Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

I reheat my potatoes in a slow cooker. One less thing I have to fuss over at the last minute.

We skip the milk and use sour cream instead. Full-fat sour cream, plenty of butter, and salt. I don’t want to hear anything about the amount of fat and salt! We’ll enjoy thanksgiving our way, and you do yours. See how easy that was?When our kids were younger, we made ‘party potatoes,’ by adding a few tablespoons of really tiny minced carrots and broccoli into the mashed potatoes, giving them a festive look. They were thrilled when I made them again during our first pandemic Thanksgiving. :-)

I have found that along with butter and half and half, cream cheese is the secret to great mashed potatoes. And I never liked leftover mashed potatoes until I started adding the cream cheese. It definitely improves the next day flavor.

This title is a bit misleading. To make ahead, cook potatoes as directed, but put thru a ricer or food mill then refrigerate until ready to use. Then heat milk and melt butter, add in riced potatoes and heat through. That’s how we did it in a well respected restaurant. Works great and you can make single servings on up to a bunch.

A friend of mine, with a degree in home economics from the 1950s, and exceptional food preparer, made mashed potatoes as your recipe prescribes but with the addition of a block, 8oz, of cream cheese. This, she said, makes it possible to prepare the mashed potatoes a day ahead, put them in a 9X12 pan and reheat in the oven, without having that day old taste that happens without the cream cheese.

Everybody's got their spin on the cue ball. Mine is the addition of Boursin cheese (herbed) for a little extra sumpin-sumpin. You're welcome.

My make-ahead recipe for mashed potatoes includes blending in both sour cream and room-softened cream cheese. Cool, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Heat in 375 oven until lightly browned, about 30-40 minutes. Always a crowd-pleaser.

Instead of salting the water, use chicken “Better than Bouillon”.

The recipe actually says to add the potatoes to cold water, then bring to a boil.

Bad idea to add quartered potatoes to boiling water one at a time as you peel them. They will not cook evenly. Especially with such large pieces, some might still be raw in the middle while others are too mushy. Modern potatoes no longer oxidize as quickly as they used to (genetic engineering?).But if you are worried, put the cut pieces in ice water until all are prepared. My own preference (my mom's way) is to cut them in smaller pieces, add them to cold water, then bring to a simmer.

It isn't clear that he was killing them with herbicides! When I grow potatoes I kill them manually, by knocking down the main stalk.

First, find some organic potatoes. in the accompanying interview with a third generation Idaho potato grower, he says that he kills the plants three weeks before digging the potatoes. He does not say what herbicide he uses, but I do not want to serve it to my guests what ever it is.

I use a silicon canning rack ($5 at Wal****) in a deep sauté pan. That way, I can use a heat-proof glass serving dish and when it's ready, just dry it off and you're good to go.

I find that the microwave reheats cold mashed potatoes retaining the original flavor and texture.

I have eaten lots and lots of leftover mashed potatoes in my life, including cold for breakfast. They are good. But they are never as good as when they are first made regardless of what you add to them - there is just a different taste. So this confuses me. Although the comments about adding cream cheese are intriguing and I’ll have to try it. But not for Thanksgiving. Plus, making ten lbs of potatoes (our standard) in a ricer? Yikes!

Wow! I thought quiche was supposed to be easy. Next time Costco quiche it is!

The best way to make mashed potatoes ahead of serving time is to put them in a greased baking dish, cover and refrigerate until the time comes and sprinkle top with grated parmesan cheese and bake at 400 or so for about 30 minutes until the top is golden and crusty. That’s the only way they were served in Central America, where I grew up. Best potato puré gratin you’ll ever have!

My husband is a traditionalist, and these were his favorite mashed potatoes! I usually like bolder variations, but this was perfection. I did use buttermilk because I had it on hand. It made the timing of the meal easy-peasy!

Made ahead and stored in crock pot overnight in fridge. Added butter and milk the next day and turned the crock pot to low. Three hours. Ready to go. Perfect!

Perfect just following recipe I’ll definitely make these every time Heating on stove over simmering water til dinner time also worked like a charm

Followed the directions exactly, turned out great. Reheated two days after making per the instructions and worked wonderfully. Will make this every year for Thanksgiving.

Try getting the mashed potatoes out of the simmering water without spilling them and/or burning yourself. I ended up putting them in a low oven because this method takes forever to get them warmed up. A really bad way to reheat mashed potatoes.

Easy to make. Used 2 lbs russet & 2 lbs gold (I think used ingredient list from different recipe). Great compliments. Reheated using slow cooker. Put EVOO on bottom & sides with a bit of butter, put mashed potatoes in with milk covering about 3/4 of top. Needed to cook on high to be ready on time.Wonderful way to have smooth mash potatoes with minimal work on Thanksgiving day.

I made them for Thanksgiving exactly as described and they were perfect! I did add some chopped chives and my 5 year old granddaughter gave me a @thumbs up when she licked the spoon before it went into the dishwasher!

I’ve been using an old fashioned flat bottomed masher for 50 years, no matter how much potatoes I make, so much easier that taking out and then cleaning a mixer.

This works. It works well as written. Embellishment is strictly a matter of personal preference.

Do not use a stand mixer. The tendency will be to over beat, which can lead to watery mashed potatoes. Use an old-fashioned, flat-based masher with square holes. Mash while hot, adding butter, and then milk until desired consistency. Finish by stirring with a fork to fluff.This takes a bit of muscle, but it’s great fun for kids.

What can I substitute in mashed potatos for milk for the lactaid intolerant? Lactaid free milk? Does it taste/cream the same? Thank you

5 lbs potatos, 8 oz. softened cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream = heaven. Prepare the day before save for the last step, which is heating in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Pans? A microwave is way the best best source to reconstitute mash! It's what happens in restaurant kitchens. Reheat your riced potatoes THEN get it in a pan to finish with the butter/ milk/seasoning/whatever else.