Make-ahead mashed potatoes are delicious and convenient. Make them early in the day for a quick dinner side dish.
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
- Wash and peel your potatoes. Peeling them is optional, but make sure to wash them well.
- Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water until they are fork-tender. Drain the water.
- 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.
- Add in your half and half, cream cheese, butter, salt, season salt, and pepper.
- Mash together until everything is combined and smooth.
- Pour your potatoes into a buttered 8×8 baking dish.
- Dot the top with additional pads of butter, if desired.
- Cover the top of the potatoes with aluminum foil.
- 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.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
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.
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.
Yes, mashed potatoes can be made up to 5 days in advance! I recommend eating them within 3 days for the best tasting results.
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.
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
Equipment
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
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.
Nutrition
Looking for more great recipes and ideas?
- What is Brine
- How to Cut an Onion
- Ricotta Stuffed Shells
- How to Make Candy
- How to Make Nachos with Ground Beef
- St. Louis Ribs Crock Pot
- Herb Bread
- PVC Pipe Chicken Feeder
- Pecan Crescent Cookies
- Green Bean Seasoning
- Butterbeer Ingredients
- Slow Roasted Prime Rib
- How Do I Make Hummingbird Food
- How to Tell if Steak is Done
- Baked Barbeque Chicken Thighs
- Beef Stroganoff from Scratch
- How to Trim Asparagus
- Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
- How Long to Smoke Beef Ribs
Laura says
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!
Alli says
Living in the country can be crazy sometimes! You definitely get it. So glad you liked them, Laura.
Kathy says
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!
Alli says
I’m so glad you made them, Kathy! It was a great addition to your already wonderful Thanksgiving meal 🙂 . Love you!