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Two bowls of mashed potatoes garnished with chopped chives on a wooden board.

Easy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Author: Jessica Haggard
Make your holiday cooking stress-free with these easy make-ahead mashed potatoes. Tender potatoes are combined with rich butter,creamy cheese, and milky cream, seasoned with salt and pepper, then garnished with chives - the ultimate comfort food. Make them up to 3 days in advance - simply bake fresh when you’re ready and enjoy. Super easy, super stress-free, and more importantly, super delicious!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 344 kcal

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 9x13-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.

Video

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.
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Serve: Pair with roast chicken or turkey, baked ham, or steak for special occasions. For casual meals, they’re great with pork chops, meatloaf, or grilled fish. For a lighter meal option, simply top your make-ahead mashed potatoes with pepper gravy or enjoy with flaky biscuits, buttery dinner rolls, salmon, or oven-roasted vegetables.
Store: 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 to thaw. Add butter slices and a splash of cream then reheat in the oven at 350 F until heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 6gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 463mgPotassium: 849mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 755IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 2mg
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