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Home » Recipes & Tips » Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

12/08/21 | Recipes & Tips, Side Dish

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Don't ever eat cold mashed potatoes again! Make ahead mashed potatoes are delicious and are ready exactly when you need them.Don't ever eat cold mashed potatoes again! Make ahead mashed potatoes are delicious and are ready exactly when you need them.

Make-ahead mashed potatoes are delicious and convenient. Make them early in the day for a quick dinner side dish.

Don't ever eat cold mashed potatoes again! Make ahead mashed potatoes are delicious and convenient. Make them early in the day for a quick side come dinner.

Mashed potatoes are an incredible and versatile side dish to pair alongside anything on your dinner menu. And these make-ahead mashed potatoes will make your life easier come dinner time giving you that much more reason to try them out.

I use cream cheese to get the perfect creamy consistency in every bite and it truly helps to elevate the flavors and make this dish more magical. If you’ve never tried it, here’s your chance because it is in a word, life-changing.

Ingredients

  • Potatoes
  • Half and Half
  • Cream cheese
  • Butter
  • Salt
  • Season salt
  • Pepper

For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

How to Make Creamy Mashed Potatoes

  1. Wash and peel your potatoes. Peeling them is optional, but make sure to wash them well.
  2. Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water until they are fork-tender. Drain the water.
  3. Return the pot to the stove over low heat and mash the potatoes. This will allow the moisture to escape and help create fluffy mashed potatoes.
  4. Add in your half and half, cream cheese, butter, salt, season salt, and pepper.
  5. Mash together until everything is combined and smooth.
  6. Pour your potatoes into a buttered 8×8 baking dish.
  7. Dot the top with additional pads of butter, if desired.
  8. Cover the top of the potatoes with aluminum foil.
  9. When you’re ready to eat, simply place the covered baking dish into the oven at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes have been warmed through.
  10. Serve warm and enjoy!
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes!

Substitutions

  • Half and half. You can replace the half and half requested in this recipe with milk (whole fat, 2%, or other). You can also make these mashed potatoes with heavy cream if desired.

Recipe Tips

  • Make sure to mash over low heat. The number one tip I have for getting creamy mashed potatoes is to mash them over low heat before adding in any of the other ingredients. This allows the moisture to escape which gets rid of any graininess in the mashed potatoes.
  • The type of potato you use will influence the creamy factor. Russets will be less creamy than a Yukon gold or red potato. But russets do usually have a more fluffy texture. It’s all up to you and what you prefer! Regardless of what kind of potato you use, be sure not to over-mash them. The more you work starch {potatoes = starch} the gummier they will become. Gummy mashed potatoes are no good!
  • Peeling is optional. I use red or Yukon gold potatoes for mashed potatoes for one very important reason: peeling them is optional. These types of potatoes have a very thin skin that is practically unnoticeable once baked or cooked so peeling the potatoes is an effort not needed. Which is great for those of us lazy cooks that hate peeling things. The added skin also helps to bring more color into the dish, so it’s a win-win.
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes!

What to Serve with Mashed Potatoes

These potatoes would be great served alongside some roast chicken and oven-roasted asparagus. That said you can also serve them up at a holiday feast like Thanksgiving because they can be made ahead, they’re really convenient for times like that. You can even make some homemade gravy if desired. Let me know if you try these and if they are life-changing! I love serving them with Swedish Meatballs.

How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes

Reheat these mashed potatoes in a covered container with added butter so that the moisture can stay trapped inside, giving you moist potatoes with lots of delicious flavors. You can reheat them over medium/low heat in a covered pot on the stove or in a foil-covered baking dish in the oven depending on how many servings you are trying to reheat at once.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes!
Can you make mashed potatoes ahead of time?

Yes, mashed potatoes can be made up to 5 days in advance! I recommend eating them within 3 days for the best tasting results.

How long does it take for potatoes to be ready to mash?

From the moment your water starts to boil your potatoes should take about 15-20 minutes to become soft and ready. That said, it will depend a lot on the size of the potatoes and the type of potato used as well.

How soft do potatoes need to be before mashing?

You will know that your potatoes are ready to be removed from the water when they are fork-tender, meaning that you can easily pierce through them with the prongs of a fork without any resistance. If you removed the potato from the water and pressed on it with the back of your fork it should immediately start to “mash” itself as well.

Make ahead mashed potatoes topped with melted butter.
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Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Don’t ever eat cold mashed potatoes again! Make ahead mashed potatoes are delicious and convenient. Make them early in the day for a quick side come dinner.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword make ahead mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes make ahead
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 205kcal
Author Longbourn Farm • Alli Kelley
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Equipment

  • Redmond Real Salt
  • Redmond Season Salt

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds potatoes russet or red
  • 2/3 cup half and half
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon season salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Peel (optional) and dice potatoes.
  • Boil until fork tender, drain.
  • Mash over low heat, this allows the moisture to escape and creates fluffy mashed potatoes.
  • Add half and half, cream cheese, butter, salt, season salt, and pepper.
  • Mash until combined and smooth.
  • Pour into buttered 8×8 pan. Dot top with additional butter, if desired. Cover with foil.
  • When ready to eat, place covered pan in 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes or until warmed through.
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Nutrition

Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 672mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 17.5mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 4.9mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @longbournfarm or tag #longbournfarm!

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Comments | 6 comments

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Comments

  1. Laura says

    November 23, 2018 at 7:09 PM

    5 stars
    This post made me laugh so much – so relatable! Country life, husbands late home, grumpy kids come dinner time and lazy cooking – this is why we are friends! But also, these potatoes are so good!

    Reply
    • Alli says

      November 24, 2018 at 1:51 PM

      Living in the country can be crazy sometimes! You definitely get it. So glad you liked them, Laura.

      Reply
  2. Kathy says

    November 27, 2017 at 8:39 PM

    5 stars
    I made these the day before Thanksgiving for our Thanksgiving dinner. I LOVED that I could make them ahead of time to reduce the stress of last minute food prep. They were delicious! I will definitely make these again and I won’t be waiting until next Thanksgiving!

    Reply
    • Alli says

      November 28, 2017 at 7:23 AM

      I’m so glad you made them, Kathy! It was a great addition to your already wonderful Thanksgiving meal 🙂 . Love you!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Better than Ikea Swedish Meatballs Recipe • Longbourn Farm says:
    May 16, 2022 at 11:58 PM

    […] Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes […]

    Reply
  2. Dutch Oven Chuck Roast • Longbourn Farm says:
    December 11, 2020 at 8:13 AM

    […] mealy they turn when cooked for so long in liquid. Instead, I love to serve this Chuck Roast with mashed potatoes. You can make them ahead of time, so all your holiday meal prep is done […]

    Reply

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Hi, Friend!

Alli Kelley
Alli Kelley is an Agriculture focused entrepreneur. She runs a successful food blog, a consulting and coaching business, and all the social media connected with an online presence.

She also owns and operates a small, diversified farmstead where she enjoys home improvement projects, experimenting in the garden, creating profitable mini businesses on the farm, and of course, riding her big grey horse, Zane.
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