When I was a young adult, I took over the mashed potato making for family gatherings. I had come across an easy, make the night before recipe from Betty Crocker; I have since become the self proclaimed mashed potato queen of our family. Unfortunately for me my children do not like mashed potatoes. Yes it’s true. They are the only children on the planet who do not eat mashed potatoes, and it makes me incredibly sad because I love them!
I like them pretty simple – no fancy whipped potatoes or crazy ingredients, just milk, cream, butter and salt. Lots of salt. That’s the key to really good tasting mashed potatoes!
Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way that really up the flavor and texture of the dish:
1. Dice the potatoes in even sized chunks. This helps them to cook evenly.
2. Salt the water. A lot. The potatoes absorb the water and this helps bring out the yummy flavors.
3. After draining, lay out the potatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet to dry. Sprinkle them with more salt to ensure even distribution.
4. The masher doesn’t matter. There are super fancy masher’s out there and there are basic ones. I use a basic plastic masher from Tupperware that I have had for ten years, and it works perfectly!
5. Mash the potatoes dry. I know a lot of people throw in the milk and butter and whatever else they’re adding to the diced potatoes and then mash them. Well don’t! Mash them up while they’re dry – they will be so much smoother!
Do you have any tips you’d add to my list?
For the recipe, you just need some basic ingredients – 3 lbs of potatoes, butter, milk and cream. You cook your potatoes until they are fork tender and then spread them out on a cookie sheet to salt them.
Slide the potatoes back into the pot and mash them up. Melt the butter, milk and cream together and stir into the potatoes, then pour them into a baking dish. At this point you can either cover them with foil and pop them in the fridge overnight or cook them right away. When you’re ready to heat them up, just pour some of the butter mixture that you reserved at the time of melting over the cold potatoes and pop them in the oven.
They get such a yummy, slightly crisp top on them – I could eat them straight out of the pan. Stir them up and serve. Or grab a spoon and just dig in. Your call.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Mashed Potatoes (about 8 medium)
- Salt
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- In a 5 quart pot, boil about 2 inches of water. Once boiling, add several pinches of salt.
- Rinse, peel and dice potatoes into one inch chunks.
- Place potatoes into boiling water and cover. Cooking over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove from heat and drain. Lay out potatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle generously with 1 teaspoon salt.
- Scoop potatoes back into the pan and mash well.
- In a small saucepan, add butter with milk, cream, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and place over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Reserve 1/4 cup and set aside.
- Pour the half of the butter mixture over the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add more of the butter mixture until potatoes are light and fluffy.
- Pour potatoes into a greased 9"x13" pan. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to bake:
- Pour remaining butter mixture over the top of the potatoes. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Stir before serving, if desired.
- *If baking immediately (while potatoes are still hot), reduce baking time.
For more delicious recipes, check out these favorites:
One Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Mashed Potatoes (about 8 medium)
- Salt
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- In a 5 quart pot, boil about 2 inches of water. Once boiling, add several pinches of salt.
- Rinse, peel and dice potatoes into one inch chunks.
- Place potatoes into boiling water and cover. Cooking over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove from heat and drain. Lay out potatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle generously with 1 teaspoon salt.
- Scoop potatoes back into the pan and mash well.
- In a small saucepan, add butter with milk, cream, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and place over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Reserve 1/4 cup and set aside.
- Pour the half of the butter mixture over the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add more of the butter mixture until potatoes are light and fluffy.
- Pour potatoes into a greased 9"x13" pan. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to bake:
- Pour remaining butter mixture over the top of the potatoes. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Stir before serving, if desired.
- *If baking immediately (while potatoes are still hot), reduce baking time.
It sounds weird, but adding just a splash of vanilla will blow your mind. We first had it at a fancy restaurant–vanilla bean mashed potatoes. Now, we’re never going out and buying vanilla bean, so we just use a bit of extract. It’s delicious and very very subtle. People will remark that the potatoes are tastier, but they won’t be able to tell why. I promise it’s good!
I am DEFINITELY trying this for Thanksgiving this year Kristin!!! Never seen them made like this and they sound amazing! 🙂
Vanessa
I use evaporated milk and as much butter as I dare.. Never thought about salting the water…will do that this time.
I make a day ahead version too, but I use softened cream cheese. I also dry my potatoes, but after draining, I place them back in the pan over low heat. As I mash and stir them around, they dry and the steam escapes. I use about 1/2-3/4 c. half and half, and 1 stick of butter (also softened) and an 8oz package of cream cheese, softened (Philadelphia is the best!). I put that all in after the first mash and gently stir it all together. You’re right! Never use an electric mixer on potatoes or you will get the equivalent of glue! While I do cook them in salted water, I think the amount of salt you may be encouraging newer cooks to add, may be their downfall. After I add the aforementioned ingredients, keeping in mind that I sometimes use salted, or sometimes unsalted butter, I taste the potatoes. It is only then that I add more salt if needed. And then it’s Lowery’s seasoned salt, in small amounts and tasting after each addition (Oh OK, I’m “snacking”, but that’s tasting isn’t it?). It took me many years as a new cook to really figure out the amount of salt that is in salted butter, and face it, that is what most new cooks use.
I’m only adding these suggestions now, because it’s “tis the season” and many new cooks will be producing their first family Thanksgiving dinner. I personally make ahead as much of the meal as I can, then we deep fry the Turkey (90 mins tops). And after years of being all-in the kitchen, have turned into let me shove this in the oven, set the timer, will be right back! I hope you don’t take offense, but salt is a powerful thing and can make or break a dish. And this is coming from someone whose greatest treat is eating a lemon like a grapefruit sprinkled with a lot of SALT. Not against salt at all, where would we be with out it? Just want new cooks to be successful as they search for recipes for their family dinners.
Can I make these potatoes 2 day before?
Hi! Yes you can definitely make them two days ahead. Just cover and refrigerate.
Can these potatoes be done in a slow cooker?
I haven’t tried with this specific recipe.
I need to cook for a crowd. Do you think this can be doubled and put in an extra large casserole dish or would you make two separate batches? Also, could you use gold or red potatoes for this method, skin on or off?
This recipe is pretty flexible, so yes to both questions!