Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Recipe
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Make your holiday cooking stress-free with these easy make-ahead mashed potatoes. They come out soft and fluffy, loaded with all the creamy, cheesy, and buttery goodness you can imagine! Make them up to 3 days in advance – simply bake fresh when you’re ready and enjoy more time celebrating with family and friends. Now you can enjoy everything you love about mashed potatoes, without the last-minute rush.
Mashed potatoes are a timeless comfort food that my family enjoys year round, and I often serve on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other special holidays. They’re not exactly a breeze to make, though, and I don’t exactly look forward to making them especially when I’m dealing with a tight holiday cooking schedule. Not until I discovered these make-ahead mashed potatoes, that is! I can’t count how many times they have saved the day (and my sanity).
Now I can prepare them in advance, leaving me more time for other dishes and more time to relax and enjoy the festivities. I love baking this dish because it frees up my stovetop burners, making holiday cooking even less hectic. Plus they taste amazing warm from the oven, just like my baked potato soup or baked potatoes that I use for making a baked potato bar.
I don’t ever use instant mashed potatoes because nothing beats the authentic flavor and texture of the real thing.That’s why these fluffy, from-scratch mashed potatoes are always a hit at family meals, big holiday gatherings, potlucks, or anywhere you need an impressive, easy-to-transport dish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Stress-free holiday prep: Prep the mashed potatoes days in advance and just pop in the oven when you’re ready. No last-minute mashing required!
- Simple, everyday ingredients: Basic pantry ingredients come together easily for a delicious, hearty side.
- The best mashed potatoes: Tender potatoes are combined with rich butter,creamy cheese, and milky cream, seasoned with salt and pepper, then garnished with chives.
- Year-round comfort food: From casual weekday dinners to holiday spreads, you can enjoy these mashed potatoes for any occasion, anytime of the year.
- Versatile pairing: Pairs perfectly with pretty much anything, from savory roasts and holiday hams to lighter dishes like grilled chicken or even veggie mains.
How to Make Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Making the classic mashed potatoes we all know and love has never been this convenient. Simply boil the potatoes, mash and mix with the other ingredients, and store in the fridge. Just bake quickly in the oven on the day of serving. Super easy, super stress-free, and more importantly, super delicious!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions.
Ingredients You Need
- Potatoes: I use Russet potatoes. I recommend using starchy varieties like Yukon Gold or Idaho because they turn out smoother and fluffier when mashed.
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor, giving the mashed potatoes a melt-in-your-mouth quality. Unsalted butter is ideal since we will be adding salt separately.
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Cream cheese: For that delicious cheesy flavor and for making the mashed potatoes smooth and creamy! I use Philadelphia cream cheese, but feel free to use your favorite brand.
- Half-and-half: For added creaminess.
- Chives: Used as a garnish. Adds a pop of color and a subtle savory flavor that complements the creamy potatoes perfectly.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Ready to make the ultimate comfort food? You can make the creamiest and fluffiest mashed potatoes in just 3 easy steps. Just follow the instructions below and you can’t go wrong.
Step 1: Boil
Place the potatoes in a large pot, fill with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a knife. Be careful when draining the potatoes into a colander – pour the pot away from your face so the steam doesn’t burn you.
Step 2: Mash and mix
Return the potatoes to the pot. Use a hand masher and start pressing down the material. Once the general shape is broken down, add the butter, cream cheese, and half-and-half.
Mash well until smooth then season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Store
Transfer to a 9×13-inch or other medium size baking dish and store in the refrigerator, covered until ready to reheat before serving. To reheat, arrange sliced butter scattered generously over the top of the mashed potato and bake in the oven at 350 F for 30 minutes until heated through. Serve warm with a chive garnish.
Substitutions
You probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen to make this recipe. In case you ran out of some or prefer to use alternative ingredients, try these substitutions:
- Butter: Use a dairy-free butter alternative to make this recipe vegan-friendly.
- Cream cheese: If cream cheese isn’t available, substitute with sour cream for a tangier flavor, or Greek yogurt for a slight tang without the added richness.
- Half-and-half: Use whole milk for a lighter version of make-ahead mashed potatoes, or heavy cream if you prefer a richer texture.
