Our quick and easy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes are a great way to make this traditional side dish ahead of your holiday meal! Simply cook up this creamy mashed potato recipe, cover, store in the fridge, and reheat to feed a crowd at your next special occasion. The whole family is going to love them!
The Best Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Classic mashed potatoes are an all-time favorite side dish that is always on the table for our Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas Dinner, or Easter celebration! They can be made ahead of the big day on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or even in your Instant Pot for a variety of easy ways to make your family gathering as stress-free as possible. We absolutely love making the cooking process a little bit simpler during the holiday season in order to spend more time with our family!
Looking to make some gravy ahead of time too? We’ve got you covered with this easy and delicious Make Ahead Gravy recipe!
What You Will Need
- whole potatoes – we used Yukon Golds (the best potatoes), but feel free to use russet potatoes too!
- garlic powder, salt and pepper – simple seasonings that bring great flavor.
- almond milk – any plant-based milk, regular milk, or heavy cream from your local grocery store will work here.
- unsalted butter – always a must when making any mashed potato recipe!
- Greek yogurt, sour cream, & ranch dressing – these combine to create the best creamy texture and the best flavor.
How To Make Mashed Potatoes Ahead Of Time
The first steps to this easy recipe are to gather all of the mashed potato ingredients.
Now cut all of the potatoes into large chunks and carefully place them in a large stockpot of boiling hot water. Continue boiling potatoes for about 15-25 minutes and then drain in the sink. Place hot potatoes in a large bowl with the remaining simple ingredients.
Feel free to use a potato masher, electric mixer, or stand mixer with paddle attachment to fully mash and combine everything together.
Pour these homemade mashed potatoes into a casserole dish or foil pan. Let them cool at room temperature for a little bit and then cover with plastic wrap or foil. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days. Then reheat when ready to serve.
Recipe FAQ
Absolutely! Just follow our simple recipe card, cover the pan, and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Make sure you store your mashed potatoes in an oven-safe pan, cover with aluminum foil, and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until heated through.
Once your potatoes are ready to eat, we highly recommend serving with some pads of butter, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, chopped green onions, or some fresh herbs, like thyme or chives!
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Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top + Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Make delicious mashed potatoes before the holidays with this Make Ahead Mashed Potato recipe! So easy and so good!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds yukon gold potatoes, cut into large chunks*
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, more as-needed
- 1/2 cup butter, room temp and cut into slices
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Add cut up potatoes (the smaller you cut them the shorter the boil time will be) to pot of boiling water.
- Let boil for 15-25 minutes or until they are very tender.
- Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and let the butter melt/soften for a minute or two.
- Use a potato masher to mash everything together (alternatively you can use an electric hand mixer, if you prefer) until the consistency is smooth.
- Taste and adjust salt or other ingredients, as-desired.
- Transfer potatoes into a 9×13 baking dish. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- To reheat preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Keep mashed potatoes in the same pan, covered in aluminum foil, and place on middle rack. Leave until warmed through, approx. 30 minutes. Feel free to uncover the last 5-10 minutes and place potatoes under the broiler (not directly under it but one or two spots below) to finish.
Notes
- Can you freeze mashed potatoes: we tested freezing this recipe and it did NOT work very well. Once the mashed potatoes were frozen and then thawed the resulting consistency was watery and not pleasant – hopefully simply making them a day or two ahead of time will be enough!
- Dairy-Free: looking for a dairy-free version try our Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes recipe!
- Serving: this is the perfect Holiday side dish to serve alongside your Smoked Turkey, CrockPot Ham or Beef Tenderloin!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 173
- Sugar: 1.3 g
- Sodium: 244.8 mg
- Fat: 8.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 19.3 mg
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