-quality taste – Authentic Cracker Barrel flavor without leaving home
- Budget-friendly – Uses simple, inexpensive ingredients for a fraction of restaurant prices
- Foolproof method – Step-by-step instructions ensure perfect results every time
- Family favorite – Appeals to both kids and adults with its classic comfort food status
- Versatile side dish – Pairs beautifully with everything from fried chicken to pot roast
- Customizable – Easy to scale up for holiday gatherings or family reunions
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Black pepper – Adds a subtle warmth and depth to the finished dish
- Russet potatoes – Their high starch content creates the fluffy texture that makes these potatoes special
- Margarine – Provides the authentic Cracker Barrel flavor and rich mouthfeel
- Milk – Adds creaminess while keeping the potatoes light and fluffy
- Salt – Enhances all the flavors and is essential for properly seasoned potatoes
CopyKat tip – if you do not have fresh milk, evaporated milk can be substituted.
How to Make Cracker Barrel Mashed Potatoes
- Wash potatoes thoroughly, peel them, cut them into small pieces, and place them into a pot.
- Fill the pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes plus about 1/2 an inch more.
- Cook potatoes until they are fork-tender.
- Take potatoes out of the water and drain.
- Place potatoes into a bowl with the other ingredients and mash the potatoes with a masher. Do not use an electric mixer because you want there to be lumps, or if you use a mixer, be sure to leave a few lumps in them.
- Transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving dish.
Tips For Serving, Storing, and Reheating Cracker Barrel Mashed Potatoes
- Butter and gravy are great for topping your potatoes, but there is a whole world of options. Check out more than 150 ideas.
- Store mashed potatoes in a sealable container or bag. They will stay good for up to two days.
- Reheat mashed potatoes in the microwave. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and cover. Heat for 1 minute and stir. Repeat until hot.
Cracker Barrel Mashed Potatoes – Homestyle Southern Comfort
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons margarine butter is ok to use, if you use salted butter you may need to reduce the amount of salt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes. It is not necessary to remove all of the peelings off the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces and place into a pot.
- Fill the pot with water, add enough to water to cover the potatoes and then add an additional 1/2 inch of water.
- Cook the potatoes on medium-high heat for about 7 to 10 minutes or until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes.
- Place potatoes into a bowl with the other ingredients and mash the potatoes with a potato masher. You can use an electric mixer if desired, but be sure to not mix them until they are smooth, leave them with some texture.
Nutrition
Love Cracker Barrel side dishes? Try these copycat recipes!
Favorite Vegetable Side Dishes
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
- Red Potatoes Recipe
- Greek Roasted Potatoes
- Lipton Onion Soup Mix Potatoes
- Cooked Carrots Recipe
- Carrot Pudding
- Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Homemade Slaw
- Cheese Broccoli
- Skillet Cabbage
You can find many more vegetable side dish recipes and copycat Cracker Barrel recipes here at CopyKat.com.
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How do you make the loaded mashed potato’s? Thanks
I don’t know, I appreciate the suggestion though!
Mashed potatoes are the easiest thing to make. This recipe has been made by my Oma for over a hundred years, RIP Oma. I’m 80 years old and always have made them this way using whole milk with a little heavy cream and unsalted butter. For something special add baked garlic and mash them together.
They are very easy to make, unfortunately, not everyone is a great cook like you!
Firechef, with all due respect, it is completely unnecessary to use profanity in a recipe review (or anytime, in my opinion). Please have some respect for the owner of this website and for those of us who read it. Thank you.
Like!! I blog quite often and I genuinely thank you for your information. The article has truly peaked my interest.
the potatoes should be started in COLD water not boiling water or they will cook faster on the outside and not the inside.
Great tip. I will have to give it a try.
Adam it doesn’t say anything about baking the potatoes just boil them like you normally would theirs really nothing special about this recipe
cracker barrel doesn’t use instant mash potatoes…. it is still cooked the old fashion way. boiling them in water, butter, milk, salt, pepper. thats all they use
I love their mashed potatoes.
i wish the recipie would tell how much water to boil if i use to much water they’ll be soupy
How much water to add really depends on how big your pot is. What I do is I cut my potatoes, put them in the pot and add enough water to cover the potatoes by 1/2 to 1 inch of water.