- Chives: No chives on hand? Use green onions or parsley instead.
Variations
Nothing beats classic mashed potatoes, but it’s fun to switch things up from time to time to make the dish unique and interesting every time you serve them. Whether you’re hosting a special occasion or just want to switch up your usual side, I suggest you try these delicious variations:
- Add minced garlic and fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and parsley to make classic garlic mashed potatoes.
- Stir in cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese to the mix if you want your mashed potatoes to be even cheesier.
- Mix in crispy bacon, sour cream, and shredded cheese, then top with green onions for a loaded mashed potato experience.
- Fold in caramelized onions and shredded Swiss cheese for a savory, sweet, and nutty flavor combo.
- Feeling fancy? Add a dash of truffle oil and some grated Parmesan to the potatoes for a rich and luxurious side dish.
- Mix in a spoonful of basil pesto to give your potatoes a fresh, herbed flavor and a beautiful green color.
Expert Tips
- Choose large potatoes: I always buy the biggest potatoes I can find whenever I make this recipe so I have to handle less potatoes and cut down on the total time for prep. It’s much easier to prep 5 1-lb potatoes than a bigger number of smaller ones. I also buy them individually instead of the big pre-packaged bag so I can choose the best quality ones.
- Drain properly: It’s important to drain the potatoes properly after boiling – this helps remove excess water and helps the potatoes absorb the butter and cream better.
- Mash according to your preference: I use a hand masher because I like mashed potatoes with a little bit of texture. Use a potato ricer if you prefer a smoother consistency or an electric hand mixer for a combination of the two.
- Don’t overmix: Mash by hand to make sure that your potatoes remain smooth and creamy. Overmixing can make them gummy.
- Add a crispy topping: Aside from the chives, sprinkle breadcrumbs, cheese, chopped nuts, or cooked bacon bits on top before reheating to add a tasty, crispy top layer.
How to Store This Recipe
Transfer leftovers into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to use, remove from the fridge at least an hour before baking so the center won’t be so cold. Add butter slices and a splash of cream then reheat in the oven at 350 F until heated through.
What to Serve with Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes make an excellent side dish to any main, but they’re popularly paired with roast chicken or turkey, baked ham, or steak for special occasions. For casual meals, we love them with pork chops, meatloaf, grilled fish, herb-crusted Texas Roadhouse chicken, or cheesy chicken and asparagus bake.
For a lighter meal option, simply top your make-ahead mashed potatoes with pepper gravy to enjoy with flaky biscuits or buttery dinner rolls, salmon, and oven-roasted vegetables.
More Side Dish Recipes To Try
If you make these make-ahead mashed potatoes, please leave a review. I really appreciate each and every 5-star rating and review comment!
Easy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes peeled, rinsed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- ¾ cup butter plus extra for reheating
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup half-and-half
- ½ cup chives minced for garnish
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot, fill with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a knife. Carefully drain the potatoes into a colander. Pour the pot away from your face so the steam doesn’t burn you.
- Return the potatoes to the pot. Use a hand masher and start pressing down the material. Once the general shape is broken down, add the butter, cream cheese, and half-and-half. Mash well until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a 9×13-inch or other medium size baking dish and store in the refrigerator, covered until ready to reheat before serving.
- To reheat, arrange sliced butter scattered generously over the top of the mashed potato and bake in the oven at 350F for 30 minutes until heated through. Serve warm with a chive garnish.
Notes
- Choose the biggest potatoes you can find – it’s much easier to prep 5 1-lb potatoes than a bigger number of smaller ones. Also buy them individually instead of the big pre-packaged bag so you can choose the best quality ones.
- It’s important to drain the potatoes properly after boiling – this helps remove excess water and helps the potatoes absorb the butter and cream better.
- Use a hand masher for mashed potatoes with a little bit of texture, a potato ricer if for a smoother consistency, or an electric hand mixer for a combination of the two.
- Mash by hand to make sure that your potatoes remain smooth and creamy. Overmixing can make them gummy.
- Aside from the chives, sprinkle breadcrumbs, cheese, chopped nuts, or cooked bacon bits on top before reheating to add a tasty, crispy top layer.
