The ideal temperature to keep mash potatoes warm is 300 degrees Fahrenheit, especially when you're using an oven or crock pot. But, to keep it warm without overcooking, make sure to put it in a pan or bowl covered with foil before placing it inside the oven.
When time is limited and mashed potatoes are a "must have" on the menu (which is always), keep the prepared potatoes warm by placing them in a heat-resistant bowl, covering, and setting it over a pot of simmering water. The potatoes should still be tasty 2 to 3 hours later.
Make-ahead mashed potatoes are a great option for the holidays. You can do nearly everything — boil, peel, and mash; stir in milk and salt — up to two days ahead. Before serving, reheat. Adding butter at the last minute makes them taste freshly mashed.
Peel potatoes using a vegetable peeler. It's best to leave them whole, but you can go ahead and cube or dice them if you want — just don't slice them too thin. Fill a bowl with cool water, submerge the potatoes, then cover with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator overnight.
Put the lid on your mashed potato pot and gently place the pot inside the simmering water bath. Leave the stove on 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 need to reheat mashed potatoes quickly, nothing beats the microwave. Put the potatoes in a microwave-safe dish, add a splash of liquid, and gently stir. Cover the potatoes with a lid to help preserve moisture, then heat at half power for 1 minute.
Reheat on the Stovetop
She says to store them in a heatproof bowl after cooking; when it's time to warm them up, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add an extra splash of cream or milk, and another pat of butter to ensure the mashed potatoes don't dry out.
Tips for the Best Mashed Potatoes
Start cooking the potatoes in cold water: This ensures that the potatoes cook evenly. Otherwise, if you start with hot or boiling water, the outsides of the potatoes cook and soften while the middles are still hard and crunchy.
If you're making them a day in advance, you can put them in the fridge. When you're ready to serve the potatoes, heat the cream (or milk or stock, as the case may be in your recipe) in a saucepan until it comes to a boil. Add the premade mashed potatoes and fold them into the hot liquid.
Do NOT add cold liquid. Make sure the milk or cream you add to your potatoes is HOT. This helps it absorb better so you don't feel the need to overmix. Overmixing is bad.
Your other option would be placing the prepared mashed potatoes in a buttered, oven-safe dish (covered in aluminum foil) and sliding it into a 275- to 300-degree oven. I wouldn't recommend trying to keep your spuds warm for more than 30-40 minutes using this method or you risk drying them out.
Transfer the mashed potatoes to the slow cooker, and set to LOW. Keep warm for up to 4 hours, stirring once an hour. Stir before serving. The mashed potatoes will stay warm and creamy.
Once you've got hot potatoes, you're almost ready to mash. Drain out any remaining water, add butter and milk and put the lid back on. The potatoes and warm pot will melt the butter and heat the milk. Let them sit for three to five minutes, then mash.
Potatoes can be peeled prepped and cut into water up to 2 days before boiling for mash.
Follow this tip: Begin the process of seasoning your mashed potatoes by adding salt to the water when cooking the potatoes. You won't have to add as much salt later and, most importantly, you won't find yourself with bland potatoes.
Do not add cold milk or cream to the pot of piping hot potatoes. Not only will this cool the dish down, but the cold liquid will not absorb into the hot potatoes very well. Warm the liquid in a saucepan on the stovetop or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave.
“Cooking potatoes in unseasoned water prevents the starch from cooking thoroughly and creates a bland dense finished product. I would say not salting the water is like gifting a pair of shoes without laces.
You can reheat these make-ahead mashed potatoes either in the oven or the microwave. To reheat in the oven, pour melted butter on top of the potatoes and bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350°F or until they are hot all the way through. Place aluminum foil over the top to prevent them from browning.
The best way to reheat mashed potatoes is to heat them covered in the oven at 350 degrees with extra milk and butter. Cook for 20 minutes or until warmed through. Don't worry if you don't have the time or means to heat your leftover potatoes in the oven.
Step 1: Soak Potato Pieces
Soak the baking potatoes for just a few minutes in cold water to release some of their starch so the cooked spuds don't get gluey. A combination of starchy bakers and more waxy, buttery Yukon Golds creates an ideal creamy-yet-fluffy final texture in the mash.
The yolk emulsifies water and fat to create a cohesive, velvety bite, while providing a little fat and body of its own. What is this? You can add an egg yolk to nearly any existing mashed potato recipe.
The Mistake: Overworking the Potatoes with a Food Processor, Blender or Mixer. Too much — or too vigorous — mashing will produce gluey potatoes. Your best tool is an old-fashioned masher, fork, ricer or food mill.
You can make ahead and freeze mashed potatoes. Don't skimp on the butter or cream because the fat that helps the potatoes reheat well. You can also put them back into the slow cooker for a couple of hours on low, or reheat in the oven or on the stovetop.
When you melt butter on the stove, its milk solids and fat separate. Adding cold butter to your potatoes will allow the butter to melt as a whole and distribute the fat and milk solids evenly.