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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 meal. 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.”
How This Make-Ahead Method Works
The secret to these ultra-creamy mashed potatoes starts with baking the potatoes instead of boiling them. Baking keeps the flesh dry and fluffy, so it can absorb plenty of cream and butter without becoming heavy or gluey. It also means there’s no peeling or draining involved. While the potatoes are still hot, the flesh is scooped out and beaten until completely smooth. Then, hot cream and melted butter are gently folded in by hand to keep the potatoes from becoming gluey.
The generous amount of cream and butter helps the potatoes stay creamy through refrigeration and reheating, so you can make them ahead without sacrificing that freshly made texture.
What You’ll Need For Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Russet Potatoes: Stick with russets for this recipe; their starchy flesh bakes up dry and fluffy, ready to absorb the cream and butter.
- Heavy Cream: Gives the potatoes their creamy texture. This recipe was developed with heavy cream, so I wouldn’t swap in milk or half-and-half.
- Unsalted Butter: Most goes into the potatoes, with a little reserved for melting over the top after reheating.
- Salt and chives: Salt brings out the flavor of the potatoes, while chives add a little color and mild onion flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Equipment Options
A stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment makes quick work of the potatoes, but a hand-held electric mixer works, too. For an especially smooth texture, pass the hot potato flesh through a potato ricer or food mill first.
No electric mixer? Use a ricer or food mill, then beat the potatoes by hand (which will take some elbow grease) with a wooden spoon. Whichever method you use, fold in the hot cream and butter by hand.
How To Make Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Bake and scoop the potatoes: Prick the potatoes with a fork, then bake directly on the oven rack until very soft, about 50 to 60 minutes. While they’re still hot, halve them lengthwise and scoop the flesh into your mixer bowl, leaving behind any tough bits near the skin. Use an oven mitt or kitchen towel to protect your hands, then roughly mash the flesh before mixing.
Beat until smooth: Beat on low speed just until no lumps remain, scraping the bowl as needed. Work while the potatoes are hot—they’re much easier to get smooth before they cool.
Heat the cream and butter: Meanwhile, bring the cream and 6 tablespoons of the butter to a simmer in a small saucepan.
Fold in the cream mixture: Remove the bowl from the mixer and gradually fold in the hot cream and butter with a rubber spatula. Mixing by hand at this stage helps keep the potatoes from becoming gluey.
Finish mixing and refrigerate: It will take a few minutes to incorporate the liquid; keep folding until the potatoes are smooth and creamy, then stir in the salt. Transfer to a large microwave-safe bowl, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Finish and serve: Reheat using either method below, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the remaining butter, and sprinkle with chives.
Make-Ahead & Reheating
Prepare the mashed potatoes up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate, tightly covered. Save the final 2 tablespoons of butter and the chives for serving. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Microwave: Use a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave-safe plastic wrap, leaving space between the potatoes and the wrap. Poke about 10 holes in the wrap to vent, then microwave at medium-high (75 percent) power until hot throughout, about 14 minutes, stirring halfway through. Timing will vary with your microwave and the quantity you’re reheating.
Oven: Transfer to an oven-safe dish, cover tightly with foil, and reheat at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout.
Video Tutorial
Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3½ lb 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 microwave-safe 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
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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What To Serve With Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
For Thanksgiving, serve these with roast turkey and plenty of turkey gravy. They’re also a good match for roast chicken, meatloaf, or braised short ribs—anything with pan juices or sauce worth catching.
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I’m excited to try these tomorrow!
How would you reheat these in a convection steam oven ?
Hi Meg, I’m not very familiar with a convection steam oven, but know that these can be reheated, covered, in a 350-degree oven (if you’re using a convection oven, you may want to reduce the temperature by 25°F). They should take 30 to 40 minutes, and I’d give them a stir halfway through. Enjoy!
Would it be possible to reheat these in the oven?
Hi Sarah, Yes, you can reheat them, covered, in a 350-degree oven. They should take 30 to 40 minutes, and I’d give them a stir halfway through. Enjoy!
Do the potatoes need to be washed & dried before baking?
Although the potato skins don’t get used, I’d wash and dry them before baking. Enjoy!
I made this today as a make ahead for Thanksgiving. They taste AMAZING! However, the consistency is a little loose … will it firm up after refrigerating for a few days?
Hi Kitty, They will likely thicken up in the fridge, but you can try reheating them gently on the stovetop and simmering, stirring frequently, until thickened.
I don’t have heavy cream and don’t feel like going to the store haha…can I use regular milk?? I also have sour cream and plain Greek yogurt on hand…
I’m sorry to suggest you go to the store, but for decent results, I’d stick with heavy cream.
Hi! I have Anyday Cookware that are made specifically for microwave cooking. The lid is designed to allow steam to escape when pulled up. Could I reheat in this successfully instead of using plastic wrap? Thx!
Hi Renee, I think that should be fine. Enjoy!
Ty and happy turkey day!
These are, without a doubt, the best mashed potatoes in the world. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these last year and they were fabulous. I don’t remember if I used heavy cream or whipping cream. Would they work just as well with whipping cream? It’s hard to find heavy cream in the stores sometimes.
Yup!
You responded to one commenter not to freeze. Is it for this recipe or in general? I freeze mashed potatoes all the time but haven’t done this recipe. I use a lot of Cook’s Illustrated recipes as well as yours. Thanks for all the good food.
Hi Harriet, while I haven’t frozen the mashed potatoes from this recipe myself, in general, I’ve found that mashed potatoes don’t freeze well.
Could I use evaporated milk in place of some or all of the heavy cream, to cut down on saturated fat?
Hi Merry, unfortunately, evaporated milk won’t work here – sorry!
Can you reheat these in a crockpot? If yes, what temperature setting do you recommend?
Hi Robin, 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, so I think it’s worth a try. I don’t have a crockpot, so I don’t know for sure what temperature you should select, but if there’s a warm setting, I’d go with that. If not, I’d use the low setting.
These are wonderful!! I just made to heat tomorrow. If you reheat in crockpot I’d put some whipping cream on the bottom before you put in potatoes. I read that somewhere online once and I do it every Thanksgiving and they turn out great.