Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you make mashed potatoes ahead of time and reheat them? ›

Make-ahead mashed potatoes are a great option for the holidays. You can do nearly everything — boil, peel, and mash; stir in milk and salt — up to two days ahead. Before serving, reheat. Adding butter at the last minute makes them taste freshly mashed.

After cooking the mashed potatoes, Wofford suggests storing them in a heatproof bowl. When it's time to warm up the potatoes, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add an extra splash of cream or milk and another pat of butter to ensure the mashed potatoes don't dry out.

Yes, you definitely can peel and cut up fresh potatoes, cover them with water and store in the fridge overnight. Cook, cool and prepare the potato salad, mashed potatoes, or use in other recipes, the next day.

To keep mashed potatoes warm, there are a few different options you can use. The best method is to use a slow cooker to keep the prepared spuds warm for hours. Add the mashed potatoes to the slow cooker and keep them on warm for hours leading up to the meal. This way, you don't have to worry about them burning.

Add more cream and butter: More moisture and fat are the two secret ingredients to reheating any leftovers. For potatoes, reach for half-and-half or broth and butter. Cover and heat low and slow: Cover the baking dish and set it in a 350°F oven alongside any turkey leftovers you might be reheating too.

Take your mashed potatoes out of the fridge and set them on the counter for about 20 minutes to bring them to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, pop them in the oven, covered, for about 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through.

Reheating in the Oven

If you are reheating them in the oven, stir in the liquid and butter pieces, then spread the potatoes out in a baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil to keep the potatoes from drying out. Reheat at 350˚F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes reach 165˚F.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), place the mashed potatoes in an oven-safe dish, and cover with foil. Add a little milk or cream to maintain moisture. Heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are hot all the way through.

Typically I pull my family into the kitchen the night before the holiday meal. Together, we scrub and chop potatoes. We put them into a large pot, cover them with cold water, put on a lid, and leave them until boiling and mashing time the next day.

Soaking and/or rinsing the potatoes can help you modify the amount of starch that remains on them. Cutting potatoes into smaller pieces before cooking and rinsing them under cold water will wash away much of the excess starch.

How far in advance can I peel potatoes for mashed potatoes? ›

Corey Williams is a food writer for MyRecipes and Allrecipes. She has a decade of journalism experience. If you're here, you'll probably be glad to know that yes, you can peel and cut potatoes the day before you plan to serve them — and that it's super easy!

Your other option would be placing the prepared mashed potatoes in a buttered, oven-safe dish (covered in aluminum foil) and sliding it into a 275- to 300-degree oven. I wouldn't recommend trying to keep your spuds warm for more than 30-40 minutes using this method or you risk drying them out.

As a side dish, you should plan on ½ pound of potatoes per person. That means if you are planning on 10 people, use 5 pounds of potatoes. 4 people use 2 pounds of potatoes.

Seal the crock pot with the lid and turn it on to the "Warm" setting. Keep warm for up to two hours. If your mashed potatoes recipe uses more milk or cream to make them more "soupy", the crockpot method won't work well because it will actually break down the potatoes.

Make-ahead mashed potatoes can be prepped in just 25 minutes, and you can even make them the night before, so come dinnertime you can stress a little less knowing all you have to do is pop your prepped casserole dish in the oven.

For the methods mentioned here, it's best to reheat your potatoes low and slow to keep them from drying out. In the microwave and oven, make sure to keep your mashed potatoes covered, and don't be afraid to add in a bit of butter and milk to bring the moisture and fluffiness back!

With some smart strategies and advance planning, you can clean, peel and chop potatoes the night before or morning of your dinner party, so your spuds will be ready to go when you need them for mashing, baking, Hanukkah latkes and more.

In terms of food safety, however, so long as you reheat the food at the correct temperature and for the correct duration of time, it can in fact be safely reheated multiple times. However, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends that food is only reheated once, so follow this guidance wherever possible.