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Creamed Peas and Potatoes are a versatile and classic side dish. This creamy comfort food features crisp, sweet peas and tender potatoes in a delicious white sauce.
Creamed Peas and Potatoes was always a favorite side dish growing up. Our mom would add fresh peas from our garden along with tender chunks of beautiful red potatoes. It’s a terrific dish to serve with baked chicken, turkey, roasted pork, meat loaf or steak. We have even served this for Easter dinner. On multiple occasions. It’s easy to make, very inexpensive, and always a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients in Creamed Peas and Potatoes
It only takes a few simple pantry ingredients to create this delicious, creamy side dish. This is what you need:
- Red potatoes or baby red potatoes (also called new potatoes)
- Peas
- Butter
- Flour
- Milk
- Salt and black pepper
The Creamy Sauce for Peas and Potatoes
To make the sauce for creamed peas and potatoes, start with a roux made from melted butter and flour. Gradually whisk in the milk (or cream) until you reach the perfect creamy consistency. Season the sauce with salt and pepper for a well-balanced flavor profile. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg or fresh or dried herbs like thyme or parsley. For a cheesy twist, stir in grated Parmesan, cheddar, or Gruyere cheese at the end until melted and smooth.
How To Make Creamed Peas (Only)
If you want to skip the potatoes and make this dish with only peas, it’s easy to do (and delicious).
Tips and Suggestions For This Recipe
- Uniform Slicing: Slice the potatoes into even pieces to ensure they cook evenly and maintain a consistent creamy texture.
- Cooking Technique: Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are fork-tender but not overly mushy. Overcooking can lead to a less desirable texture.
- Add Cream or Milk: Use whole milk, half and half or cream to create a rich and creamy base for the dish.
- Seasoning: Season the dish with salt, pepper, and any other preferred herbs and spices. Garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, or parsley are excellent choices.
- Creamy Sauce Enhancements: Consider adding grated cheese, such as cheddar or Parmesan, to the sauce for an extra layer of creaminess and flavor. You can even add some Gruyere or a few tablespoons of cream cheese.
- Pea Selection: Fresh, garden peas are divine in this recipe but you can easily use frozen peas too. They’re crisp, vibrant and so yummy!
- Blanch Fresh Peas: If you’re using fresh peas, be sure to blanch them first. To blanch the peas, boil them for 90 seconds in rapidly boiling water. Immediately add the peas to the recipe, or cool them for later use by placing them in an ice bath until cooled.
- Gentle Mixing: Stir the peas into the creamy potatoes gently to avoid mashing the potatoes and maintain their smooth texture.
- Pearl Onion Addition: I have made this recipe several times with pearl onions for a little added flavor. Sometimes my kids don’t love the onions, but because they are big and easy to see, they just brush the onions to the side. To add onion, you can just get a small bag of frozen pearl onions and boil them for 5 minutes (or according to package instructions). Add the cooked onions when you add the potatoes in the recipe.
- Make it a Meal: To make this side dish more of a main dish, add diced ham or cooked bacon bits.
- Potluck Prep: This recipe is easy to adjust for crowds if you need a side dish for a pot luck. It also makes yummy leftovers!
Heath Benefits of Peas and Potatoes
Peas and potatoes actually have tremendous health benefits! Peas are a good source of vitamin K, manganese, fiber, vitamins B1, B6, B2, and vitamin C. There are many good reasons your mother told you to eat your peas! Peas are low in calories, low in fat, high in fiber, and high in protein. And potatoes! They have more potassium than a banana. Because potatoes are high in fiber, the help lower cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease. Potatoes are also high in vitamin C and vitamin B6. You can feel great about preparing this healthy dish for your family!
Great For Kids And Babies
Creamed peas and potatoes are a perfect dish for kids of all ages. It’s so easy to mash up if you have a child who prefers mashed potatoes. It can also easily be pureed to make terrific baby food (just remove the potato skins).
Frequently Asked Questions about Creamed Peas
Peas are high in protein and fiber making them a healthy side dish choice.
Absolutely! It will be a lot thicker so you can cut down the flour by at least half if you do this. You can also JUST use heavy cream if you would rather, it will just be a little thinner and not a “gravy” consistency.
We like to use red potatoes but you can use new potatoes, gem potatoes, baby potatoes, or any waxy potato such as Yukon Gold. I would not recommend Russet potatoes for this recipe. Russets don’t boil well and get mushy easier.
To make a GF-version of this recipe, you can add butter and milk to the pan first and heat to a simmer. Make a slurry with cornstarch and water (about 2-3 Tablespoons of each) and whisk into the milk mixture a little at a time until thickened.
This recipe is best served fresh. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To re-heat, add a little extra milk and heat over medium-low heat in a skillet until heated through.
