Mashed potatoes are central to our holiday meals (how else can you make gravy volcanoes?) and they are the easiest thing in the world to make ahead. Stress-free! (At least the potato part.)
An Easy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Recipe
In this simple recipe we are are mashing boiled potatoes and garlic (a potato ricer is helpful for making everything fluffy), mixing them with butter, cream cheese, yogurt, and a touch of rosemary. The cream cheese helps fortify the mashed potatoes so they reheat well, and the yogurt gives them a light tang. You could also use sour cream. Heap the baking dish with the potatoes, and chill until a couple of hours before dinner time, then let come to room temp and bake. Easy!
Make Ahead and Refrigerate or Freeze Your Mashed Potatoes
Once prepared, let the mashed potatoes cool completely, then cover and store in the fridge for up to two days. You can also freeze these mashed potatoes for up to two weeks. The high fat content in these mashed potatoes means that they will freeze and thaw just fine.
How to Properly Freeze Mashed Potatoes
To freeze, first line your casserole dish with a layer of aluminum foil followed by a layer of plastic wrap. Add the mashed potatoes, cool completely, then freeze in the casserole dish until solid. Once frozen, use the foil to lift the mashed potatoes out of the pan by lifting up on the foil. This way, the mashed potatoes are molded in the shape of your casserole dish, but your dish isn’t tied up in the freezer for weeks. (The layer of plastic wrap between the mashed potatoes and the foil protects the potatoes from picking up a metallic flavor from the foil.) Cover the top of the frozen mashed potatoes with plastic wrap and another layer of foil, so the mashed potatoes are completely protected. Freeze for up to two weeks.
Steps for Reheating Mashed Potatoes
Frozen mashed potatoes can either be thawed overnight in the fridge, or warmed while still frozen. Either way, unwrap the block of mashed potatoes from the plastic wrap and foil, and place it back in the original casserole dish. If thawing overnight, cover and place in the fridge. If your mashed potatoes are thawed, followed the baking directions in the recipe as written. If baking from frozen, add 15 to 20 minutes onto the warming time. You may want to stir the mashed potatoes once or twice while baking to make sure they are warming evenly. If the frozen mashed potatoes seem a bit watery when reheated, just stir in some more butter or cream cheese.
More Favorite Potato Side Dish Recipes
Cheesy Funeral Potatoes from Scratch Crispy Hasselback Potatoes Pressure Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes Crispy Parmesan Potato Stacks Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Can you reheat or keep warm in a slow cooker? Yes, you can reheat both frozen or thawed make ahead mashed potatoes in the slow cooker. Put them in the slow cooker on low, stirring occasionally. Mashed potatoes that go straight from freezer to slow cooker need to thaw out some before stirring. Turn the slow cooker down to warm when you have heated the potatoes through. Should mashed potatoes be thawed before reheating? No, you don’t need to thaw the mashed potatoes before reheating them in the oven or the slow cooker. They will take longer to reheat than thawed mashed potatoes, though, so factor that extra time in. Can you freeze the mashed potatoes in a foil pan and reheat in it? Yes, you can freeze this dish in a foil pan and put the pan in the oven, omitting the plastic wrap placed under the potatoes mentioned above in the How to Properly Freeze Mashed Potatoes section.
More Make-Ahead Recipes You’ll Love
Make Ahead Turkey Gravy Make Ahead Dinner Rolls Thanksgiving Stuffing With Sausage and Apples Cider Vinaigrette Roasted Root Vegetables Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
Heat on high to bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover to maintain a simmer until the potatoes are just cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Once potatoes are done, drain the potatoes. Discard the rosemary sprig, save the garlic cloves with the potatoes. A ricer will yield fluffier, less gluey, mashed potatoes. Mix on low to start, then increase the speed to medium and mix just until everything is well incorporated. (Don’t overmix!) Stir in the minced rosemary, the salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. At this point, you’ve done the make-ahead part of the recipe. You can cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to bake. You can make up to 2 days ahead. (Or you can freeze for up to 2 weeks ahead; see headnotes for more detailed freezing and reheating instructions.)
