Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
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Perfect for the busy holidays, these ultra-creamy make-ahead mashed potatoes can be prepared two days ahead of time and reheated in the microwave.
As much as my family loves buttery, gravy-drenched mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, I’ve always been hesitant about making them because they need to be prepared at the last minute. Traditional mashed potatoes don’t hold up well when made ahead of time, often becoming dry, grainy, or even gluey—a real letdown for such a special occasion. The thought of mashing potatoes in the eleventh hour, while juggling a dozen other dishes in a kitchen buzzing with guests of all ages, is nerve-wracking, to say the least! That’s why I was thrilled to discover a method for make-ahead mashed potatoes from Cooks Illustrated that works really well. Not only do these mashed potatoes stay ultra-creamy, but they can also be made up to two days ahead of time and reheated in the microwave—a huge bonus when oven and burner space is at a premium during the holidays.
“I’ve always dreaded making mashed potatoes on the day of Thanksgiving. Too much work and mess, and they never seem to come out the way I want them to. These make-ahead mashed potatoes were the perfect solution! And they were so creamy and delicious!! They got rave reviews from my family and definitely earned a permanent spot on my Thanksgiving menu!”
What You’ll Need For Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Interestingly, the recipe calls for baking the potatoes instead of boiling them. In all my years of cooking, I have never seen a mashed potato recipe that starts with baked potatoes. But it makes sense: water is the enemy of perfectly mashed potatoes. If the potatoes are too wet, they become dense and heavy. (That’s why most recipes instruct you to “dry” the boiled potatoes on the stovetop before adding the butter and liquid.) In many ways, the recipe is similar to twice-baked potatoes, which can also be made mostly ahead.
Baking the potatoes does take longer but it’s a tradeoff: you don’t have to peel or dry the potatoes and it’s completely hands-off. And since the potatoes cook directly on the oven rack, you won’t even dirty a pan!
How To Make Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
To begin, place the potatoes directly on an oven rack and bake until very soft, 50 to 60 minutes. While the potatoes are still hot, cut each in potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out all of the flesh from each potato half into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or the bowl of an electric mixer). Break the cooked potato flesh down into small pieces using a fork, potato masher, or rubber spatula.
Beat on low speed until completely smooth and no lumps remain, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. It’s important to do this while the potatoes are still hot, otherwise you’ll end up with lumps.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the cream and butter to a simmer.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a large rubber spatula, gradually fold in the hot cream and butter mixture. Folding (rather than stirring in the stand mixer) prevents the potatoes from becoming gluey.
It will take a few minutes to mix the liquid in; keep folding until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Mix in the salt, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Transfer the mashed potatoes to a large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. To reheat, poke lots of holes in the plastic wrap with the tip of a knife and microwave at medium-high (75 percent) power for about 14 minutes. Stir the potatoes halfway through reheating to be sure they warm evenly. Season to taste, then transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl. Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the chives and serve warm.
Video Tutorial
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Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Perfect for the busy holidays, these ultra-creamy make-ahead mashed potatoes can be prepared two days ahead of time and reheated in the microwave.
Ingredients
- 3½ pounds Russet potatoes
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- Chives, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and adjust an oven rack to the middle position.
- Prick each potato a few times all over with a fork, if you like (see note). Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack (alternatively, you can place them on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet). Bake until very soft, 50 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. (Err on the side of overcooking rather than undercooking them.)
- Remove the potatoes from the oven. While they are still hot, cut each potato in half lengthwise. Using an oven mitt or a folded kitchen towel to hold the hot potatoes, scoop out all of the flesh from each potato half into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (*see note below on using a potato ricer, food mill or hand-held electric mixer). The flesh near the skin gets a little tough, so be sure to leave it behind. Break the cooked potato flesh down into small pieces using a potato masher, fork, or rubber spatula. Beat on low speed until completely smooth and no lumps remain, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. (Note: it’s important to mash the potatoes while they are still hot, otherwise you’ll end up with lumps.)
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and 6 tablespoons of the butter to a simmer.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and, using a large rubber spatula, gradually fold in the hot cream and butter mixture. It will take a few minutes to mix it all in; keep folding until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Stir in the salt, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap (the bowl should be large enough that the potatoes don’t touch the plastic wrap). Refrigerate for up to 2 days. (DO NOT FREEZE)
- To reheat, use the tip of a knife to poke about 10 holes in the plastic wrap, and microwave at medium-high (75 percent) power until the potatoes are hot, about 14 minutes, stirring halfway through the reheating time. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving dish, top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and sprinkle with the chives. Serve hot.
