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’m always hesitant to make them because they’re typically a last-minute dish. Traditional mashed potatoes don’t hold up well when made ahead—they often turn dry, grainy, or even gluey, which is a real letdown for such a special occasion. And the idea of mashing potatoes at the eleventh hour, while juggling a dozen other dishes in a kitchen buzzing with guests of all ages, is downright nerve-wracking!
That’s why I was thrilled to discover a method for make-ahead mashed potatoes from Cooks Illustrated that works really well. These mashed potatoes stay ultra-creamy and can be made up to two days ahead of time. Best of all, they reheat perfectly in the microwave—a lifesaver 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!
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
Reheating Instructions
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.
If you’d prefer to reheat the potatoes in the oven, transfer them to an oven-safe dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure they heat evenly.
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. 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.
- 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.
- Oven-Reheating Instructions: If you’d prefer to reheat the potatoes in the oven, transfer them to an oven-safe dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure they heat evenly.
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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Best. Mashed. Potatoes. Ever!!!!
I’ve made these every Sunday going on 6 weeks. Even though my family loves this recipe, do you think I could switch to sweet potatoes but leave everything the same? Would the consistency stay the same? Thank you Jen!
Glad you like these! While it may work with sweet potatoes, I’ve never tried it, so it’s hard to say how they would turn out. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I do not have a mixer with a paddle, what else could I use? Thanks
Hi Noreen, If you have a food mill or a ricer, either of those would work nicely. If not, do you have a food processor? If so, you may be able to get away with it, but I would keep the mixing to a minimum as I’m concerned that they could get gummy. Please LMK how they turn out if you try them!
Not sure what I did wrong 🤔. I used baker potatoes cooked as directed, one thing I wasn’t able to do was scoop out while hot. We riced them while cool and they were very lumpy when we added the cream/butter – since they were quite grainy we popped them in the food processor- they now seem like wallpaper glue lol. I will try again but scoop hot and not over mix. They taste good but the consistency is off.
Sorry you had a problem with these, Marina! I would guess that they got overmixed in the food processor. (While I think it’s not optimal, a food processor could work as a last resort, but it’s probably pretty easy to overmix the mixture in it and create that gluey texture.)
This is the BEST mashed potato recipe! My husband and I love them, and leftovers heat up perfectly.
I just made these potatoes. They are delicious but a little grainy and not quite smooth enough. I will be serving them tomorrow what can I do to make them smoother?
Hi Amy, you could pour them into a strainer and use the back of a large spoon or spatula to push them through (and hopefully leave behind any grainy parts). Hope that helps!
Potatoes absorbed all of the cream and look a bit dry..will they cream up upon heating in the microwave or is there some way I can add extra cream before I reheat ?
Hi Debbie, Feel free to drizzle with a bit more cream when reheating, if necessary.
This was a game changer! I will NEVERRRRRRRR I repeat NEVERRRRRRRRRRRRR return to boiling potatoes again! This was absolute perfection! And they were to die for! They reheated perfectly and saved so much time for Thanksgiving Dinner!
This recipe was easy AND delicious!!!!
Your creamy make ahead mashed potato recipe is my go-to for anytime mashed potatoes! I’ve tried quite a few different recipes and tactics but nothing beats this recipe for smooth, delicious and best of all-easy! mashed potatoes. Just wash, baked, scoop, beat, fold in hot cream/butter and season with salt. Thank you, so very much, for this recipe.
Making a big batch for about 50 people, Do you have any suggestions to re-heat the potatoes in a chafing dish?
Hi Tammy, I don’t know a lot about working with chafing dishes, but I don’t think you should reheat these in one. Rather, you can put the potatoes in hot and just use the chafing dish to keep them warm. Hope that helps!
I need to do the same for my wedding. Did you try to reheat these in a chaffer? How many days in advance did you make them?
This past Christmas I was hoping to find a make ahead mashed potato recipe, usually I always make the mashed just before serving dinner.
I saw this recipe online and hesitantly decided to try it out for Christmas dinner ( am I crazy trying a new recipe for such an important dinner)
I am thrilled to report this recipe was outstanding! Not only was it super easy but each one of my dinner guests loved the potatoes and wanted the recipe! I will never make mashed the regular way again❣️
Thanks for a great recipe Jenn😊