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’m always hesitant to make them because they’re typically a last-minute dish. Traditional mashed potatoes don’t hold up well when made ahead—they often turn dry, grainy, or even gluey, which is a real letdown for such a special occasion. And the idea of mashing potatoes at the eleventh hour, while juggling a dozen other dishes in a kitchen buzzing with guests of all ages, is downright nerve-wracking!
That’s why I was thrilled to discover a method for make-ahead mashed potatoes from Cooks Illustrated that works really well. These mashed potatoes stay ultra-creamy and can be made up to two days ahead of time. Best of all, they reheat perfectly in the microwave—a lifesaver when oven and burner space is at a premium during the holidays.
“This recipe yielded the smoothest mashed potatoes ever. This is my go-to mash now until I depart this earth.”
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!
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
Reheating Instructions
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.
If you’d prefer to reheat the potatoes in the oven, transfer them to an oven-safe dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure they heat evenly.
Video Tutorial
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Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3½ pounds Russet potatoes
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- Chives, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (235°C) and adjust an oven rack to the middle position.
- Prick each potato a few times all over with a fork. 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.
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.
- Oven-Reheating Instructions: If you’d prefer to reheat the potatoes in the oven, transfer them to an oven-safe dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure they heat evenly.
Nutrition Information
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 can’t wait to try this recipe. My family likes the skins in their mashed potatoes. Will the recipe still work if I included some chopped skins?
Thanks!
Hi Paul, Because the potatoes are baked, the skin gets pretty crisp and I don’t think that will work well with the creamy texture of the mash. Sorry!
I was nervous about trying a new dish for Christmas dinner, but there was no way I wanted the pain of making mashed potatoes the day of.
Shouldn’t have worried, these turned out gorgeous! Creamy and rich and jusy perfect. I ended up heating them in the oven for 30min @ 350 instead of using the microwave, and I cut the extra butter while cooking.
My very picky wife’s only complaint? That I didn’t make a double batch! Thanks for the great recipie for my new potato go-to
Could you microwave the potatoes instead of roasting?
Hi Lizzie, I think that should work.
Can not wait to try these. HUGE fan of OUAC and was thrilled to be a taster for your new book which is outstanding!!!!!!
My daughter just got wisdom teeth pulled and only thing she has a taste for is mashed potatoes. These look and sound amazing. My ONE question is – can I substitute full fat coconut milk for the heavy cream in this one?
So glad you like the recipes and thanks again for your help testing! I’d recommend sticking with the heavy cream for this. Hope your daughter feels better soon!
We grow our own potatoes and never peel them for recipes. Would it be OK to use the peel as well with this recipe? Just wondering if anyone has tried this, yet.
Made for Christmas dinner
It was perfect and guests loved it and asked for the recipe
This is the only mashed potatoes I will be making. I used a food mill them whipped in mixmaster.
Thank you
I have used this recipe with a potato ricer for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. My potatoes have turned out perfectly both times. I only folded in as much of the cream and butter as needed to reach the desired consistency.
At Thanksgiving, I made them a day ahead and stored them in the bowl of rice cooker overnight in the fridge. The next day, I just popped them in the rice cooker on “keep warm” to reheat them.
For Christmas, I reserved the potato skins from the ricer, sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and cheese, then baked them until they began to brown. Topped with sour cream and green onions, they were delicious!
This is the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made and it’s been the most requested dish from both my family and friends. I followed the recipe exactly as instructed multiple times over and it’s always been so consistently delicious!
YUCK, they were alot more work and not as fluffy as my normal mashed potatoes. Will never waste my time with this method again.
I followed the recipe too- and it’s still soupy- I used crème – any suggestions to thicken it uo?
Hi Tina, They will likely thicken up overnight, but you can try reheating them gently on the stovetop and simmering, stirring frequently, until thickened.
Sorry, this was very disappointing. Very slimy and like paste. I followed the directions exactly. Now I have pounds of slime; no idea what to do for potato dish.
What if I were to use skim milk? Thank you!
Hi Brooke, I don’t recommend it – sorry!!
What a disaster! I followed the instructions exactly and wound up with a soup mess. I even used an extra potato or two, but no way was this enough for 8 people even as soup.
Would half and half work instead of heavy cream? I’ve made this before and we love it! But always used heavy cream and the grocery was out today so I bought half and half.
Hi Lauren, A few readers had this same issue at Thanksgiving, and they reported back that the half and half worked. Hope that helps!
For those who have commented that they ended up with “soup” I wonder if they made the potatoes ahead and put them in the fridge to “set”. The mixture is very, very loose when first made but will thicken in the fridge. I would have had the same comment if I hadn’t made them ahead and allowed them to sit in the fridge for at least a few hours. The potatoes continue to absorb the liquid over the course of a bit of time, so give them some time!!! Once reheated, these potatoes were fabulous.