Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes – creamy, buttery mashed potatoes that can be made up to three days ahead and heated before serving to save time.
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
These Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes have become a holiday staple at my house. You can prepare them up to three days ahead of time, refrigerate them, then bake them on the day of. It’s a great time saver, and these mashed potatoes are absolutely incredible. Creamy and buttery, with a slightly crunchy golden crust on top. These make-ahead mashed potatoes are truly heavenly.
How to Make Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Prepare mashed potatoes in recipe, then store tightly covered with foil up to three days ahead. I usually make these on Tuesday to serve on Thanksgiving Thursday.
Potatoes will be chilled through, so remove them several hours before heating so they can come to room temperature.
Heat covered for traditional mashed potatoes, or leave uncovered for a golden brown top.
The secret to really great mashed potatoes is to drain them really well, so if you are doubling this recipe, make sure you drain the potatoes in two batches. Ten pounds of potatoes don’t drain as well when dumped into a colander all at once.
Use a hand masher for textured potatoes, a potato ricer for completely smooth mashed potatoes and a hand mixer for a combination of the two. If using a hand mixer, be careful not to overmix or they can become too gummy.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Garlic Herb Butter Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes - fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes that can be made up to three days ahead and heated before serving to save time.
- 5 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 12 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 sticks
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup of half and half heated
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Place potatoes in a large pot and fill with water.
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Bring potatoes to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
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Once potatoes are tender, drain really well in a colander.
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Return potatoes to pot.
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Cube one stick of butter and add to hot potatoes.
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Sprinkle in salt and pepper and begin mashing using a hand masher.
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Mash until smooth.
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Add softened cream cheese and mash until combined.
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Stir in hot half and half.
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Transfer potatoes to a baking dish.
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Slice remaining butter into six slices and lay on top of mashed potatoes.
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Cover and bake potatoes at 350 for 35-45 minutes until heated through. For a golden brown top, leave potatoes uncovered.
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Sprinkle with finely diced chives.
Note: If you leave the potatoes uncovered in the oven, they get a beautiful golden brown crust on top!
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Definitely a great idea for Thanksgiving or any other large meal requiring a lot of prep. Anything that can be made or prepped the day before is awesome.
Mashed potatoes are my favorite food! These look awesome!
Want to try it sounds so good
What size baking dish do you use? I’d like to try this for Thanksgiving. Thank you for your help!
Hi Julie!
The dish I used was a 2.25 quart dish. Please let me know when you make it! I would love to hear how it turns out! :0)
Looks like a great recipe! Do you think I could make ahead and freeze?
I don’t think potatoes freeze well, but I haven’t tried it personally. You can refrigerate these up to three days ahead though! Thanks for a great question!
This looks like an awesome idea! I was wondering how much you can taste the cream cheese though? I hate straight cream cheese, but understand it helps make things oh so creamy.. Could I use a different cheese or would that mess up the texture too much? Thanks for any idea!
You can’t taste the cream cheese at all! I think you will love it!
I have six children, their spouses and 19 grandchildren. On Thanksgiving I make 15 lbs of potatoes using this same recipe. I add some sour cream also. I use a huge disposable foil pan (doubled) to accommodate for the weight. I make them the night before Thanksgiving, put them in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or foil. They come out perfect every time. My family LOVES these. They would clobber me if I ever did not bring these. It is a labor of love, but I love seeing and hearing how they appreciate them every year. GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!
Hi Melissa, thought you’d like to know Ive made something Very close to this for years and always put some in individual ramekins that can go from freezer to oven (the 2 cup sizes) to have for those busy days and it freezes very well.
Thank you, Holly! That sounds great!
Do you cook them uncovered the whole time or just at the end?
Hi Kathy!
Uncovered the whole time!
Hi Melissa, These look yummy! Do you refrigerate before the baking stage? Or do you bake, then rebake day of?
Thanks
Hi Erin! If you are making these ahead of time, refrigerate prior to baking.
These potatoes look incredibly! I love the make-ahead option. This would be perfect for Sunday lunch. Thank you! Pinning! 🙂
Thanks, Natasha!
LOVING THIS RECIPE THANK YOU FOR SHARING YUMMY!!!
Thank you, Terri!
Could I substitute the cream cheese with plain greek yogurt, and use low-fat half and half to make a “heart smart” version?
I haven’t tried it, but I think I would try reduced fat cream cheese rather than the yogurt. I think it would work either way, but I thing the rf cream cheese would have the most similar texture. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out!
This is an old recipe handed down thru generations in my family. I was told that the cream cheese (sadly, full fat) is what makes the potatoes freezable (and make-ahead-able…is that a word?). Substituting yogurt might work for day-of preparation, but I don’t think it will work for making day(s) ahead. Good luck!
I put half cream cheese and the other sour cream. These are delicious.
Can you use sour cream instead of cream cheese? Thank you.
Made them early in the day for our Thanksgiving dinner. How nice to not have to be fussing with potatoes at the last minute. They were delicious and everyone loved them. I think this will be a new tradition! Thank you!
Hi I was just wondering what is half and half. So looking forward to trying this
Thanks a million
Mary
Half & half is a dairy product that is half cream, half whole milk. It’s found where the milk and cream are in the store. If you can’t find it or they are sold out, you could make your own, for this recipe just do 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 cup whole milk.
Perfect!! I know these will be good because all recipes I make from you are! I am in charge of Mashed potatoes this year and was looking for a way to make them ahead of time since I won’t be using my slow cooker. I’ll keep you posted.
Such a great recipe! The potatoes were thick and creamy just how I like’em!
I love mashed potatoes, they are one of my favorite sides ever and one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner. I can’t make them ahead though, I’d eat them and then not have them for the holiday meal LOL.
I love that I can make these up ahead of time saving me one more thing to do on the day of Thanksgiving. They are also really good.
I am always on the lookout for yummy mashed potatoes and these are awesome! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
This is so great! I never realized you could make them ahead of time! Definitely a time saver!
My mom made these for Thanksgiving! This make-ahead dish is insanely good. It was a highlight of our table! Highly recommend and will certainly make again!
How far in advance of baking these potatoes should I remove them from the refrigerator?
1-2 hours
These potatoes are incredible!! We are seriously so obsessed!! Thanks so much for sharing!
I have made this recipe before! They truly are THE best-mashed potatoes ?
This is great! I love it when I can make something once and use it several times. It’s such a time saver.
Pinning! This will be a total life saver during the holidays!! I’m all for helping myself out the day before.
Our whole house loves mashed potatoes. This recipe is going to be a life-saver when the holidays roll arond. Thanks for the great idea!
WOW! These mashed potatoes are SO creamy and delicious!! The perfect side dish!
These were amazing we had them with dinner and everyone said these were their favorite mashed potatoes ever!!
This were excellent! I’ve never added half and half to my mashed potatoes before but these turned out better than ever!
Yummy! My family is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try! Looks so delicious and tasty!
Melissa, In the interest of oven space, I was thinking, I could use the slow cooker liner to bake them in and then keep warm in the slow cooker. Thoughts?
A hit out of the park! Thank you very much. Rather than water I used chicken stock to cook the potatoes and then used that stock to make my gravy. Both were a success. Thanks for sharing.
I made these for Thanksgiving and switched out some ingredients to make them vegan—plant-based butter, plant-based cream cheese, and for the half and half I used 2/3 cup oat milk and 1/3 cup Nut Pods almond+coconut creamer. They were truly the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made and loved by all! Make ahead convenience and delicious!