Stop stressing over making mashed potatoes at the last minute! This recipe for Rich and Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes is the ultimate secret weapon for holiday dinners, busy weeknights, or any gathering where you need a decadent, comforting side dish. Prepare this crowd-pleasing recipe days in advance, save precious time, and still serve perfectly warm, velvety mashed potatoes every single time.
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Why You'll Want To Make Rich and Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Ultimate Time-Saver: Prepare them up to three days in advance. This frees up critical stove and oven space on the day of your event, making it perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
- Superior Flavor and Texture: We skip the usual milk and butter for a combination of European-style butter, heavy cream, and sour cream. This creates an extra-rich, velvety texture and a tangy depth of flavor that can't be matched.
- The Best Potato Choice: By using Yukon Gold potatoes, you ensure a naturally buttery flavor and avoid the starchy, gluey texture that can result from overworking Russet potatoes.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll to Make Rich and Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Steps To Make Rich and Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Fill your sink with cold water and let the potatoes swim around a bit to clean them. Then give them a good scrub.
- Next, peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch chunks, ensuring they're all roughly the same size.
- Then, place the cut potatoes in a large pot and fill the pot with just enough cold water to cover the potatoes by about half an inch. Then add the Kosher salt, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Once the water begins to boil, remove the lid and continue to boil for between 7-15 minutes until you can stick a fork in one of the pieces, and it breaks in half easily. Your boil time will depend on your heat source. You should also watch the potatoes while they boil to ensure you don't overcook them.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander. Cube your unsalted butter and add it to the hot pot you cooked the potatoes in, along with the sour cream.
- Return the drained potatoes to the pot.
- Using a potato masher, mash everything together, making sure there are no large chunks.
- Add your heavy cream and freshly ground black pepper.
- Then, using a hand mixer, beat the potatoes until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish. If you're making these in advance, make sure you use a covered oven-proof baking dish. Then let the mashed potatoes come to room temperature and refrigerate them for up to three days. To reheat, let the mashed potatoes come to room temperature and heat in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until hot.
These Rich and Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes are your guarantee for a delicious, stress-free meal, transforming a typically hectic last-minute dish into a simple, prepared-in-advance side. You now have the secret weapon for perfect mashed potatoes. Make this rich and creamy recipe your new family favorite!
Frequently Asked Questions
Simply make according to the recipe and use a covered oven-proof baking dish. The high fat content from the butter, sour cream, and heavy cream is what prevents these potatoes from drying out. Refrigerate them for up to three days, when ready to serve let them come to room temperature, and heat in a 350°F oven for 30-45 minutes or until hot. When reheating, make sure to cover them in the oven to trap moisture, and if they still seem a little dry, stir in a splash of warm heavy cream before serving.
Yes, they freeze exceptionally well! Portion the cooled potatoes into a freezer-safe container, leaving about half an inch of headspace. They can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven or on the stovetop over low heat.
Gold potatoes are generally considered to be better for mashed potatoes than russet or red potatoes because they have a naturally creamier texture and a richer flavor. Gold potatoes are also less likely to become gummy when overcooked, which is a common problem with russet and red potatoes.
Milk has a high water content, which can dilute the potato flavor and make the potatoes watery when reheated. Heavy cream and sour cream have a higher fat content, which locks in moisture and adds a much richer, more complex flavor that makes this recipe truly stand out.
Recipe Tips And Tricks
- Using European-Style Butter vs. American Butter: European-style butter has a higher fat content (typically 82% vs. 80%), which adds a richer flavor and a smoother, more decadent mouthfeel to the finished potatoes.
- Warm Dairy is Key: Always bring your butter, sour cream, and heavy cream to room temperature before adding it to the potatoes. Cold dairy will cool the potatoes down and make them difficult to fully incorporate, which leads to lumps.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes are the Best for Creamy Mashed Potatoes: Yukon Golds are medium-starch, which gives them a naturally buttery flavor and creamy texture when mashed, without the dryness of a high-starch potato like the Russet.
- When to Season: Add salt at the beginning, when you're cooking the potatoes, and pepper at the end, when you're beating them.
- Reheating (Oven Method): The best way to reheat is in the oven. Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Remove the plastic wrap, dot the top with a few tablespoons of extra butter, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.
Other Great Holiday Side Dishes
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Rich and Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- potato peeler
- large stock pot
- potato masher
- Electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- 5 lbs gold potatoes
- 2 tbs Kosher salt
- 8 oz unsalted butter, cubed room temperature
- 8 oz sour cream room temperature
- ½ c heavy cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Fill your sink with cold water and add the potatoes to give them a good wash and scrub.
- Peel the potatoes and into 2-inch chunks.
- Transfer the potatoes to a large stock pot and fill with enough water to just cover the top on the potatoes by half an inch.
- Add 2 tbs of Kosher Salt, place a lid on the pot, and bring to a boil.
- Once the water begins to boil, remove the lid and continue to boil for 7-15 minutes, depending on your heat source, until the potatoes are fork-tender or until a fork inserted into one of the chunks easily breaks it in half.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink.
- Add the cubed butter and sour cream to the pot you cooked the potatoes in and then add the potatoes back to the pot.
- Mash the potatoes using a potato masher until most of the large chunks are gone and the butter and sour cream are well incorporated.
- Add heavy cream and freshly ground black pepper. Then, using a hand mixer, beat the potatoes until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.
- Yield 8 servings
Make-Ahead Instructions
- Prepare potatoes according to the recipe instructions and transfer to an oven-proof baking dish with a lid. Let the mashed potatoes come to room temperature, place the lid on the dish, and refrigerate for up to three days.
- Reheat in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes, remove from oven and give them a good stir. Return to the oven and heat for 15 more minutes or until hot.
Freezing Instructions
- Let the mashed potatoes cool completely transfer them to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat the mashed potatoes simply thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, transfer to an oven-proof baking dish.
- Reheat in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes, remove from oven and give them a good stir. Return to the oven and heat for 15 more minutes or until hot.
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