Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

We have made this for many holiday dinners. You can also put these in a crockpot for 5 to 6 hours. It's a great way to keep them warm without the hassle of watching over them!

When cooking for a crowd -- this is the ONLY way to make mashed potatoes!! I added some minced garlic for more flavor. I made thanksgiving dinner for 20 with only one oven, and it is recipes like this that saved the day. There was not one SCRAP of mashed potatoes left!!

So good and what a blessing to make ahead! I threw in 3-4 cloves of garlic with the potatoes to boil and mashed them right with the taters. Also added about 1/2 cup grated parmesan, and sprinkled top with paprika for color.

This mashed potatoes were a great basic, easy recipe. The only thing I added was one stick of butter. I did not bake them, I made them the day of and kept them warm in the crock pot.

This recipe is wonderful... I have been useing it for years... it simplafies big family dinners.... when we all get to geather there are 21 of us and so I double the recipe... one grandoughter now requests them for family meals.... so we now call them Amber's mashed potatoes.... I have made them as much as five days ahead..I recomend this for any cook who wants to save a little time on the day of a big meal... PS The most wonderful thing about this recipe is they never taste like wormed overs or leftovers

These were awesome mashed potatoes. I made the potatoes the night before. Instead of heated them in the oven I put them in a crock pot on low. I added milk and butter to remoisten.

I made this the night before Thanksgiving and used russet potatoes instead of Yukon Gold. Otherwise, I made it exactly as described. I hesitated a bit because some people felt the sour cream was overwhelming and I had never made mashed potatoes with cream cheese and no milk. Also, though I like fluffy mashed potatoes, some people had felt they were much too stiff. I decided to I could always add milk before serving so I followed the recipe. Yes, the next morning, the sour cream taste was a bit overwhelming and they seemed too stiff but I decided to give it a chance and I was glad I did. After two hours on low in the crockpot. I checked them. I gave them a good stir and took a taste. Yes, they were a bit less "stiff" and the sour cream taste had mellowed quite a bit. Noting the condensation on the lid, I decided to just give them a good stir about every 30 minutes of the remaining time and sure enough, when the four hours was up, they were absolutely perfect! I had 13 people and these were devoured and raved about by everyone. Sometimes you simply have to uh... trust the directions and follow them exactly. I'm glad I did for if I would have cooked it for a shorter time or added more liquid, it would have been a mess I'm afraid.

I make this all the time. I like to keep a pan in my deep freezer so I can have unexpected company any to time and serve Company style potatoes like I knew that they were coming all along.

I was having several people over for Easter dinner so I wanted to have as much food made beforehand as possible so that I could enjoy my guests. While the recipe was very good (although I would add some chives next time), there just 'ain't nothin like the real thing'. The day ahead idea just did't work and they tasted like leftovers. This recipe should be made fresh.

Very Creamy! If you are not making ahead, 35 minutes in the oven was plenty!

These have a wonderful flavor and you sure can't beat the convenience! I made mine the day before then warmed them in the slow cooker on low for four hours and they were the best tasting mashed potatoes we've ever had. I used low fat cream cheese and sour cream.

This recipe is so yummy and it was great making it the night before! I did change it a bit. I used 8 ounces of plain cream cheese instead of 6 and left out onion powder and used 1 tablespoon of garlic powder. I also left the milk out. I put the whipped potatoes in a 9x13 pan and stuck it in the fridge. The next day I poked holes in the potatoes with a fork and poured 1/4 cup of milk over them. I baked them at 350 for 40 minutes. The family loved them

I use this year round. My family and I will do a potato party with the kids peeling and me chopping. I make them and freeze them in muffin tins for single servings. I then take them and wrap in saran wrap and freeze in ziplock bags. I do meatloaf the same way, and then I take out the number needed to cook. It's great to have on hand for meals for one or two people since I usually cook for 40-50 a day. I like to keep these on hand for a fast side. I can microwave from frozen in about the same time as driving thru fast food.Sure beats fast food and deli potatoes.

This recipe saved me! Was making an impromtu Thanksgiving dinner for my family...my parents were moving the next day and no one wanted to take the time to make the traditional meal...so I offered. I made this the night before, stuck it in the crockpot and refrigerated overnight. Then about 5 hours before we were to eat, I put it on low. By meal time the potatoes were perfect! Don't think anyone would have known the difference, if I hadn't told them.

Made these the day before Thanksgiving and they were fantastic! I mashed them then put them in a crock pot and put it in the refrigerator. The next day heated in the crock pot on low for about 4 hours and they were perfect. Only change I made was I added garlic.

