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 already bought Yukon Gold potatoes. Would these type of potatoes work ok for this recipe
Unfortunately, they won’t Jane. Sorry!
I made these last night (my feast is Wednesday, my husband flys on Thursday). I don’t want to rate the recipe with stars because I think the problems I had were from my own doing. I made the recipe times 1-1/2. I baked for 60 min exactly; looking back, another 5-10 would have helped. For a good number of my potatoes, the skin almost peeled off, I thought “cool, this is easy.” I should have followed Jenn’s method with the spoon though because I think the parts touching the skin were a little firmer and that’s why she left them behind, only scooping out the middle. So, don’t think you caught a break if your skins peel off the potatoes, scoop out the soft center. My husband helped so we could get through the steps quickly so the potatoes would stay hot, so that wasn’t the issue. I broke them down with a fork then mixed for 2-3 minutes. There were still a lot of small lumps, but I was scared of over mixing because I’ve made gluey ones too many disappointing times. I thought adding the hot butter and cream would help, thought wrong. My potatoes were still too lumpy. At this point, I put them through a ricer because all my hand mixing with the spatula was making them early boarderline gluey. The ricer step post cream step made a beautiful mess, but saved the potatoes. I’m sure this recipe would have worked a lot better for me if I baked longer and actually spooned out the soft center. So there’s my warning, follow Jenn’s steps exactly if your making these (or use a ricer instead of a mixer at that part).
These are great tips, Kaylie. I’m so glad you were able to salvage them! You are correct about the skins/edges; I’ll update the recipe so others don’t have the same issue. Thank you for the feedback and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Jenn, All of your recipes look so wonderful. I wanted to try a make ahead recipe but my family likes a more rustic chunky smashed potato with roasted garlic. Do you think your make-ahead creamy mashed potato recipe will work if I just don’t mix the potatoes up so much?
thanks Merrilea
Hi Merrilea, thanks for the nice words about the recipes – glad you enjoy them! If your family prefers a chunkier version of mashed potatoes, I’d recommend my Smashed Potato recipe. They can be made ahead too; I would reheat them on the stovetop so you can add more liquid (cream or milk would be best) as necessary. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
How many large russet potatoes would equal 3.5 pounds? Is it 5, as shown in your image?
Hi Holly, It really depends on the size of the potatoes – it can vary widely – so it’s best to weigh them.
I made these last night and followed the recipe; they tasted good but were sticky rather than fluffy. Any idea what I did wrong?
Hi Jane, Did you use Russet potatoes?
As a comment to a question that both you and a commenter had:: ricing potatoes using a potato ricer is, in my opinion after 60 years of cooking, the best way to make mashed potatoes! They never get gluey, probably because you don’t have to mix them for such a long time. Years ago, I tried using a mixer, ended up with glue and never did it again. Small batches work well with a hand masher, but Thanksgiving NEEDS a ricer!!
HI Jenn! Is there ANY way in your opinion that I could make these non-dairy? I am trying so hard to discover a way to make mashed potatoes properly in advance. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!!
Unfortunately, these really need the cream – sorry! You could give these potatoes a try (with margarine instead of butter and a non-dairy cheese substitute). I think they’d be fine if you made them ahead and reheated.
At what temperature do I bake the potatoes?
Hi Whitney, The potatoes get baked at 450°F/230°C.
I made it for dinner tonight and it was FANTASTIC! Thank you!
Could I use a ricer instead of a potato masher to break up the potato pulp and instead of beating?
Sure, Mommo — but you may also want to “beat” the riced potatoes with a wooden spoon to whip a little air in. Also, you may find you need a little less butter and cream to get the potatoes to the right consistency; just add it gradually. Please come back and let me know how they turn out. 🙂