You can prepare potato side dish recipes in endless ways; some of my favorite recipes include crispy oven roasted potatoes, sweet potato souffle, ultra creamy cheesy potatoes, grilled sweet potatoes and these super convenient make-ahead mashed potatoes. There’s nothing better than a big pile of buttery mashed potatoes go along with an Instant Pot turkey breast, or to serve alongside a juicy London broil. Making mashed potatoes can be time consuming, which is why I use this make ahead mashed potatoes recipe to get the prep work out of the way ahead of time, especially on holidays like Thanksgiving. This is the ultimate side dish for steak, chicken or fish!
Mashed Potato Ingredients
Potatoes: Russet potatoes are my favorite choice in this dish. Look for firm potatoes with no brown or soft spots. I typically choose medium sized potatoes. Yukon Gold potatoes will also work if that’s what you have on hand. Milk: I typically make this recipe with whole milk, but you can also use low fat milk, half and half, or even heavy cream. It’s best to use room temperature milk so that it doesn’t cool down your hot potato mixture. Cream Cheese: Cut a block of cream cheese into smaller cubes to make it easier to mash into the potatoes. Butter: I’ve tested this recipe with both salted and unsalted butter, and either way works just fine. Garlic: Freshly minced garlic cloves add the most flavor to these potatoes. If you need to use dry garlic powder, use 1/3 of the amount. Seasonings: Salt and pepper are classic seasonings to take your mashed potatoes from ordinary to extraordinary. Be sure to add a little fresh parsley too!
How To Prepare Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Peel your potatoes and cut them into quarters, then boil them in salted water until they are tender. Drain the potatoes, then mix them with melted butter and garlic, cream cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Use a potato masher, potato ricer or hand mixer to get your potatoes to the desired consistency. Let the potatoes cool, then place them in an oven safe dish, cover, and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to heat them up.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
The best potatoes for mashing are Russet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes. Either one will work just fine in this recipe. If you’re looking to save on a few calories, it’s fine to use a reduced fat cream cheese such as Neufchatel and you can use low fat milk. While this is obviously a make ahead mashed potato recipe, if you want to serve them right away you can absolutely do that too! You can soak your potatoes in a bowl of cold water as you peel them to keep them from turning brown.
Flavor Variations
I think these potatoes are perfect as-is, but you can add an assortment of flavorings and toppings to suit your tastes!
Cheese: Add up to 1 cup of shredded cheese. Cheddar, fontina or parmesan cheeses are all great choices. I recommend grating your own cheese, as freshly grated cheese melts a lot smoother than the store bought version. Flavorings: Stir in some caramelized onions, store bought pesto, minced jalapeno, onion powder, sour cream, fresh sliced chives, or even curry powder. Toppings: Finish your potatoes with crispy bacon, french fried onions or green onions for an extra special treat.
This potato recipe is a great way to get on top of your holiday cooking without sacrificing any flavor.
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes Video