Awesome!! And so easy because I prepared it 1 day ahead....A definite time-savor but would lightly grease the bottom of the casserole dish next time. Wasn't sure about the cream cheese because our family loves homemade mashed potatoes with butter and half/half...but was proved wrong!! I served this recipe for Thanksgiving and everyone wanted seconds. This will not only be a holiday tradition but a staple because it tasted so good and was so easy to make! - Lolly

My family scraped the crockpot clean! I substituted whipped cream cheese with chives and green onions for the plain cream cheese - otherwise made as recipe directs. These are delicious, moist and flavorful, and they hold perfectly in the crockpot until I am ready to serve. No more last-minute mashed potatoes at big family gatherings!

Made for Christmas with 15 lb. potatoes. Heated for 3 hours in crockpot when ready to serve. They were fabulous.

These mashed potatoes were outstanding. I doubled all ingredients in this recipe for a crowd of 12. I made this the day before - then heated it up in the microwave. Tip-whip the potatoes again after reheating and just before serving.

These potatoes were absolutely amazing! I followed the recipe to the T and everyone loved them. I will def make these again. I warmed them in the crock pot the next day and served them for Thanksgiving. I never thought of heating them in a crock pot but I don't think I will do it any other way now. Normally the potatoes don't stay warm while being served but the crock pot takes care of that. Thanks for the recipe!

These are good, mashed potatoes. Make sure to fully mash the taters BEFORE adding any other ingredients tho - otherwise you get starch glue. (ooops - so THAT is what went wrong LOL)

Made this for Thanksgiving and they really came out great. I followed the recipe with the exception that I did not put them in the oven. I put them in my crockpot, on low, for about four hours and they came out great. Like that I was able to do this ahead of time and it freed up some of my time to get other last minute things done...Will make them again at Christmas time! Thanks for sharing. Update: Made them for Christmas, used the crockpot as listed above, used red potatoes. The only change I made was I did not peel the potatoes and they turned out great and saved a lot of peeling time!

Made this for our rehearsal dinner and am making it again. Adding a stick of butter and re-stirring after it has warmed is really the trick. I make this with red-skins. I am a mashed connoisseur and I can't tell these are make-ahead!!

This is the ONLY way I make and serve mashed potatoes when I feed a gang. I make it way ahead, then put it into the oven to heat through. The only addition I make is to add one diced sauteed white onion with a couple of cloves of minced garlic. OUT of this world! I've always rec'd requests for this recipe!

I was skeptical, but these were outstanding. I made them on Thanksgiving morning, following the directions exactly. I placed them in a crock pot on low for about five hours. They were perfect! These potatoes have a great buttery flavor without adding any butter. This is a definite keeper.

These were okay only because we thought the cream cheese and sour cream flavor to be a little too strong in the dish. I would make again but next time probably add alot less cheese and cream and add butter and milk instead.

I thought these were great. I made the night before and stored in the fridge. I left out at room temp for about 20-30 min as recipe states and the middle of the mash potatoes were still cold but the edges were perfect. It didn't really matter though because this makes so much we never reached the middle! If you were making to really serve 12 I would leave in the oven longer.

I continue to make this recipe for every major holiday, and it's a winner with my family. And it's so easy to make; once you've made it a few times it's a breeze. I first added this to my recipe box on all recipes in 2001 and make it every single year.

These were really great... my first time making "successful" mashed potatoes! ("successful" as in we actually liked them and they didn't taste bland) In my opinion, what made all the difference in the world was the addition of onion salt... though... I didn't have any onion salt so I used garlic salt (ok, so what made all the difference was that the recipe *said* to use onion salt, which gave me the idea to use the garlic salt) ;-) Anyway, they were really yummy and I only used about 2.5lbs potatoes, 1 package cream cheese, and half a cup of sour cream (plus the pepper and garlic salt of course). They were even good the next day! Thanks!!

These are fantastic! I made the night before. And believe me I was skeptical. My son ended up eating about 5 platefuls before the day was done! Good with OR with gravy.

I made these potatoes for Thanksgiving,and they were a hit. They were very creamy, and best of all, I did not have to spend Thanksgiving day peeling and cooking potatoes. For a little kick, I added garlic and green onions. Yummy!

I got a lot of compliments on these mashed potatoes. I have made them twice, once with Yukon Gold and once with redskins, and I liked the redskins better.

Used one of the suggestions by KRoggenb and used red potatos. I used this recipe for a big party we had and these were a huge hit. So much so that all the wives at the party wanted the recipe. This is truly a 5 star recipe. Perfect for a holiday when the oven needs to be used for other things!