- Note: Conventional wisdom says that prior to baking, you have to prick potatoes with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape during baking. The theory is that if you don’t prick the potato, the steam can build up under the skin and cause the potato to explode in the oven. I don't prick my potatoes and have never had a potato explosion, but pricking won't harm the potatoes, so go ahead and prick them as insurance, if you like.
- Notes: For perfectly smooth potatoes, pass the potato flesh through a potato ricer or food mill before adding them to the mixer. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use a hand-held electric mixer. If you don't have an electric mixer, pass the potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer and then whip by hand with a wooden spoon.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 464
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated fat: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 470 mg
- Cholesterol: 112 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I used your recipe to make dairy free mashed potatoes. My granddaughter was just diagnosed with a milk allergy at the age of 20, and next to chocolate and cheese, she is missing mashed potatoes the most! I followed the recipe exactly but used dairy free cream, a little bit of coconut milk, and dairy free “buttery stix.” They turned out wonderfully and my granddaughter was thrilled! Thank you so much!!
Made these the other week and they were great. I used a food mill to process the potatoes, a little more labour intensive, but it was worth it. Since it’s just my husband and I and 2 toddlers the recipe made too much. Being the rebel that I am I froze half in a Ziploc bag. I know you commented that they ended up a grainy mess but we had the frozen potatoes last night (defrosted then microwaved) and there was no discernible difference from fresh made. The thawed potatoes were very loose but thickened nicely once warmed. I’ve frozen other mashed potatoes before and know exactly what you mean about grainy and inedible, but these weren’t it. Not sure if the choice of cream impacts this, I’m in Canada and most cream here has some extra ingredients, gums etc. Thanks for the recipe, think it might become a freezer meal in my house!
This is the best mashed potato recipe i have ever made and ate!! A success with everyone from my kids to any person i have had try it. Thanks for making life that much tastier again!
We totally loved this but I think I could have done better. It seemed like I had too much liquid compared to potato. I had bought a sack of russets on sale, but would it have been better to select some large ones?
Hi Susan, the size of the potatoes shouldn’t matter if you used the correct amount (3 1/2 pounds). Did you make any changes to the recipe?
I did weigh 3 1/2 pounds of potatoes. But I wonder if I would have had more actual potato with larger potatoes but the same weight in pounds. Does this make sense?
Hi Susan, If I’m understanding your question correctly, no, the size of the potatoes shouldn’t make a difference as long as you’re using a total of 3 1/2 pounds.
I think Susan might be on to something there….I’m thinking that a single large potato weighing 1 pound could end up having a bit less skin & (thus a bit more flesh) than, say, three potatoes that each weigh 1/3 of a pound, because they’d have more total surface area covered by skin. I doubt the skins weigh very much & would guess that it’s a pretty small difference, but multiply that times a few pounds (or times 7 pounds if doubling the recipe), and maybe that could add up to the need for a bit less liquid than if your 3.5 # or 7 # consists of a few extra-large potatoes.
I made several of your recipes todate and plan on making more but I have a question why is it you always use unsalted butter butter versus salted butter what is the difference of just leaving out the additional salt
Hi Merry Ellen, The primary reason I use unsalted butter is that the amount of salt in salted butter varies by brand. This makes it harder to calibrate the rest of the seasoning in a recipe. Hope that clarifies!
The best mashed potatoes ever! Will never make them the old fashioned way again. So grateful for this recipe!
I made these mashed potatoes for my family and everyone loved them. It is the best mashed potato recipe I have found.
This was such a good idea! I made them at Thanksgiving, and made more than we could eat. I froze and cubed them, and put the cubes in the freezer. I also froze the potato skins, and make the best stuffed the potato skins with whatever leftover vegetable and meat I have. I love it!
I have made this recipe twice. The first time I followed the recipe exactly. It turned out sooo good. The second time I doubled it for a large crowd. I was in a hurry and added the warm liquid too quickly. It was very hard to blend in. Take your time folding in the warm cream and butter mixture. It will be worth the time and effort. Delicious the next day. Saves so much time on serving day.
I made these for Thanksgiving dinner and not only did it make last minute meal details easier, my family was shocked at how good they were, “You made these Mom? Wow, these are good!” I am not sure what that says about my regular cooking! Lol