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    Home » Side Dishes

    Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

    Published: Nov 22, 2021 · Modified: Nov 22, 2021 by Seanna · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. · 4 Comments

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    Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Pin with Title Banner.

    Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes - These Delicious and Creamy Mashed Potatoes are a tasty side dish everyone will love. Prep in 30 min, ready in an hour. So Delish. Serve this side dish with one of our tasty main dish recipes for your next family dinner.

    Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes shown in white serving bowl with melting tabs of butter and fresh chopped Italian Parsley garnish.
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Here's What You Need
    • Notes on Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • How to Make It
    • Common Questions
    • Tasty Toppers
    • How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes
    • Video: Watch How to Make It
    • What To Serve With Mashed Potatoes
    • More Tasty Potato Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why This Recipe Works

    This tasty recipe can be made a 2-4 days ahead of time and are still just as delicious reheated. We will show you how.

    Here's What You Need

    You'll need just a few simple ingredients to make this tasty recipe:

    • 3 Pounds Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes
    • 5 Quarts Cold Water
    • 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt (Added to boiling water)
    • ½ Cup of Salted Butter (1 Stick) + 3 Tablespoons to top
    • 4 Ounces Sour Cream
    • ¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
    Photo of Individual Ingredients for Mashed Potatoes.

    Notes on Ingredients

    • Russet (Idaho) - Russet, the common choice for fluffy mashed potatoes due to their high starch content.
    • Yukon Gold - Yukon Gold, a thin skinned variety with a balanced starch to water content which makes them a great all-purpose potato, good for mashing.
    • Salted Butter - I use Salted Butter in everything for its pleasing taste. Room temperature.
    • Sour Cream - Full fat, room temperature sour cream.
    • Kosher Salt - Add Salt to the boiling water and most of it will be poured out when they are drained. If you salt the water properly as indicated in this recipe, you will not need to season with additional salt.
    • Ground Black Pepper - Add Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste.

    Substitutions

    Cream Cheese - Substitute 8 Ounces of Cream Cheese for Sour Cream and this recipe will be just as delicious.

    How to Make It

    This tasty side dish recipe can be ready in about an hour by following simple 6 steps.

    Process collage showing 6 steps of Mashed Potatoes Recipe.
    1. Peel and Dice.
    2. Boil.
    3. Drain in a Colander.
    4. Add Butter and Sour Cream.
    5. Mash and Adjust Seasonings.
    6. Top with Butter and Serve.

    Common Questions

    What is the best way to reheat mashed potatoes?

    Set to the side, covered with aluminum foil and reheated in the microwave, if necessary.  They can also be refrigerated for 2-4 days, taken out and set on the counter for an hour and brought up to room temperature, then and reheated in microwave or in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes.

    What is the easiest way to mash potatoes?

    The easiest way to mash is to use a masher to press down into the potatoes repeatedly until smooth, leaving some lumps.
    Another option is to use a potato ricer, or food mill to express the potatoes through a sieve-like device. producing the smoothest, creamiest result.
    Do not use a hand mixer, as this will overwork the potatoes, releasing too much starch, and cause the them to be of a gummy consistency.

    Tasty Toppers

    Variations - Try any of these tasty toppers:

    • Bacon Bits
    • Sour Cream
    • Shredded Cheddar Cheese
    • Diced Green Onion
    • Chives
    • Chili - Try our tasty Ground Bison Chili Recipe.

    How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes

    Day They Are Made - When they are ready, cover with aluminum foil and set them aside until ready to serve. Reheat in the microwave, if necessary, when dinner is ready to serve. 

    Make-Ahead - Refrigerate for 2-4 days. On the day you are ready to serve them, take them out of the refrigerator and bring them up to room temperature. This will take about an hour. Then reheat in either the microwave or oven.

    • Microwave - Reheat in microwave
    • Oven - Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Cover with aluminum foil and reheat in the oven for 30 minutes or until they reach 140°F, as measured with a fast and accurate thermometer like this Thermapen® ONE (affiliate link).
    Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes shown in white serving bowl with melting tabs of butter and fresh chopped Italian Parsley garnish.