I made this the night before Thanksgiving. I was a little nervous if it would turn out ok. But when Thanksgiving day came, everyone said that they were the best mashed potatoes they ever ate.

I made these for Thanksgiving, and they were great! I used 4 Russet potatoes and 4 red potatoes, leaving the skins on. I added a few cloves of garlic, and used only 1 cream cheese package (the potatoes looked good after adding just 1). I also used 8 oz plain yogurt for the sour cream. I tried reheating in crockpot, but next time will cook in oven. Great leftover!

Everyone loved these, although the sour cream taste was a little strong. I might have put in a dollop too much.

Really, really good stuff! I didn't have onion salt so I used 1 1/4 t onion powder and 3/4 t salt and it tasted fine. Also threw in about a teaspoon of garlic powder as I am incapable of cooking without it. I froze the potatoes in individual-size servings so that they're easier to deal with later. I've heated them both in the oven and the microwave - while the oven makes a slightly thicker casserole and is more evenly heated, they do fine in the microwave with a little extra milk and it's so much easier. Bacon bits and sharp Cheddar on top make for awesome comfort food. These potatoes will definitely make an appearance at the next family dinner.

Made these to contribute to Thanksgiving Dinner for 18. I enjoyed these -- No one else commented one way or the other. I am more of a traditionalist, and will stick to mashed potatoes with butter and milk. Also, no matter how I've made mashed potatoes for a crowd, they are always "Make-Ahead" -- either the day before or the morning of. This dish was flavorful, but not worth the additional cost or calories.

Excellent Recipe, Easy and can be made ahead of time. Especially nice during holiday cooking. No more standing over the stove trying to get the mash potatoes ready with a house full of company....more time to chat with friends and family.

SO DELISH! and so convenient to be able to make this dish BEFORE the mad rush of Thanksgiving!

Followed recipe to a tee and turned out perfectly. Thanks for this time saving recipe which is great when there is too much to do the day off.

Oh my Gosh! These potatoes were simply AWESOME- My 7 YO Daughter ate ALL of them on her plate and even ate them as leftovers- This will be a keeper for me! I am constantly making new things; only to get thumbs down from my family- BUT NOT WITH THIS RECIPE!!!! YOU MUST TRY IT! I used a small can of evaporated milk,( which equaled out to be more milk than the recipe called for) and added butter to the recipe-I used the hand mixer before putting it in casserole and then dotted with more butter- DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!My husband is a potatoe man and he said these were the best I have ever made- He almost licked his plate!

I used this recipe last year and it was the hit of the entire meal (unamimus) This year I "may" confess that it's not my recipe!

I can't believe I have never rated this. I have been using it for years now. These are the most delicious and rich potatos, omygosh, I can't say enough! I have occasionally topped with crispy bacon bits... even more decadent. I am making them again for Thanksgiving. These are my absolute favorite!

This is a great recipe! I made mine for a dinner with friends and they were a big success. We had some left over, and they were just as good the next day.

Awesome! I added a few cloves of garlic to the boiling potatoes and mashed them in. I also added a few tablespoons of butter and used half n half instead of milk. I'll be making these again.

Great taste and simplifies the holidays. Everyone loved it. I made it up the day before and put it in the crockpot in the fridge. Next time, I will either microwave it to get it started or start the crockpot the night before because they weren't quite hot enough for our 2:00 supper.

Scrumptious.... I put them in an oven glass baking dish, and sprinkle with panko bread crumbs mixed with melted butter before heating, I also sprinkle paprika over the top, makes a great presentation.

these potatoes are very good. A nice change from basic mashed potaotes or cheesy potatoes.

I always make these for Thanksgiving. Its great because it saves me a lot of time making them early!

Very good recipe. However, I did need to zip it up a bit -green onion and chive cream cheese in place of regular. a dose of Penzy's spicy seasoned salt and a bit more milk.

My husband was so nervous about this recipe! He really likes his mashed potatoes and thought I would ruin Thanksgiving dinner with a preposterous make ahead mashed potato recipe :)........He and everyone else loved them. After reading reviewers recommendations, I made the recipe as is, put them in a crock pot on low 2 hours before dinner, put a stick of butter on top to melt 30 minutes before serving. This recipe was a great time saver on a hectic Holiday morning. I will definitely make this again for special occasions. Thanks so much!

Yumm Yummm You can not imagine how godd this recipe is and You really can not go wrong with a recipe with this many reviews.. I have to say I was very nervous about making Mashed Potatoes the night bfore.. I just had a hard time imagining that they could possibly taste fresh the next day warmed up in the oven.. I had finished making my sweet potatoes and a little voice inside my head told me to go for it.. it was 2am and I had finished preparring everything else that I was going to bake in the morning. These potatoes were amazing !!! I added the whole 8oz package of cream cheese. PERFECT! Thank You for Sharing this Recipe !!!

