Hosting a big dinner or just want to get prep work done ahead of time? These creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes can be reheated in the slow cooker or oven making dinner a snap. It's the only mashed potato recipe you need!
The biggest lifesaver of my Thanksgiving meal (and many events, holidays and even weeknight dinners) 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.
And if you don't need the extra space in your oven, simply reheat them in the oven in a baking dish. But it's always nice to have the work done ahead of time.
After all, you can never have enough time. Am I right?
Ingredients
Mashed potatoes are made with just a handful of ingredients that are easy to keep on hand.
- potatoes (we use Russet and Yukon Gold)
- sour cream
- cream cheese
- salt + pepper
- butter
Instructions
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 dinner easy is a huge win in my book.
Follow all of our tips for a Stress Free Thanksgiving!
FAQs
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?
Having options of how to reheat these is one of my favorite things about this recipe. You can reheat them in the oven, use a slow cooker or in a pinch, pop them in the microwave.
Room temperature ingredients will blend into the potatoes faster so you won't over mix your potatoes. Over mixing = gluey potatoes.
Tips
Use these easy tips to make craveable mashed potatoes every single time.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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)
More side dishes
- These Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions filled with fresh rosemary are an easy paleo side dish option.
- Homemade Rosemary Garlic Potato Rolls brushed with butter are a perfect way to soak up the gravy.
- This classic Homemade Stuffing Recipe is filled with onions and sage. Just like mom used to make!
- Who can say no to creamy Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows?
- Change up your menu and add these Easy Air Fryer Asian Green Beans!
Find all of our side dish recipes in our archives.
Recipe
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
A creamy mashed potato recipe made the day before and reheated in the oven, slow cooker or microwave.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed (Yukon Gold + Russet mix)
- 6 ounces room temperature cream cheese (light or regular)
- 1 cup room temperature sour cream (light or regular)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water.
- Bring to a boil and cook until tender but still firm, about 9 minutes once the water starts to boil.
- Drain potatoes and then return to pan.
- Place pan on heat to get the last drops of water out.
- Scoop potatoes into ricer and rice into a large bowl.
- Add room temperature cream cheese and sour cream. Stir until just combined.
- Season with salt and pepper. Stir. Be careful to not over mix or they will become gluey.
- Place in a greased baking dish with two pats of butter in top.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Remove from refrigerator one hour before baking to bring to room temperature.
- Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until warmed through.
Notes
Options for reheating:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 420Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 203mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 8g
These easy, make-ahead mashed potatoes are made a day ahead of time and reheated right before serving. This creamy potato recipe is a long-time family favorite.
They look delicious! My mom had a list taped inside one of the kitchen cupboards with a timeline for cooking all of the Thanksgiving food. She generally started cooking two days before with cranberry sauce and pies, then finished up on Thanksgiving morning with turkey, gravy, stuffing, rolls, and more. This recipe sounds perfect for avoiding that last minute rush! 🙂
I was at that first Thanksgiving and those mashed potatoes were truly amazing...we were so so glad to have Lisa in the family.
I have made these potatoes many times with success. Just delicious!
OMG! It looks tasty! I am gonna make this as per your instruction. Wish me best of luck!
Using Idaho or Russet potatoes will prevent them from turning gluey, in my experience. I also use less sour cream....and they are amazing!
Does the cream cheese need to be at room temp or does it blend well with the hot mashed potatoes?
I usually pull the cream cheese out when I start peeling the potatoes and it’s perfect! Good luck!
Thank you! Making these today!
I made them today and I dont think I mashed them good enough as I have tiny little potato pieces in my batch. Is there anything I can do after the fact? Will they go away when I cook them tomorrow. Should I mash until they go away? I just dont want to over mash. Thoughts?
Hi Amy,
The little pieces won't go away but they will be softer when you bake them again, depending on how bug the pieces are. You could try mashing them a little more, but be careful, if you over mash them, they could get a gluey texture. If they aren't too big, I say leave them, it lets people know they are real potatoes! Either way, they should still be delicious! Happy Thanksgiving!
Ok, so I ran to Bed Bath and Beyond and picked up a potato ricer, and, OH...MY...OMG! That make all the difference in the world for my 2nd batch. These mashed potatoes are heavenly and now that I have the right tool are super easy! Thank you Lisa for replying to all my questions. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
My potato ricer has to be one of my most favorite things! I’m glad it made a difference! Enjoy your Thanksgiving ~ you have put your work in~ your guests don’t know how good they have it!!
Absolutely delicious, family loved them, will definitely make again
Can you make these 3 days ahead and refrigerate until ready to slow cook?
Yes! I’m making mine tomorrow!! It will be good for 3 days!
I made these the day of, because the wind knocked our power out the day before, and quantities were slightly off bc I needed to make 5 lb of potatoes but forgot to buy enough extra to double or almost double the recipe, but still... these were the best mashed potatoes I've ever made by far, and maybe the best ones I've ever had. SO GOOD! Great recipe!
Hi Steffie- I love these potatoes too, my family knows when I try something new and ask what I did to the potatoes.This recipe is pretty forgiving but gives you the creamiest potatoes. I'm so happy that you love them too!
I tried these spuds ( using 2/3 part red potatoes & 1/3 part russets) and froze them in a buttered glass 9X13 pan... thawed them slowly in the frig, and then reheated them in the oven. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!! So good!!!
Nice to know I can make them as a freezer meal too!
Hi Kristin! Thank you for stopping back and leaving such a valuable tip! So happy that you liked the potatoes-they are the only mashed potato recipe my kids like! Thanks for being a GWL reader!
How many people does this recipe serve?
Hi Sue, It serves 6! Although my family of 4 doesn't have a problem polishing them off when it isn't part of a huge meal. Hope that helps!
Instead of sour cream. How much more butter can I use ?
I haven’t tried them without the sour cream but I would start with 1/4 cup of butter and add more as necessary.