Chefs reheat mashed potatoes by gently incorporating them with hot milk, cream, or broth on the stovetop over low heat, stirring constantly to restore creaminess and prevent scorching, or by using a double boiler/hot water bath for slow, even heating. For large batches, some chefs use a slow cooker or oven with added liquids, ensuring they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Restaurants prepare the potatoes ahead by boiling and mashing just the potato, then just before serving, it is mixed into boiling cream (or milk or even broth or a combination thereof) to reheat it and make it nice and creamy.
The Oven Method If you're still not sold on a double boiler, you'll be happy to know you can use the inside of your oven to reheat potatoes just as you would any other type of food. The drawback, however, is that it's not as quick as heating them on the stovetop or in the microwave, taking about 30 minutes to prepare.
If making in advance, hold off on adding any milk or cream until you reheat. If you're making the potatoes only a couple of hours ahead, you can keep them warm. If you're making them a day or two in advance, put them in the fridge.
"Hold your mashed potatoes in a bain-marie, or water bath, with a lid on top [and] they stay for hours—days really," Ray said in an interview with Allrecipes while promoting her partnership with Home Chef. The method is oh-so-simple.
Ray takes her pot of potatoes and sticks it on top of a bigger pot filled with simmering water, although a dedicated double boiler with a lid would also work. She covers the potato pot sitting on top with a lid, sets the burner to low, and manages to keep the potatoes fluffy for hours with minimal effort.
Slow cooker method
Just as you can make mashed potatoes in a slow cooker, you can reheat them that way, too. Simply add them into your machine, cover, and set to low. Warm through for two to three hours, stirring occasionally and adding milk, cream, or butter to add moisture if necessary.
The oven is ideal for this—spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet to ensure even heating. You can also use a skillet to reheat, adding a little oil or butter to crisp them up again. An air fryer works wonders, quickly restoring their golden, crispy edges.
Cool completely, store in vac pack bags. Reheat in waterbath, transfer to pan, warm cream butter up, beat into mash with Maurice. Pulse in robocoupe very slightly. If you do this too much it will just split and ruin it.
How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm on the Stove. Another tip that we've used before is to set your bowl of potatoes over a pot of simmering water, just like a double boiler. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap or (our choice) a dish towel. Give it a stir every 15 minutes or so to keep the mixture well-heated.
If you've got some time on your hands, use the oven! Take your mashed potatoes out of the fridge and set them on the counter for about 20 minutes to bring them to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, pop them in the oven, covered, for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until warmed through.
Mashed potatoes are good for up to four days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, if you plan to serve these do-ahead mashed potatoes as a side dish, we recommend serving them within two days.
Mashed potatoes are delicious on their own, but there's also something wonderful about loading them up with bacon, cheese, and crispy fried onions. Oh, and potato chips on top! Get Ree's Mashed Potato Casserole recipe.
A ricer or food mill is the secret tool restaurants use to get that smooth and creamy texture without any gluey starch. It makes the biggest difference and it is actually so fun to use. Your holiday potatoes will never be the same after this!
The most common mistake when making mashed potatoes is overworking them with a blender, food processor, or mixer, which releases too much starch and turns them gluey or pasty instead of fluffy. Other frequent errors include using the wrong potatoes, not salting the cooking water, starting potatoes in boiling water, and adding cold butter/milk.
Rinsing off the potato starch both before and after cooking ensures fluffy, not gluey, mashed potatoes. Folding butter and whole milk in gently creates a rich yet airy consistency without turning the potatoes dense, thanks to careful handling.
Wrapping your potato in a wet paper towel before baking it in the microwave helps steam the potato, and aids in even heating so it won't dry out while cooking.
Reheating in the Oven
If you are reheating them in the oven, follow these steps: Stir in the liquid and butter pieces, then spread the potatoes out in a baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil to keep the potatoes from drying out. Reheat at 350˚F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes reach 165˚F.
Unfortunately, the palatability of reheated potatoes is inferior to freshly cooked potatoes partly due to the retrogradation of the potato starch occurring during cold storage, freezing and thawing.
By Martha Stewart
Her secrets? Idaho potatoes, peeled and boiled until fork-tender. Lots of fresh butter. A lot of cream cheese and hot milk added for creaminess.
When Chef Gordon Ramsay learned to perfect pomme purée in Paris, the mix was about 60 percent potato and 40 percent butter and cream. If you use dense, waxy potatoes and cook them following Gordon's modernized method, you can up the potato flavor and only use about 10 percent fat.
Chilling mashed potatoes ahead improves creaminess because the starches firm up then relax during reheating. You can make them up to 3 days ahead or freeze for 2 weeks without losing texture. Reheat in a 350°F oven about 30–40 minutes and add cream or butter if dry.