Amazing recipe. I used regular Russets because they were cheaper, and it was still awesome. It also freed up so much time in my Thanksgiving prep. Everyone raved about the creaminess of the potatoes. Thank you so much for sharing it! It's a definite keeper.

Made for Christmas Eve dinner buffet. Oh my gosh, HUGE hit!!!!! Everyone commented on these - wanted the recipe, went back for seconds. Wow, this one I will make again and again.

Turned out great, I made the day before Christmas dinner so it would be one less thing for me to cook that day. I reheated in my crock pot.

I'll be making this for Thanksgiving, and it will make my life much easier.

These were so good and I was really concerned about making them when we had company coming for Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone enjoyed them and I am sure they will be a staple at more dinners! Thanks for sharing! I have since made these potatoes a few more times and they are always a hit! I use my crockpot to warm up the next day. I like to poke holes in the top and pour melted butter over. Then I turn the crockpot onto low 3 hours before dinner and then they are ready when everything else is.

Excellent! I followed the recipe exactly, except added a stick of butter and threw in the crock pot for 4 hours on low, instead of the oven (which was in use). Turned out perfectly, light and fluffy, and I got rave reviews from my family. Thanks for posting!

I followed the recipe exactly. I was really looking forward to this recipe. The sour creme was to overpowering for me. I ended up throwing out the potatoes and rushing to make another batch of mashed potatoes with just butter and milk. I like sour cream but this was just a bit much.

These are fabulous. I don't think my family will ever settle for ordinary mashed potatoes again! I used redskin potatoes instead of the Yukon Gold and left the skin on (for more color, nutrition, and ease of preparation).

I've been making them once a year, every year since 2005. I just finished this year"s batch of what we have nicknamed "Evil Mashers". They are so darn good you can't stop eating them! Add a stick of butter as well. At this point, why not? LOL

I love this recipe. I first want to say that I've never done a make-ahead mashed and actually turned up my nose to many of other family members' attempts to do so. They just never tasted the same as the freshly whipped mashed potatoes. These are different, not quite the same but SO delicious. This recipe is now our go-to for any large meal. I've used it for my son's 1st Birthday party as well as a Thanksgiving meal and there weren't any left! So good and would definitely recommend.

I used bagged potatoes that I had on hand and then followed recipe for mixing. Instead of baking, I placed mashed potatoes into a crock pot since I planned to take them to a gathering on the same evening. As others recommended, I added a small anount of butter to fluff dish just before serving. Everyone loved these potatoes. Thanks for the recipe.

Very good. I did use a half small onion instead of the onion salt. It was a hit for Thanksgiving. Very creamy! :)

Did not work well for me. I must've done something wrong. Sorry!

This is excellent! Turned out really good and it was great to have less to make on Thanksgiving day. I would recommend to definitely add some milk and butter on top before baking it though to rehydrate it. I did that and it turned out really good and just like it had been made that same day.

I've been making these for years! What's also great about them is that you can make them ahead and freeze them. Really helpful at Thanksgiving!

Delicious! I actually didn't get to make them the day before so maybe the flavors come out even more by making it ahead of time but these were SO yummy and creamy. I used low fat milk, cream cheese and sour cream too and they got rave reviews from everyone. I'd make these againg for sure.

Not a good alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. Although the flavor was very good, the consistency was FAR to thick. I also removed these from fridge 30 minutes prior and they were still cold in the middle after 40 minutes. I had to use the hand mixer to mix them and they required an additional 20 minutes. I probably should have added some chicken stock or additional liquid and mixed just before serving. The leftovers did make a great turkey shepards pie a couple days later!

Delicious! Great way to make sure your mashed potatoes are hot when the rest of the meal is ready, and frees up your time for other preparations. We ate 1/2 and froze 1/2 in a ziplock.

Would not make this again and should not have tried it the first time for a holiday dinner. Can not compare to fresh made.

I have had these potatoes the last few holidays that mashed potatoes were required. They are so good and so convenient I will never make mashed potatoes at the last minute with hungry people waiting on them! To much pressure! I use low fat everything possible and tney still taste creamy dreamy!

Everyone loved these! I had to add a little extra milk becuase the potatoes were very thick but that was the only change I made.

These turned out great! I used regular ol' spuds, a little less cream cheese than called for, and kept them warm in a crockpot for 5 hours.

