Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Delicious!! Can you reheat in the microwave without using plastic wrap? I prefer to use a paper towel or glass top even if plastic wrap is BPA free.
Sure, Linda – I’d use a glass top.
Made these for 2nd time recently, outstanding taste! I am only making them ahead a few hours so I can avoid having to spend those precious last minutes before serving everything on mashing potatoes! Truly these are better than regular boiled mashed potatoes!
Hi, Just a quick question regarding the potatoes. Any chance a crockpot could be used to warm the potatoes? I’m sending them with my husband to his family Christmas and I am not able be there. Trying to keep things simple for him. Thanks in advance, your recipes are amazing.–
Hi Marina, I haven’t tried it, but a number of readers have commented that they’ve reheated (or kept the mashed potatoes warm) using a crockpot. Hope everyone enjoys!
Made these for Christmas and they were a hit. I doubled the recipe with excellent results. Real game changer and everyone loved them. Thank you!!
This recipe is AMAZING! I will NEVER boil potatoes for mashed ever again!! I searched “make ahead mashed potatoes” because I’m having 23 for dinner tomorrow, but the recipe wouldn’t yield nearly enough so I have tripled the batch using the most gorgeous, very large russet potatoes (15). I also tripled the cream/butter amount to follow the recipe (6 cups cream and 1 ¼ -ish-cups butter), and simmered in a pot on the stove to have ready for when the potatoes were done. All 15 potatoes *just* fit on to one rack in the oven without touching, and I baked them for longer given their large size. Best tip I received was from ADELITA on November 24, 2023 (I think she was replying to REBECCA on Nov 18) to use a cooling rack to push the potatoes through. Great idea- saves time to keep potatoes very hot for the mashing stage!
To make a triple batch, I worked with half the potatoes at once (seven 1st batch, eight potatoes for the 2nd batch). I took the first set of potatoes out of the oven, sliced them lengthways and then put the two halves onto the cooling rack that was placed over a large bowl. Used a tea towel to protect my hands and just pushed the potato flesh through while leaving the skin behind. Took about 90 seconds to completely empty 7 potatoes with no hard bits near the skin coming through. I didn’t need to use a ricer. Then I used an electric hand mixer that Jenn said could be used because I don’t have the paddle attachment. Worked just fine. Because I was working in 2 batches, I added half the cream/butter to the first half, folded it in over a few minutes, seasoned, and transferred to crock pot #1. Then did the 2nd half and transferred to crock pot #2. Baking time aside, it took like MAYBE 12 minutes to prep all the mashed potatoes for 23 people. They taste divine, and I can’t wait to try reheating tomorrow! Thank you so much Jenn!!
I made these for Thanksgiving 2023. They were such a big hit that I am making them for Christmas Eve. Wondering if anyone of your readers had success freezing the leftovers.
PS. Buttered and seasoned potato skins make great snacks.
Hi! I love this recipe, and it’s become a staple at every special dinner in our family.
Do you think I could use gold potatoes rather than russet potatoes?
So glad you like them! I don’t recommend gold potatoes here though — sorry!
Ah-mazing potatoes. Will never make them any other way ever again. Evah!
I need to double the recipe and my microwave isn’t big enough for a 9×13.. I think I can reheat them in the oven. Should I grease the pyrex container & cover it? Also, I am thinking about topping them with some Parmesan and bread crumbs and a few pats of butter. So, if I cover it, I would add the topping like the last 10 minutes. What do you think?
Yes, you can reheat these in a 350° oven, covered with foil (no need to grease the Pyrex) For a single batch, reheating takes 30 to 40 minutes, so I anticipate yours will take a bit longer. And I’d put the topping on prior to reheating. When the potatoes are hot, remove the foil and pop the dish under the broiler for a minute or 2 to brown it up. Hope you enjoy!
Oh my goodness where have these beauties been all my life?! I made a test batch over the weekend and they are fantastic. They sat overnight in the refrigerator then reheated at 350F for 40 minutes. So creamy and delicious and I’m thrilled to have a make-ahead option. The only thing I’ll change is the amount of salt as they were a tad salty for our tastes – otherwise they are perfection! Another winner from Jenn. Thank you!