Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you make mashed potatoes ahead of time and reheat? ›

It's not just that mashed potatoes can be made ahead; they actually end up creamier and fluffier when prepared in advance. When mashed potatoes chill, their starches firm up, and when reheated gently, they relax into a mash with an even silkier texture.

You can do nearly everything — boil, peel, and mash; stir in milk and salt — up to two days ahead.

Restaurants prepare the potatoes ahead by boiling and mashing just the potato, then just before serving, it is mixed into boiling cream (or milk or even broth or a combination thereof) to reheat it and make it nice and creamy.

The result is very fluffy mashed potatoes. (If you decide to try soaking the raw potatoes anyway, they can be soaked in water in the refrigerator for several hours without any safety concerns. Potatoes can be soaked even overnight as long as they are in the refrigerator.)

When it's time to warm up the potatoes, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add an extra splash of cream or milk and another pat of butter to ensure the mashed potatoes don't dry out. Stir them a few times until everything is warmed through (Do not over-stir, or the mashed potatoes will have a gummy texture).

If you'll be cooking the potatoes in the next few hours, you can leave them submerged in water at room temperature, Tiess says. If it will be longer than a few hours, place them in the refrigerator. Peeled, sliced, submerged, and refrigerated potatoes should be cooked within 24 hours.

They can sit for an hour, or two, like this, Foster says. When you are ready to continue, set the pot over low heat and the simmering water will heat the potatoes back up so you can mash them. Mashing with the wrong tool. Once you've got hot potatoes, you're almost ready to mash.

Instead of regular milk, pro chefs generally use a generous helping of buttermilk and plenty of half-and-half or (even better) heavy cream in their potatoes. If you think the bartenders up front are pouring heavy, they've got nothing on the cooks in the back who are in charge of the mashed potatoes.

The lowest setting of your slow cooker will keep the potatoes nice and warm without drying them out. If you notice that they are getting a little dry, loosen them up by stirring in an extra splash of milk or cream or a few tablespoons of butter.

How do caterers keep mashed potatoes warm? ›

The Best Way to Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm

The best method is to use a slow cooker to keep the prepared spuds warm for hours. Add the mashed potatoes to the slow cooker and keep them on warm for hours leading up to the meal. This way, you don't have to worry about them burning.

The main way we combat this problem is by rinsing away starch, both before and after cooking potatoes for fluffy mashed potatoes. Rinsing off starch means that there is less of it that can end up in the dish.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

The secret ingredient is just ice-cold water.

The same trick applies to mashed potatoes—it's so obvious I wish I would have thought of it myself! You soak the potatoes in iced water before they are cooked. This eliminates much of the starches in the potatoes, resulting in a super light and fluffy mash.

For the methods mentioned here, it's best to reheat your potatoes low and slow to keep them from drying out. In the microwave and oven, make sure to keep your mashed potatoes covered, and don't be afraid to add in a bit of butter and milk to bring the moisture and fluffiness back!

Cover and heat low and slow: Cover the baking dish and set it in a 350°F oven alongside any turkey leftovers you might be reheating too. (They'll take about the same amount of time.) This is really helpful if everyone is sitting down for seconds together.

The side dish can be prepared two full days in advance without compromising the supremely velvety results. The basic principles of all the best mashed potatoes recipes still apply: Use Yukon Golds, not starchier russet potatoes, and don't peel them before cooking.

Return your pre-made mashed potatoes to former glory easily on your stovetop. Simply transfer the cold mashed potatoes to a medium saucepan or Dutch oven, cover them, and heat over low until they're smooth, creamy, and heated through.