Made this as a side for Christmas eve dinner.. a huge hit.Topped the mash with shredded mozarella and popped it under the grill for 15 mins before serving - turned out fabulous. Thanks for sharing, this recipe is a keeper.

OMG! Where can I start? Well, first of all, let me just say that I followed this recipe exactly. Second of all, my family are not mashed potato fans. However, I decided that this was the recipe I was going to use for the traditional Thanksgiving Day meal. The only thing I did differently was that I added 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheee and a 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella in addition to the cream cheese. This dish was the hit of our family Thanksgiving dinner! There were no leftovers at all!!! Great recipe, and so easy to make! This is a keeper!!! Thank you so much!

I have been making these for years! This is a wonderful way to prepare ahead for holidays and also makes them easy to take with you and then throw in the oven at your destination. They keep in the fridge for 4 or 5 days.

OUTSTANDING! First time I ever tried "make ahead" mashed potatoes, and not only were they delicious, it saved so much time and oven space (I heated them in the crock pot.) Everyone loved them. This is a KEEPER! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

Ok! So I might be an experienced cook but I can and do follow recipe's. With such a high rating review I felt confident that this was a great potatoe dish. Unfortunately only one person liked the potatoes at Thanksgiving. Most said that it seemed like it was to "ranchy". Will try again and use less of "ranch" mix.

Make these all the time for Thanksgiving and the family loves them. Love to make the whole meal ahead of time and just reheat the day of. Sure makes life easy. Kept them warm in the crock-pot - perfect.

Perfect! I've made these 3 times for different occasions in the last weeks. I make them with red potatoes so I don't have to peel them. :) Made them for my parents when the came to visit last weekend, and I'm officially in charge of potatoes for Thanksgiving!

These were amazing! I left the skins on, because I didn't feel like peeling. Very tasty!

My family has a "cooperative" Thanksgiving. We each contribute. I've been making these potatoes the last few years. There is never enough even with all the other goodies. What a great idea. A real energy saver and delicious too.

These potatoes are awesome! I have been making them for several years at Thanksgiving. I have shared the recipe many times. This recipe is perfect as is.

excellent recipe try adding a pat or 2 of butter when putting in baking dish when you heat them up, the butter disperses thru the dish and a quick stir helps too.

These were great. The 30 people we have for christmas really liked them.

This recipe was excellent and a real time saver when you are cooking for a lot of people. I used garlic salt instead of onion and added some minced onions. Also I added bacon bits and some cheddar cheese. It was just what I was looking for.

These are the best mashed potatoes I've had, and I don't particularly care for mashed potatoes. But I made these the day before Thanksgiving after preparing my dessert.....I was sampling the potatoes as much as the dessert! These were creamy and tasted good. I will use this recipe again. I also whipped the potatoes with a hand-held mixer to make them smoother.

Great! I have made this twice in the past month. Once heated in the slow cooker, and once in the oven. It worked well in the slow cooker, had great flavor, but turned out a little runny. The oven gave it a better texture. Followed the recipe pretty closely. Great for a crowd, 100 times better than just mashed potatoes w/ butter and milk.

These were delicious! They heated very nicely covered in the oven. They were nice and creamy and not dried out.

Instead of heating in the oven as the directions state, I put the massed potatoes in a crock pot for 4+ hours. They were like wallpaper paste. Tasted good, but not fluffy. Will make it the way the directions state next time. Should be OK to put in a crock pot for a shorter amount of time to keep warm.

These mashed potatoes are great. I make them for large family gatherings but also for our small family of three. I make half of the recipe on Sunday and can have it in the fridge to bake during the week. For example this week we are having crock pot chicken on Monday and Meatlof on Wed so I just portion it into two dishes and pop it in the oven as needed.

Devine!

This was ok. I've made better make ahead mashed potatoes. I wish I could fine my old recipe.

This was delicious, and very easy to make. Make sure to maix the ingredients well to avoid clumps of cream cheese. I riced the potates to avoid any lumps. The make ahead option is great for a big dinner. thanks so much.

I tried this dish today for our Thanksgiving dinner. It has a LOT of potential to be a great dish, but next time I will definitely cut the cream cheese & sour cream portions by at least half! It was WAY too creamy and cheesy tasting. I'm sure that with some tweaking, it will be a great receipe to have on hand.

I found the potatoes were a little plain, but I loved that these were ready to go for Christmas dinner. I followed the advice of some other members and re-heated the potatoes in my slow cooker. This recipe was a real time and sanity saved.

Made this twice now. The second time was on Thanksgiving. Made it two days before and on the morning of Thanksgiving put it in my crock pot and put it on low and served it. Delicious and everyone loved it. Such a big help to be able to make it ahead. Thanks.