Mashed potatoes are a classic comfort food and a staple of every holiday table. But what if you don't have time to make them from scratch on at the day of? That's where these rich and creamy make-ahead mashed potatoes come in!
These potatoes are made with simple ingredients like Yukon Gold potatoes, butter, sour cream, and heavy cream, but they're packed with flavor. The Yukon Gold potatoes give the potatoes a rich, earthy flavor, while the butter, sour cream, and heavy cream make them extra creamy and decadent.
The best part about these mashed potatoes is that they can be made ahead of time and reheated later. This makes them the perfect dish for busy weeknights or holiday gatherings.
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Why You'll Want To Make My Rich and Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- They're a comfort food. Mashed potatoes are a warm and comforting dish that many people enjoy.
- You're cooking for a large crowd and need a side dish that can be easily reheated.
- They're easy to make. The ingredients are simple, and the recipe is straightforward.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need For My Rich and Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Gold Potatoes: Gold potatoes have a number of advantages over russet potatoes for mashed potatoes. They have a naturally creamy texture and rich buttery flavor and are more versatile.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted European-style butter because it is made with a higher butterfat content (82%) than American butter (80%). This higher butterfat content gives European-style butter a richer flavor and a more luxurious texture. It also helps to create a creamier and more flavorful mashed potato because it melts more easily than American butter, which makes it easier to incorporate into the mashed potatoes.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream has a slightly tangy flavor, which can help balance the richness of the butter and cream in mashed potatoes. It can also add a bit of brightness and complexity to the flavor. It adds richness and creaminess.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is a better choice than milk for mashed potatoes because it has a higher fat content. This higher fat content gives the mashed potatoes a richer, creamier flavor and texture. Milk, on the other hand, is mostly water, so it will thin out the mashed potatoes and make them less creamy.
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 and peel them.
- 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.
Rich and creamy make-ahead mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish for any occasion. They're easy to make, can be prepared ahead of time, and are sure to please everyone at the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Simply make according to the recipe and use a covered oven-proof baking dish. Then let the mashed potatoes come to room temperature and refrigerate for up to three days. To reheat the mashed potatoes, let them come to room temperature and heat in a 350°F oven for 30-45 minutes or until hot.
Absolutely! 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, and they can be reheated in the oven.
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.
Heavy cream is a better choice than milk for mashed potatoes because it has a higher fat content. This higher fat content gives the mashed potatoes a richer, creamier flavor and texture. Milk, on the other hand, is mostly water, so it will thin out the mashed potatoes and make them less creamy.
Sour cream is a high-fat dairy product, so it adds a lot of richness and creaminess to mashed potatoes. It also has a slightly tangy flavor, which can help to balance out the richness of the butter and cream in mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes can also be a heavy dish, but sour cream can help to lighten them up a bit.
Recipe Tips And Tricks
- Use gold potatoes for the best flavor and texture.
- Don't overcook the potatoes. They should be fork-tender but not mushy.
- Use good quality butter and heavy cream for the richest flavor.
- Add salt at the beginning, when you're cooking the potatoes, and pepper at the end, when you're beating them.
- Cube the butter before adding it to the pot; this will help it incorporate into the potatoes easier when mashing.
- Bring the butter, sour cream, and heavy cream to room temperature before adding to the potatoes. The reason is that they incorporate better into the potatoes if at room temperature.
Other Great Side Dishes
If you're looking for other amazing side dishes for your holiday table, check out these recipes.
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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
- 8 oz sour cream
- ½ c heavy cream
- 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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