    There you have it. Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes in 6 easy steps. It's as easy as that. We hope you enjoy our super simple, super tasty recipe for the very best Mashed Potatoes every time. Try it and let us know how you like it. We'd love to hear from you!

    xo ~ Seanna

    Video: Watch How to Make It

    What To Serve With Mashed Potatoes

    • Ground Bison Chili
    • Easy Pot Roast
    • Oven-Baked Ribs

    More Tasty Potato Recipes

    • The Best Potato Soup - Loaded with Queso Chihuahua Cheese and bacon. So Delish.
    • Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes - Salty and tasty with the perfect combination of crispy outside and pillowy soft potato inside. You won't be able to stop eating these.
    • Greek Lemon Potatoes - People rave about this super popular potato recipe from Nagi over at RecipeTinEats. Check it out.

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    📖 Recipe

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    Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes shown in white serving bowl with melting tabs of butter and fresh chopped Italian Parsley garnish.

    Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes


    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    • Author: Seanna | Seanna's Kitchen
    • Total Time: 1 hour
    • Yield: 6 Servings 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    These Delicious and Creamy Mashed Potatoes are a tasty side dish everyone will love. Prep in 30 min, ready in an hour. So Delish.

    SeannasKitchen.com


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 3 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes
    • 5 quarts Cold Water
    • 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
    • ½ cup of Salted Butter (1 Stick) + 3 Tablespoons to top
    • 4 ounces Sour Cream
    • ¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

    Instructions

    1. Peel and Dice Potatoes.  Dice into equally sized ½ inch pieces and put them into 5 quarts of cold water.
    2. Boil Potatoes.  Boil until fork tender.
    3. Drain Potatoes.  Drain into a colander and put them back into the empty pot.
    4. Add Butter and Sour Cream.  Add Butter and Sour Cream.  
    5. Mash and Adjust Seasonings.  Mash until they are smooth and creamy.  Do a taste test and then adjust seasonings.  Do not add salt without tasting first.  They will have absorbed enough salt from the water during the cooking process and no more salt will need to be added.  Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
    6. Top with Butter and Serve.  Transfer to a serving dish and top with 3 Tablespoons of Butter.  Serve immediately.

    Equipment

    Thermapen® ONE

    Buy Now →

    Colander

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    Image of Stock Pot

    Stock Pot

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    Image of Masher

    Masher

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    Notes

    Mashed Potato Toppers:
    Bacon Bits, Sour Cream, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Diced Green Onion, Chives, or Chili - Try our tasty Ground Bison Chili Recipe.

    Reheating Instructions:  Set finished recipe to the side, covered with aluminum foil and reheated in the microwave, if necessary.  They can also be refrigerated for 2-4 days, taken out and set on the counter for an hour and brought up to room temperature, then and reheated in microwave or in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until the potatoes reach 140°F, as measured with a fast and accurate thermometer like this Thermapen® ONE.

    • Prep Time: 30 Minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 Minutes
    • Category: Side
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: American

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 8 Ounces
    • Calories: 403
    • Sugar: 2.1 g
    • Sodium: 572.1 mg
    • Fat: 24.9 g
    • Carbohydrates: 41.9 g
    • Protein: 5.5 g
    • Cholesterol: 67.1 mg

    Keywords: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Recipe, Mashed Potatoes Recipe With Sour Cream

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @seannaskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #seannaskitchen

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    Did you love this recipe? If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!! Follow Seanna's Kitchen and share this recipe with your friends on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest and subscribe my Newsletter for ALL the latest recipes! We'd love to hear from you!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laura

      November 30, 2021 at 9:44 pm

      Such a great recipe! You make it look so easy.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Seanna

        December 02, 2021 at 6:46 pm

        Thanks so much Laura!

        Reply
    2. Russ B

      November 22, 2021 at 10:37 am

      Perfect Thanksgiving side!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Seanna

        November 22, 2021 at 11:12 am

        Thank you!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Seanna, a home cook and food blogger, sharing favorite recipes inspired by the people and places I love.
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    Good food…made with love…for the people you love…Now, that's a great recipe!

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