Recipe · Kitchen · November

Make-ahead mashed potatoes that hold for hours

Name: Make-ahead mashed potatoes that hold for hours
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks; 2 tbsp kosher salt for the water; 8 tbsp butter; 4 oz cream cheese, softened; 1 cup whole milk, warmed; 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp white or black pepper

Riced Yukon Golds with butter and cream cheese, made the day before and kept warm in a slow cooker. One less pot on Thanksgiving. Serves 10.

By Almanac Kit EditorsUpdated Oct 12, 202650 minServes 10

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You'll need

Why a ricer

A blender or food processor overworks potatoes and turns them gluey. A ricer pushes them through small holes, so they stay light. A hand masher works too; it just leaves a few lumps, which some people prefer.

Make-ahead mashed potatoes

Prep 20 · Cook 30 · Serves 10

Ingredients

5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks
2 tbsp kosher salt for the water
8 tbsp butter
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup whole milk, warmed
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp white or black pepper

Steps

Step 1: Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by an inch, and add the salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until a knife slides in easily, 15–20 minutes.
Step 2: Drain well and let them steam dry in the colander for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Press the potatoes through a ricer back into the warm pot. Stir in the butter and cream cheese until melted, then the milk, salt and pepper.
Step 4: To make ahead: cool, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. On the day, warm them in a buttered slow cooker on low for 3–4 hours, stirring once an hour. Hold on warm for up to 2 hours more.

Potato ricer

OXO Good Grips Potato Ricer

Smooth mashed potatoes with no glue: it presses instead of whipping.

Check price on Amazon

Slow cooker

Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry Programmable

6-quart with a timer that switches to warm when it's done.

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Why cream cheese

It keeps the potatoes creamy after a night in the fridge and a few hours in the slow cooker. Without it, reheated mashed potatoes tighten up and need a lot more milk. Nobody will taste it as cream cheese.

The slow cooker trick

On the day, the oven is full and the stovetop is busy with gravy. Mashed potatoes don’t need either. Reheat them in the slow cooker from mid-morning, and that’s one side completely off the list.