Enjoy these creamed peas and potatoes with garden-fresh peas and new potatoes in the Spring or enjoy any time of year using mini potatoes and frozen peas.

Creamed peas and potatoes in serving dish with spoon.

This dish isn’t an everyday vegetable dish, but it’s certainly a delicious way to celebrate fresh garden peas and those lovely little new potatoes. It’s comfort food in vegetable form and yes, that’s totally a thing :)

Creamed Peas and Potatoes is a dish that was enjoyed for many years, especially by farmers or anyone with a garden that found that the new potatoes and garden peas were ready for harvest at the same time. It has not been as popular in recent years, probably because of the “creamed” in the name.

Fact is though, there isn’t a drop of cream in this dish. It starts with just one tablespoon of butter, some flour for thickening and one cup of milk (I used 2%, but you could easily use 1%). So while it’s not a dish that you’d eat every day, it’s an absolutely delicious way to enjoy garden fresh peas and potatoes once in a while. (It’s also a great Thanksgiving side dish, by the way!)

And if you’ve never enjoyed this dish and you’re thinking it looks rich, I can only try to assure you that it just really isn’t. It’s the kind of creamy that’s more about the creamy texture than the creamy taste, if that makes sense.

Salt and pepper are crucial to the success of this dish. If you take a bite and it tastes bland, add more salt! Just remember that none of the ingredients are adding any salt to the dish, so you’ll need to do it along the way and at the end. Boil your potatoes in salted water. Once your sauce is made, taste and add seasoning as necessary.

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Ingredients and substitutions

A few notes about the key ingredients …

New Potatoes – Ideally, this dish is best made with new potatoes. New potatoes are simply potatoes that have been dug from the garden when small and enjoyed without storing for any time. They are typically small and have a paper-thin skin, that rubs off easily. New potatoes are favoured as they are more moist and sweeter than potatoes that have been stored.

If new potatoes are unavailable, you can certainly make this dish with mini red or yellow potatoes.

Finally, I have enjoyed this dish with canned, whole potatoes, which are a great option in a pinch.

Peas – Again, if you can get your hands on garden-fresh peas you shell yourself that would be perfect. If fresh peas aren’t available, you can use certainly use frozen peas.

Milk – I like to use 2 or 3% milk, for a lovely creamy taste and texture (without the need for cream).

How to make creamed peas and new potatoes

Peas cooking in boiling water in saucepan.
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Potatoes cooking in boiling water in saucepan.
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  1. To start, boil some water in a small saucepan. When boiling, add the peas and cook until tender (3-5 minutes). Drain and set aside.
  2. At the same time, boil some water in a medium saucepan for the potatoes. When boiling, salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Onion added to melted butter in skillet.
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Add milk to butter and onion mixture.
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  1. Make the white sauce by melting butter in a skillet. Add the onion and cook until softened.
  2. Add the flour to the onion mixture and cook briefly, then gradually add the milk, stirring constantly.
Cooked peas and potatoes added to white sauce in skillet.
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Seasoning the dish with salt and pepper.
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  1. Return the potatoes and peas to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens up nicely.
  2. Taste and season the dish generously with salt and pepper.

Recipe tip!

  • Salt and pepper are crucial to the success of this dish. Taste the sauce at the end of cooking and if it tastes flat or a bit bland, add more salt! Just remember that beyond the butter, none of the ingredients has any salt, so you’ll need to do it along the way and at the end. Boil your potatoes in salted water. Once your sauce is made, taste and add seasoning as necessary. Again (for emphasis :), use a generous hand with the salt when seasoning this dish.
Creamed peas and potatoes in serving dish with spoon.

Making ahead, storing and freezing

This dish is best eaten when freshly made, but leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated. Simply add a splash of milk to it when reheating if needed to loosen the sauce.

Milk-based sauces don’t freeze well, so freezing isn’t suggested.

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Creamed peas and potatoes in serving dish with spoon.

Get the Recipe: Creamed Peas and New Potatoes

Creamed peas and new potatoes are a delicious vegetable side dish and the perfect comfort food in vegetable form!
5 stars from 10 ratings
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 12-14 small new potatoes, or mini potatoes
  • 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
  • 1 Tablespoon salted butter
  • 2 Tablespoon yellow or red onion, finely diced
  • 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk, 2 or 3% b.f. recommended
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more, as needed
  • Freshly ground pepper

Instructions
 

  • Start water boiling in two medium-large saucepans on your stovetop. Add peas to boiling water. Don't salt, but add a pinch of sugar to the water. Cook until just tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Unless potatoes are really tiny, cut in half or in quarters. Cook in salted boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes (Test with a knife to be sure the are cooked through). Drain and set aside.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Slowly begin adding milk, stirring continuously, until well combined. Add the cooked peas and potatoes and salt and pepper. Reduce heat slightly and allow the sauce to simmer until thickened to a creamy sauce. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper, if needed (It should not taste flat or bland. I find I almost always need to add a bit more salt). Remove to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Notes

Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips on making this recipe. You’ll also find step-by-step photos that you may find helpful.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Side Dish
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 270kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 545mg, Potassium: 1134mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 485IU, Vitamin C: 59.4mg, Calcium: 110mg, Iron: 2.5mg
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