Hosting a big dinner? Free up your oven space and reheat these Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes in your slow cooker! 

Day Before Mashed Potatoes Recipe

The biggest lifesaver of Thanksgiving (and many events and holidays since) are these Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes.

That’s right, make the mashed potatoes the day before and reheat them in your slow cooker, which leaves your oven open for the rest of the feast’s goodies.

After all, you can never have enough oven space. Am I right?

What potatoes are the best for mashed potatoes?

There is a lot of discussion out there about which potatoes make the best mashed potatoes. I love to mix it up and use Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes for my mashed potatoes.

The Yukon Golds add a creamy buttery texture and the Russets are high in starch making them light and fluffy. Combining the two of them together gives you the best of both worlds. Who doesn’t love getting everything they want in the same delicious bite?

What ingredients do you need for this potato recipe?

• Yukon Gold and Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Sour Cream
• Cream Cheese
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Butter

5 Tips for the best mashed potatoes ever

Mashed potatoes are so easy to make from scratch. Use these easy tips to get the best potato side dish every single time.

1. Cube the potatoes so they are the same size- potatoes that are cut into small cubes work best for this recipe because they will cook evenly. No one likes chunky potatoes.
2. Do not overcook your potatoes. Boil them for 9-10 minutes or until a fork goes into them easily. If you cook them too long you will end up with mushy potatoes.
3. Drain them well! This is a BIG one. Drain, drain, drain and then pop them back in the pan and place on stove for 1 minute to get all of the excess water out of them This critical step gives you fluffy potatoes!
4. Invest in a potato ricer- This is the MOST important tip of all. One of my ALL time favorite kitchen gadgets is this potato ricer. The triangular shape makes ricing the cooked potatoes a snap and nothing gets stuck in the corners. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
5. Have your sour cream and cream cheese at room temperature- Room temperature ingredients will blend into the potatoes faster so you don’t have to overmix your potatoes. Overmixing = gluey potatoes 

How to make the best mashed potatoes ahead of time

Step 1: Peel and cube the potatoes and place them in a large pan filled with cold water.

Step 2: Bring potatoes to a boil and cut until just fork tender.

Step 3: Drain the potatoes well and place over low heat in a pan on the stove to remove the last drops of water.

Step 4: Place the room temperature sour cream and cream cheese in a large bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 5: Rice the potatoes into the bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir on low speed until just mixed.

Step 6: Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Step 7: Place in a slow cooker dish or large oval baking pan and cover. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

My favorite part of these mashed potatoes is that I can have them completely done ahead of time. Pans washed, potatoes mashed and all ready for the big day. Anything that makes entertaining easy is a huge win in my book.

Follow all of our tips for a Stress Free Thanksgiving!

The Best way to reheat mashed potatoes before a meal

There are several ways that you can reheat these spuds before you are ready to eat.

1.  In the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°. If your potatoes have been in the refrigerator, let them sit out for 60 minutes before you pop them in the oven, it will cut down on your baking time. Leave them in the oven until they are warmed through, about 30 minutes depending on how much stuff you have in your oven.
2. In a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot: I love to use my slow cooker to reheat these, especially with big holiday dinners. Simply heat them on high for one hour or low for 2-3. Don’t forget to stir them so the bottom doesn’t burn.
3.  In the Microwave: I’ll use the microwave to reheat these in a pinch. Pop them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and then stir. Repeat the process until heated through. Be careful when you touch the bowl, it will be hot!

What makes these mashed potatoes so good?

I know I’m a bit biased, but these Day Before Mashed Potatoes are pretty much the best spuds you will ever have. The cream cheese and sour cream make them creamy and rich. In fact, you may not even need gravy.

My kids are not gravy lovers (not sure where that came from), but these potatoes are one of the highlights of any meal for them. I loooooove gravy, and these potatoes taste amazing with a big ladle of gravy over the top.

If you have ever eaten at my house for any special occasion (or just ever, really), you have had these potatoes. They have bailed me out more than once and forever hold a special place in my heart. 

Side Dishes are the star of many big meals! Here are more of our favorites.

• Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions
• Rosemary Garlic Cloverleaf Rolls
• Apple Sage Stuffing Cups
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Easy Air Fryer Asian Green Beans

Find all of our side dish recipes here.

You can never have too many potato recipes.

• Herbed Grilled Potatoes in Foil
• Crock Pot Baked Potatoes
• Brown Butter Hasselback Potatoes
• Grilled German Potato Salad

Continue to Content

Yield: 6

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Print

A creamy mashed potato made the day before and reheated in the oven, slow cooker or microwave.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 6 ounces cream cheese (light or regular)
• 1 cup sour cream (light or regular)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes.
2. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and mash until smooth. I use a ricer first and then place them in my stand mixer.
3. Mix in the cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper and butter. Be careful to not over mix or they will become gluey. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
4. Place potato mixture in a slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray and cook on low for 5 hours or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Notes

These potatoes can also be reheated in the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a medium baking dish. Spread potato mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake in the preheated oven about 30 minutes or until heated through.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  OXO Good Grips Mixing Bowl Set with Black Handles, 3-Piece
• 
  KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red
• 
  MyLifeUNIT Heavy Duty Commercial Potato Ricer, Stainless Steel Business Potato Ricer and Masher

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 420Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 203mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 8g

LOVE this recipe?

Follow us on Pinterest for more great recipes! Just click the little pin button at the top of the recipe card.