Description
Wondering if you can make mashed potatoes ahead of time for Thanksgiving or any holiday dinner? This Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes recipe is perfect for you!
Buttery Yukon Gold potatoes are mashed with butter, half and half, and cream cheese, creating the ultimate classic mashed potatoes with a dreamy, creamy texture. (Check out the Recipe Notes below for a few easy recipe variations too!)
Prep up to 2 days in advance, then simply reheat in the oven or slow cooker before the big meal. It’s the ultimate holiday dinner side dish!
And if you love the idea of a make-ahead Thanksgiving, be sure to check out my complete Make-Ahead Thanksgiving guide. ♡ Happy holidays!
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- kosher salt and ground white pepper, to season
- 1 ¼ cup half and half
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, 8 tablespoons), cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
- for reheating: ¼ cup cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons), cut into small cubes and divided
- for serving, as desired: extra butter, freshly snipped chives
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes: Place the potatoes in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with cold water, enough to completely submerge the potatoes by 1 inch. Season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Place the pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Carefully strain the potatoes.
- Carefully peel the potatoes: Carefully peel the potatoes. Since the potatoes are quite warm, I suggest piercing a potato with a fork to hold it steady against a cutting board as you use a small knife to work away the peel. Discard the potato peels and transfer the peeled potatoes to a large bowl.
- Warm the half and half and cream cheese: Meanwhile, as you cook and peel the potatoes, warm the half and half and cream cheese. Place the half and half in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once simmering, add the cream cheese and remove from the heat. (Alternately, you can combine the two in a microwave safe bowl or liquid measuring cup. Microwave 2 minutes, stirring the mixture after each minute.)
- Mash the potatoes: To the large bowl of warm peeled potatoes, add the warm half and half and cream cheese mixture and the 8 tablespoon-sized pieces of butter. Season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon ground white pepper. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until as smooth and creamy as desired. (Alternately, for exceptionally light and fluffy mashed potatoes, run the potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill, then fold in the remaining ingredients. Do not use an electric mixer, as doing so results in gluey mashed potatoes.) Taste and season with additional salt or ground black pepper as desired. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. [gallery size="full" columns="2" ids="34871,34872"]
- Store for later: Generously grease a 9×13 baking dish by rubbing half of the cold butter against the entire surface of the bottom and sides. Transfer the cooled mashed potatoes to the prepared baking dish, pressing the remaining cold butter cubes into the surface with even spacing. Tightly cover the baking dish with plastic wrap then foil. Refrigerate up to 2 days.
- Reheating: Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour before you’d like to finish them in the oven. Remove the foil and plastic wrap, then tightly recover with the foil. Transfer to 350 degree F oven and reheat for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and stir the mashed potatoes to incorporate the melted butter. Return to the oven for 10 minutes longer, or until warmed through. (See Recipe Notes, below, for directions on how to reheat make ahead mashed potatoes in a slow cooker or Crockpot.) Taste and season with additional salt and ground black pepper as desired.
- Serving: If desired, transfer the warm mashed potatoes to a large bowl or serving dish. Top with a little more butter and freshly snipped chives as desired, then serve alongside your roast turkey or roast chicken, stuffing, and gravy. Enjoy!
Notes
Easy Recipe Variations:
- Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes ⇢ Infuse the half and half with crushed garlic cloves and fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme while heating it with cream cheese. Or swap the cream cheese for garlicky herbed Boursin—delicious!
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes ⇢ Roast a whole head of garlic, then fold the roasted garlic cloves right into the potatoes.
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes ⇢ Add your favorite melty cheese like freshly grated cheddar, smoked gouda, or gruyere. Goat cheese and bleu cheese are great options too! For best results, gently fold the cheese into the potatoes once they’re already mashed.
Alternate Reheating Method: Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes:
- If your oven space is a limited, you can also reheat your make ahead mashed potatoes in a slow cooker or Crockpot with a couple of small tweaks to this recipe. Once cooked and mashed (Steps 1 – 4 of Recipe Directions), transfer the potatoes to a large airtight container. To reheat, generously grease the bottom and sides of your slow cooker insert with butter and transfer the potatoes to the slow cooker, dotting the surface with cold butter as described in Step 5, above. Cover and slow cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring once or twice as the potatoes reheat. Serve as described in the Recipe Directions, above.
Storage and Reheating:
- Leftover reheated make ahead mashed potatoes (i.e. prepared through Step 6 of Recipe Directions above), will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.