Read More: 60+ Potato Recipes
More Potato Side Dishes
I tend to get in a rut of turning to baked potatoes or mashed potatoes as a side dish. Potatoes are so versatile and go well with many vegetables. Here are a few of our favorites:
How to Make Creamed Peas and Potatoes
Creamed Peas and Potatoes
Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender, approximately 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your potato cubes. You don't want them overdone or they will get mushy. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Slowly add flour, stirring, until mixture becomes doughy (you may not need all the flour).
- Slowly add milk, whisking constantly until mixture becomes smooth and creamy. You want it to be a gravy consistency. Add more milk if it seems too thick. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add peas and bring to a slight simmer.
- Carefully stir potatoes into creamy mixture until potatoes are covered.
- Pour creamed peas and potatoes into a serving dish to serve.
Notes
How to Blanch Fresh Peas
If using fresh peas, follow these steps to blanch the peas before using them in this recipe:- Prepare a pot of boiling water.Â
- Shell the fresh peas while waiting for water to boil.
- Add peas to boiling water and boil for 90 seconds.
- Remove peas from boiling water and add them to the cream sauce in this recipe (step 5). If preparing the peas ahead, cool the peas by plunging them in a bowl of ice water. Drain and keep refrigerated until ready to use. After peas are drained and dried, they can also be frozen for later use.
Can you use regular potatoes i dont have red potatoes
Yes, definitely
Made these last night and they were delicious!! I added some garlic but otherwise made it exactly as the recipe. I paired them with mini meat loaves. My husband loved them too. Thank you for a great recipe!
i added a chopped onion and cooked in the potatoes. So good
Thank you for the idea! I’m sure the onions added great flavor.
Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories of a favorite dish from my childhood, that I had forgotten all about! My mom made this and I can still taste it. I will try your recipe, I am sure it is just like her’s.
Oh! That is so great. I hope you enjoy it!
I’m making this tonight and adding cubed ham to it and making it a meal served with hawaiian rolls!
Great idea!
Just a Question, How much butter is used to melt exactly?
I use 3 Tablespoons – but if you want it more buttery you can use 4 Tablespoons. Thank you for asking!
Hi , I have never seen this recipe before. In the 50’s and 60’s my mother made this creamed peas with tuna fish (solid white) as an entire meal. My brother and I loved this dish and we still make it a couple of times a year for old times sake.
I’ve had creamed peas and tuna before with pasta, basically a tuna casserole. Thank you for your comment!
Any way to do this dairy free?! Would almond milk work?
I think almond milk would work great! Thank you for asking.
This recipe looks great…how many does this serve?
It serves 4-6 as a side
I plan on each person eating the equivalent of one potato. So if I’m using a medium to large red potato, I’ll use six in the recipe to serve six people. If the red potatoes I’m using are small, I use plan on two per person. I hope this helps. Thank you for asking!
This sounds relish! Can you make this ahead of time and serve at room temp?
You could make it ahead of time, refrigerate it, and reheat on the stove or in the microwave. I would be concerned about leaving at room temperature for too long because the milk will spoil and you don’t want anyone getting sick. Good question! Thank you!
Made this with few twicks and was FANTASTIC!
Replaced salt with consume de pollo, ad some fresh dill and fried turkey sausage. Served with fresh cucumber salad.
Ah-mazing!
Yum! Thank you for sharing. I love your ideas for additions to the recipe!
I grew up eating this exact recipe and have never changed a thing. If I’m hungry for comfort food this or my mom’s homemade mac n cheese made with velvetta cheese. I have 4 grandkids they al LOVE the mac n cheese but the 2 youngest ones LOVE the creamed peas and potatoes. That’s what they ask for on their birthdays
I love it when food brings back good, comforting memories! I’m glad you are carrying on the traditional with your grandkids. Thank you for sharing!
My grandmother used to make this for me when I was little on her woodburning stove (she had an electric one but didn’t like to use it lol) I teared up a little when I saw this on pinterest, but it was b/c of happy memories!! I’m going to make this in the next couple of days! Thank you!
i remember my grandmother making this years and years ago 🙂 haven’t had it in over 10 years – happy memories. I will try it 🙂
My family always have had new potatoes, peas and dumplings, made with
chicken broth.
Add a little cheese…cheddar, Gruyere, Parmesan, any kind and it will be even yummier!
My favorite comfort food, Mom always put in diced cooked bacon.
Adding bacon is a great idea! I’m going to do it next time I make this for my family – my kids will love it! Thanks for the tip!
My mom use to make these all of the time, but especially when she made a pork roast. She’d call them “Cream Peas & Potatoes.” She would make them real creamy and they were so delicious!!
I made these for dinner and they are so good!! I will be making them again.
Love this! And even though this is technically a “side-dish”, I can happily make this dinner for myself!
I sometimes put pearl onions and dice ham and add to the dish and my family loves it.
What a great idea for a side dish! I’m putting this on the menu! Looks delicious!