Peel potatoes, add to a large pot of COLD water with 1 tsp of the sea salt. Bring this to a boil and let cook for 20 minutes, or until soft.
Drain out all the water. Mash with a potato masher or with a fork until all potatoes are broken up. Add in butter, half the milk, cream cheese, remaining salt, and pepper. Blend everything with an electric hand mixer on medium for about 1 minute. If you would like them to be a less stiff, add remaining milk and blend.
Top with chives & serve! You can make this ahead and reheat in the oven on 350 for about 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
This recipe will easily double or triple if you need to serve more than 4 people.