Make ahead mashed potatoes have been a lifesaver for me on more than one occasion. I first learned about this recipe for make-ahead mashed potatoes from a friend at church one spring. I had invited several people to come to the church on Easter Sunday to watch the children’s program that my children were participating in, and invited them to joint us for dinner at my house afterwards.
It was after I confirmed the final guest would be coming when I had a horrible revelation. I realized that I was preparing dinner for 11 people that I realized I wasn’t going to be home in the morning to prepare it. I was panicked, and began my first search for easy make ahead recipes that could help me to have appetizers ready when my guests arrived, and to get dinner on the table quickly.
It was during a conversation with my friend about this problem, that she told me about this recipe for make ahead mashed potatoes. We made them, they were wonderful, and we loved them. In fact, these are the mashed potatoes that I make for most holiday meals, but I have a confession. Sometimes, I don’t make them ahead. Instead, I make them and we eat them right away.
What will you need to prepare make ahead mashed potatoes?
From the Pantry
- Seasoned Salt
- Black Pepper
From the Refrigerator
- Sour Cream
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
From the Root Cellar
- Russet Potatoes
The process for making these potatoes is very simple. Peel the potatoes and cut them into squares and boil them until they’re tender.
Drain them, then return them to the pot.
Add everything else to the pot and mash it all together until it’s a smooth consistency. You can use a potato masher, a mixer, or my favorite, the immersion blender.
Once everything is combined, scrape everything into a medium sized casserole dish, cover it, and put it into the refrigerator for a day or two until you’re ready to bake it.
If you want, put them into a freezer to oven safe pan and cover them and stick into the freezer for up to a month. If you’re like me, you may just make them and eat them on the same day, but it’s nice to know you can make them ahead of time if you need to.
Follow the directions in the recipe below when reheating these make ahead potatoes, and let us know what you think of them by leaving a comment below.
Thanks for visiting Patty Cake’s Pantry.
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes (peeled and chopped) ($1.98)
- 1 (8 ounce) package softened cream cheese cut into cubes ($0.98)
- 1 cup sour cream ($0.79)
- 1/2 cup (or one stick) butter ($0.67)
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt *or to taste ($0.03)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste ($0.04)
- 1/4 cup butter (optional for when you're reheating them) ($0.34)
Instructions
- Peel and dice potatoes into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes.
- Cover potatoes with water and boil for 20 – 25 minutes until or until they are tender.
- Drain potatoes and return to the warm pot.
- Add softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, and sour cream to the potatoes and mix well, mashing with a potato masher, a mixer, or an immersion blender unitl they're the desired consistency.
- If you're ready to eat them, go ahead, but if you want to truly have "make ahead" mashed potoates follow the directions below.
To Make the Potatoes Ahead
- Put the prepared potatoes into a medium sized casserole dish and cover, storing them int he refrigerator (for up to three days) or the freezer (for up to one month).
- To reheat them from the refrigerator, allow them to set out at room temperature for a couple of hour. To reheat from frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator over night.
- Dot the top of the potatoes with the remaining 1/4 cup of butter.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 30 minutes or until the butter is melted and the potatoes are heated through. (This may take longer if they were frozen.)
Notes
The following nutrition information is for one serving of make ahead mashed potatoes (one-tenth of the recipe) made according to the recipe above.
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is calculated using online tools such as those available at cronometer.com or verywellfit.com. We make every attempt to ensure that the information is calculated correctly, but this information should be considered estimates.  Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. In addition, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition-fact sources, databases, and the algorithms used.  You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful. Under no circumstances will PattyCakesPantry.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information provided.Â
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