These make-ahead mashed potatoes are extra rich and fluffy. Having great flexibility, they can be refrigerated or frozen and reheated when you’re ready to eat. They are the perfect compliment for your Thanksgiving turkey or winter stews. When it comes to preparing for holiday dinners and large family gatherings the more “make ahead” dishes the better.
My mom is the queen of Thanksgiving in our family. She makes just about everything except for the turkey days or weeks before and stores everything in the refrigerator or freezer. While I know a lot of prep goes into the meal, she makes it look easy.
I’m excited to share her fuss-free make-ahead mashed potatoes with you. It will make your Thanksgiving preparation that much simpler.
What you need:
- 10 lbs russet potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and whole
- 2 sticks of butter
- 8oz cream cheese
- 16oz sour cream
- ½ C milk
- 1 t salt for the water
- 2 t salt for potatoes
How to make “make ahead” mashed potatoes step-by-step:
Cook the potatoes:
Peel and cut your potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Place the cut potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water about an inch above the potatoes. Add the peeled garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of salt to the water.
Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to low. Cover the pot to maintain a simmer until the potatoes are just cooked through. This will take about 18 to 22 minutes.
To check that the potatoes are done, pierce one of the potatoes with a fork. The potatoes should pierce easily and be soft.
Once the potatoes are cooked through, strain the potatoes in a colander removing all the water and return the potatoes and garlic to the hot pot.
Mash the potatoes and garlic:
While the potatoes are still hot use a potato masher or potato ricer to roughly mashed potatoes and garlic. Doing this while it is hot is important. While still warm is easier to mash and gives a fluffy consistency.
If you don’t have a potato ricer or potato masher you can also add potatoes in a stand mixer and allow that to do the work.
Add the dairy:
While you’re waiting for the mashed potatoes to cook, measure out your dairy ingredients and allow them to come to room temperature on the counter.
While the potatoes are still warm mix in the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, milk and remaining salt. You can do this with wooden spoon, the potato masher, or you can scoop all the ingredients into a stand mixer. If you use a stand mixer start on a low speed increasing speed only until the ingredients are incorporated. You don’t want to over mix.
For the final step, taste test and serve!
Refrigerate or freeze:
Once prepared, let the mashed potatoes completely cool in a baking dish or serving tin. Cover the potatoes with a layer of plastic wrap and then tinfoil ensuring it’s tightly covered.
You can also freeze the mashed potatoes a 4 few weeks ahead of time. Because there’s a high-fat content they freeze and thaw just fine. The cream cheese is the magic in helping retain texture and flavor. The double layer of saran wrap and aluminum foil helps reduce freezer burn. If you are going to serve the mashed potatoes in 3 days or less, use the same process and store in the refrigerator.
Reheating:
When you’re ready to serve remove from the refrigerator or freezer, and set it out on the counter for an hour. If you’re baking from a frozen casserole it might not be completely thawed but that’s fine.
Remove the plastic wrap from the potatoes and cover the dish back up with the tin foil. Bake in an oven at 350° for 30 minutes with the tinfoil on. Then, remove the tinfoil and stir the mashed potatoes and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes or until hot.
Yes. Oven space can be at a premium on Thanksgiving day. Being able to serve these mashed potatoes in the slow cooker can help alleviate that. It makes it a lot easier to do this if you thaw the mashed potatoes ahead of time so you can scoop them into the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker on high for an hour, stir thoroughly, and reduce to low until you are ready to serve.
Recipe
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 10 lbs russet potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and whole
- 2 sticks of butter
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 16 oz sour cream
- ½ C milk
- 1 t salt for the water
- 2 t salt for potatoes
Instructions
Cook the potatoes:
- Peel and cut your potatoes into 1 inch cubes.
- Place the cut potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water about an inch above the potatoes.
- Add the peeled garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of salt to the water.
- Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to low.
- Cover the pot to maintain a simmer until the potatoes are just cooked through. This will take about 16 to 20 minutes*.
- To check that the potatoes are done, pierce one of the potatoes with a fork.
- The potatoes should pierce easily and be soft.
- Once the potatoes are cooked through, strain the potatoes in a colander removing all the water and return the potatoes and garlic to the hot pot.
Mash the potatoes and garlic:
- While the potatoes are still hot use a potato masher or potato ricer to roughly mashed potatoes and garlic.
Add the dairy:
- While the potatoes are still warm mix in the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, milk and remaining salt.
- For the final step, taste test and serve!
Notes
Once prepared, let the mashed potatoes completely cool in a baking dish or serving tin. Cover the potatoes with a layer of plastic wrap and then tinfoil ensuring it’s tightly covered. You can also freeze the mashed potatoes a few weeks ahead of time. Because there’s a high fat content they freeze and thaw just fine. The cream cheese in the magic in helping retain texture and flavor. The double layer of saran wrap and aluminum foil helps reduce freezer burn. If you are going to serve the mashed potatoes in 3 days or less, use the same process and store in the refrigerator. Reheating: When you’re ready to serve remove from the refrigerator or freezer, set it out on the counter for an hour. If you’re baking from a frozen casserole it might not be completely thawed but that’s fine. Remove the plastic wrap from the potatoes and cover the dish back up with the tinfoil. Bake in an oven at 350° for 30 minutes with the tinfoil on. Then, remove the tinfoil and stir the mashed potatoes and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes or until hot. Can I serve these mashed potatoes in a slow cooker? Yes. Oven space can be at a premium on Thanksgiving day. Being able to serve these mashed potatoes in the slow cooker can help alleviate that. It makes it a lot easier to do this if you thaw the mashed potatoes ahead of time so you can scoop them into the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker on high for an hour, stir thoroughly, and reduce to low until you are ready to serve.
[…] Mashed potatoes […]