To make mashed potatoes creamy the next day, prepare them with extra fat (butter/cream cheese) and liquid (heavy cream/sour cream), then chill them covered, and gently reheat in a low oven or slow cooker with a splash more cream/butter, stirring occasionally until hot and smooth, ensuring they don't dry out. Rinsing potatoes before and after boiling also helps prevent gumminess.
Tips and FAQs for the best make-ahead mashed potatoes
Up to 2 days. Let them cool until no more steam comes off, then refrigerate in an airtight container or a tightly covered casserole. Need mashed potatoes you can make months in advance? Learn how to freeze mashed potatoes.
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.
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.
Whether you're using milk, broth, or cream, a small splash helps maintain the creamy texture. For the stovetop, heat the potatoes slowly in a pan, stirring often and adding liquid as needed. The microwave is faster—heat in short intervals and stir in liquid to keep them smooth.
Heat the milk and butter in a small pan, then pour over the potatoes. Remove from the heat, then mash potatoes using an electric hand whisk or potato masher. Tip in the créme fraîche and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt.
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.
The best mashed potatoes are made with starchy potatoes (like Russets or Yukon Golds), boiled until tender, seasoned heavily in salty water, and mashed with warm butter and cream or milk using a ricer or food mill for fluffiness, avoiding overmixing to prevent gumminess, and incorporating flavor boosters like roasted garlic or herbs. Key secrets include using a ricer for airy texture, warming liquids, and salting the cooking water generously.
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.
Fine dining places, they make a fresh batch of potato mash every day before service. Casual places, they make a mash every couple of days and cool it after prepping, then they reconstitute it and hot hold it for service and pitch what was reheated at the end of the day.
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.
You can cook and mash the potatoes up to two days ahead of time, and reheat them in the oven when you're ready to eat.
Put the lid on your mashed potato pot and gently place the pot inside the simmering water bath. Leave the stove on low and allow the water to simmer for as long as you need it to keep your potatoes warm. Not only will the water bath keep your potatoes warm, but it will also keep them light and fluffy.
If you're in a hurry or have smaller quantities, reheating on the stovetop in a Dutch oven with frequent stirring works well. Regardless of the method, consider adding a bit of butter, milk, or cream while reheating to enhance the texture and flavor.
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!
Peel the potatoes and celeriac, chop into even-sized chunks and place in a large pan of salted water, ready to cook. Bring the water to the boil and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes, then return to the pan and mash well.
We love an easy melting cheese like cheddar, gouda, Monterey Jack, or fontina. Grated Parmesan is also a great choice because it adds a salty, nutty flavor to the mashed potatoes.
I use half-and-half: it gives the potatoes the perfect creamy texture and rich flavor. To substitute half-and-half, you can use heavy cream or whole milk. Whatever you use, start with a little and add more as needed.
Method: Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, toss to coat in oil and then reduce heat to medium-low and cover pan. Let cook for 2-3 minutes until potatoes are warmed through.
A long time in the oven can often dry out the interior of a potato, but not so with the microwave. It steams the interior of the potato, keeping it moist and fluffy. After microwaving, a quick trip in a high-heat oven gives the spud crispy skin and extra flavor.