These Make-ahead mashed potatoes will make your Thanksgiving preparations (or any holiday preparations!) a lot easier.
We want to let you in on our secret: a lot prep work the day or two before so we can actually enjoy the morning on Thanksgiving.
You can make these make-ahead mashed potatoes up to 24 hours beforehand, which will help save your sanity on Thanksgiving Day!
One less thing to throw together can make a huge difference, especially when you’re in charge of the meal.
These potatoes are fluffy, creamy, and make the perfect addition to your holiday dinner.
If you are looking to relieve some of that last minute stress while preparing your holiday meal, you might like our Slow Cooker Creamy Mashed Potatoes or our Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes!
If it comes to the day of serving and you have a lot of leftover mashed potatoes, there are so many ways to use them! Make Thanksgiving sandwiches, serve them at another dinner party, warm them up in the crock pot, or serve them at family dinner. Mashed potatoes definitely don’t have to be saved for Thanksgiving dinner only! However, if you are making these for the big day, it’s easy to make them ahead. All you need is a couple of hours and some ingredients!
How to make the best make-ahead mashed potatoes
Place potatoes in a large stockpot and add enough water to cover potatoes. Bring water to a boil, cover with lid, and reduce heat to medium and let cook for about 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and water.
If preferred, peel the potatoes (I usually just leave the peels on). Put the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.
Mix in butter, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, and salt until completely combined.
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop mashed potatoes into the prepared pan.
If desired, brush the top of the potatoes with additional melted butter, fresh parsley, and paprika.
If you are making these mashed potatoes for later, cover the potatoes and refrigerate (these are fine made up to 24 hours in advance).
When you are ready to bake these mashed potatoes, let the potatoes sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before putting them in the oven.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are heated all the way through.
Related Recipe: Be sure to try this holiday favorite side dish – Instant Pot Sweet Potato Casserole. So easy and delicious.
Looking for more side dishes? Here are 60 of our favorite Christmas Dinner Sides to eat with Beef Tenderloin!
Secrets to the best make-ahead mashed potatoes
- Don’t over mix them. We prefer to mash potatoes with a potato masher (versus a hand mixer) so they don’t get over mixed. Over mixing leads to gummy, starchy potatoes, which is the last thing you want.
- Type of potatoes matter. Yukon golds usually make for a creamier, smoother mash.
- Additions can make them even creamier. These mashed potatoes have cream cheese, sour cream, and milk. Trust us, once you try it, you won’t go back.
- Use real butter. Real butter makes for the best-tasting, creamiest mashed potatoes. Substitutes just don’t hold up as well.
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Other Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Homemade Cornbread Dressing
- Homemade Green Bean Casserole without Condensed Soup
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Vegetable Dill Dip
- Raspberry Cream Cheese Jell-O Salad
- Thanksgiving Turkey Vegetable Tray Recipe and Homemade Ranch Dip
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons butter, optional topping
- ½ Tablespoons fresh parsley, optional topping
- ½ teaspoon paprika, optional topping
Equipment
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large stockpot and add enough water to cover potatoes.
- Bring water to a boil, cover with lid, and reduce heat to medium and let cook for about 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the water.
- If preferred, peel the potatoes (I usually just leave the peels on). Put the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.
- Mix in butter, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, and salt until completely combined.
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop mashed potatoes into the prepared pan.
- If desired, brush the top of the potatoes with additional melted butter, fresh parsley, and paprika.
- If you are making these mashed potatoes for later, cover the potatoes and refrigerate (these are fine made up to 24 hours in advance).
- When you are ready to bake these mashed potatoes, let the potatoes sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before putting them in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are heated all the way through.
Notes
- Don’t over mix them. We prefer to mash potatoes with a potato masher (versus a hand mixer) so they don’t get over mixed. Over mixing leads to gummy, starchy potatoes, which is the last thing you want.
- Type of potatoes matter. Yukon golds usually make for a creamier, smoother mash.
- Additions can make them even creamier. These mashed potatoes have cream cheese, sour cream, and milk. Trust us, once you try it, you won’t go back.
- Use real butter. Real butter makes for the best-tasting, creamiest mashed potatoes. Substitutes just don’t hold up as well.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.This post was included in our 10 of the EASIEST Thanksgiving Side Dishes video – for more inexpensive and delicious recipes like this one, click here to check it out!
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