Last Updated June 26th, 2018 at 10:59 pm by Lisa
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes are creamy smooth, buttery, and melt in your mouth! Reheated 5 Ways, and how to keep them warm for dinner or your holiday party.
We all want creamy classic mashed potatoes with buttery warm goodness, right?
(No one wants mashed potatoes that are gummy, lumpy and cold.)
Today we will master this side dish with all the tips and techniques that anyone can do.
Plus, any dish that you can have ready to go for dinner or entertaining is always a winner, saving time and stress.
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes might just become a new recipe tradition in your home.
TRUE CONFESSION: 😳 I didn’t make mashed potatoes, as in I didn’t want to make them at all…and if I did, I was never happy with how they turned out.
My Sister-In-Law Krisztina makes the most perfectly creamy mashed potatoes ever, and mine seemed sticky and lumpy. (Not what you want in mashed potatoes). I had almost given up, until I learned a couple of neat tricks from a Chef and a cooking mentor in professional cooking school.
I became determined to master this “simple” dish, and made mashed potatoes over and over until I loved how they turned out. Two ten pounds bags of potatoes later, that’s a lot of potatoes folks, matter of fact they are still in our freezer.
And everything I have learned, I am sharing with you!
How To Reheat and Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm:
Then while getting my hair done, my beautiful hairdresser Tina asked a brilliant question.
“How do you keep mashed potatoes warm?”
And to that, I said, “What a great question, can I mention this in a recipe on my website?”
We all struggle with space on big family gatherings or holiday parties, so here we go with the tips and answers.
Tina this is for you, and anyone wondering how to manage all the dishes on a big holiday like Thanksgiving or a party when oven space is at a premium. We can do this, Yay!
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes: Reheated 5 Ways
So let’s get peeling potatoes so you get perfectly creamy hot mashed potatoes, reheat them, and keep them warm.
First, in a large pot, fill 1/2 way with water and add 1 teaspoon sea salt.
Peel and slice the potatoes into 1″ pieces. Put in the large pot as you peel and slice so they don’t turn brown. Be sure water covers the potatoes by 2 inches, on medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce to medium-low heat, cook the potatoes for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft and fork tender.
Turn off the heat, and drain well in a colander.
The real secret is this handy little gadget called a potato ricer!
Hold the potato ricer over the large pot, and load the ricer full in batches and press all the potato pieces into the large pot. Or, mash the potatoes in the pot with a potato masher. If you want airy fluffy creamy mashed potatoes, the ricer is your friend. A masher will work, but it never gets all the little lumps out completely.
In a small pan, heat the heavy cream on low (don’t boil), this only takes about 4 minutes. Add the heated heavy cream, 1 teaspoons sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the mashed potatoes. Next, drop all the small butter pieces into the hot potatoes and stir until combined and creamy.
The heat of the potatoes will melt the butter, and they will become creamy smooth and turn out beautifully.
Transfer to an oven safe casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Keep in warm oven or place in refrigerator up to 2 days ahead.
5 Easy Ways to Reheat and Keep Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes warm:
1) Reheat in oven: keep foil on mashed potatoes at 375 for 30-40 minutes.
2) Reheat in a slow cooker or Crock Pot as shown below on low, add some cream and butter to keep moist.
3) Place mashed potatoes in a well-sealed zip lock bag, and place carefully in a simmering pan (low heat) of water on the stove.
4) Reheat the potatoes in the method you choose and keep them hot, on a heating pad on high covered with a towel.
5) Reheat the potatoes in the method you choose and keep hot on an electric warming tray:
By the way, this warming tray was my parents, and was a wedding gift in 1960! It still works perfectly and I used it all the time to keep food warm at parties. I even took it to my cousin’s house last Christmas, and he loved it and found one just like it a garage sale! Hope they make a comeback, they were quite common in the 60’s…super helpful when you are serving a buffet or having people stop by and want the food warm!
Hope they make a comeback, they were quite common in the 60’s…super helpful when you are serving a buffet or having people stop by and want the food warm!
- 5 lbs russet potatoes - peeled and sliced into 1" pieces
- 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 stick salted butter - cut into small cubes
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream - heated
- Note: For really creamy smooth mashed potatoes use:
- Potato Ricer - presses the potatoes through a screen with holes and creates a smooth creamy consistency of the mashed potatoes.
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In a large pot, fill 1/2 way with water and add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
-
Peel and slice the potatoes into 1" pieces, and put them in the large pot as you go so they don't turn brown.
-
Be sure water covers the potatoes by 3 inches, on medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
-
Reduce to medium-low heat, cook the potatoes for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft and fork tender.
-
Drain well in a colander.
-
In a small pan, heat the heavy cream on low (don't boil).
-
Hold the potato ricer over the large pot, and load the ricer full in batches and press all the potato pieces into the large pot. (Or, mash the potatoes in the pot with a potato masher.)
-
Add the heated heavy cream, 2 teaspoons sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the mashed potatoes, next drop all the small butter pieces into the hot potatoes and stir until combined and creamy.
-
Transfer to an oven safe casserole dish and cover with the lid or aluminum foil. Keep in warm oven or place in refrigerator.
-
Reheat in oven: keep foil on mashed potatoes at 375 for 30-40 minutes
-
Reheat in a slow cooker, add a little cream and butter to keep them moist.
-
Place mashed potatoes in a zip lock bag, seal well and place carefully in a simmering pan of water
-
Place mashed potatoes in a heat-safe bowl over a pot of water.
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Reheat the potatoes in a method you choose and keep hot on an electric warming tray or a heating pad covered with a towel.
Your creamy, buttery, mashed potatoes will stay hot for your dinner party or holiday gathering, just pick the best option. Make these the day before and simply reheat, then you can relax and enjoy the party.
Happy Entertaining!
All the Best,
Lisa
XO
For more Thanksgiving recipe ideas try my, Italian Sausage and Dried Cranberry
Party Dinner Rolls are easy, and a huge hit during the holidays! Add toppings you have on hand and love…
Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe: Empanadas Hand Pies are a beautiful way to use leftovers…
How am I 45 years old and have never heard of a potato ricer? I made these without one and they were still amazing with all that heavenly cream and butter, but I am hopping online to order a ricer and see first hand the difference that makes. I love an experiment!