Ok, so will you guys kill me if I post two mashed potato recipes in the same week? Thanksgiving (and Christmas soon after) is coming Mashed potatoes are such an important part of the meal, I wanted to get this Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes recipe out AND the recipe for Best Company Mashed Potatoes.
And don’t worry if potatoes aren’t your thing! I have a teaser – a beautiful, easy, and feast-worthy Chocolate Glazed Tart coming up along with a couple of other fun Thanksgiving-y recipes.
Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes
About Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes:
This is a workhorse recipe. Use it when bringing mashed potatoes to a gathering or when you are hosting a crowd. Faced with that last-minute flurry of putting on a feast for a crowd, making your mashed potatoes a day ahead and reheating on the day of the event is the way to go.
If you’ve had “leftover” mashed potatoes, you know they’re ok but not necessarily stellar. Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes get around that with the addition of a few ingredients that keep those potatoes creamy, delish, rich, and fresh.
This is a recipe for a crowd, made with five pounds of potatoes (and it can be doubled.) Don’t freak at the amount of dairy and butter. It might seem a little shocking when you read the recipe, but for the amount of potatoes, it’s not out of line. I messed around over the years with other amounts, but for taste, texture, and for standing up to the make-ahead slow cooker method this is the best!
How Much Mashed Potatoes Do You Need?
Since potatoes usually come in standard-sized bags, usually 2 1/2 pound, 5 pounds, and maybe 10 pounds. There’s no need to be overly fussy and weigh them out for the recipe, just estimate from the bag size.
If you’re not buying in bags, you can weigh them in the store so you know how much you’re starting with. There will always be a scale somewhere in the produce department.
Count on 1/3 to 1/2 pound of potatoes per person, or one medium potato (about five to eight ounces) per person plus “one for the pot.” Judge by your guests appetites, the amount of other food served, and if you wish for leftovers or not.
Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes
Making Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes:
Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes can be really good or a total fail – the key is to trust the recipe, don’t futz with them, and use good mashed potato technique. They’re foolproof if you do that! Keep in mind that these potatoes are rich and creamy, and that can dull seasoning, so we’ll compensate and cook those potatoes in salty water.
Preparing:
Peel your potatoes and cut them into good-sized, not small, chunks, about 2 1/2 inches. Peeling ahead and keeping in water so they don’t brown is fine, but don’t cut them until you’re ready to cook them.
Cooking:
Boil in seasoned water until they’re just tender; test several. Don’t cook until they’re falling apart. Mushy, wet potatoes make mashed potatoes that will be watery and separate with time.
Drying:
The potatoes should be hot and dry before proceeding with the recipe. Once quickly and thoroughly drained, return them to the hot pot on the warm, turned-off burner. The residual heat is usually enough to do the deed. If necessary, turn the burner to low, but watch them like a hawk if you do.
Gently lift some of the potatoes up from the bottom with a spatula or very large spoon, but don’t stir. When most of the steam is gone and the potatoes look dry, move on with your recipe.
Mashing:
Mash by hand or with a mixer (you can use a ricer if you want, but these are a lot of potatoes) until they’re broken down. Use a spatula if needed. Only then add your dairy.
Adding the Dairy And Salt:
Use room-temperature dairy. Add the butter first, and gently and minimally mix it in. Only then add the rest of the ingredients, and preferably mix them in by hand. Then leave it alone and don’t fuss with them. Don’t keep mixing, no matter how tempting it is, especially if using a mixer.
Over-mixing at this point will make the potatoes gluey. They will lose their ability to hold onto the moisture from the dairy. That’s no good, especially when making ahead. Over-mixing is seriously the only thing you can do wrong in this recipe.
Reheating:
Directions are in the recipe, but know that if the potatoes are heated in the slow cooker for too long, they can eventually dry out and become crusty and brown around the edges. If they’re just dry, gently mix in a little milk.
Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes
Food Safety and Storing:
Actually, there is one more place where you can go wrong: ignoring food safety. Hey, someone has to say it!
Cool these quickly and never put them in a slow cooker liner, put that liner in the fridge, then put the cold liner with the cold potatoes into the slow cooker to reheat. It sounds like an easy thing to do, but the potatoes won’t come up to heat fast enough to be safe. Just don’t do it, even if you’ve done it in the past and gotten away with it. Follow the recipe.
If you double the recipe, it’s best to store, whether you plan on reheating in the oven or in the slow cooker, in two containers so they cool quickly.
- Storing for the Oven: If you’re making these potatoes ahead to reheat in the oven, put them in a large, shallow casserole, like 13 x 9″ Pyrex pan or fancy equivalent, Refrigerate promptly and cover when cool.
- Storing for Slow Cooker: If you’re planning on reheating in the slow cooker, it’s still best to place in a shallow container so they cool quickly. Again, refrigerate promptly and cover when cool.
Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes
Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes
- Total Time: 45 minutes + reheat
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings 1x
- Category: Sides
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 5 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut in 2 1/2 chunks
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 stick butter, in tablespoons, preferably room temperature
- 1 package cream cheese, softened, in 3 or 4 chunks
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 to 1 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 and 1/2 or cream
- salt & pepper to taste (be generous with the salt. up to 2 teaspoons) 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup butter, melted for garnish
- thinly sliced chives for garnish, optional
Instructions
Add potatoes and salt to a large pot, cover with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, but not falling apart (check several) about 20 to 25 minutes.
Drain the potatoes well, return to hot pot, and let them sit for a bit to dry. Gently turn with a spatula if needed. Turn burner back to low heat if needed. Once the potatoes are dry and most of the steam has dissipated, mash, making sure to get the potatoes from the bottom edges of the pot, using a spatula if needed. When broken down, add the butter and mix until just incorporated. No need to be perfect. Don’t over do it. Too much mixing can make the potatoes water or gluey. Take off heat and add the cream cheese, sour cream, and milk, then salt and pepper to taste. Mix in gently to combine, preferably by hand.
Don’t mess with these after they’re all mashed and stirred together; they can get overworked and/or watery. Trust the process. Better to have a lump here or there than overworked/watery potatoes.
If planning to reheat by baking, place in casserole dish and refrigerate. Cover when cold. Reheat at 350 degrees, covered, for about an hour topping with additional butter before baking. Top with chives before serving if desired.
If reheating in the slow cooker, refrigerate potatoes in a container (not the slow cooker liner) and cover when cold. To reheat, add the potatoes to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low until potatoes are hot and warmed through, one to two hours, giving a stir about halfway through. They can be held for about an hour longer or so and still be at their absolute optimum. If they have to be held longer, that’s ok, but not absolutely ideal. Before serving, top with butter and chives. If recipe has been doubled, it’s best to heat the potatoes carefully on the stovetop before placing in the slow cooker.
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I’ll be sharing Make-Ahead Slow Cooker or Oven Mashed Potatoes at Fiesta Friday #250, cohosted Jenny @ Apply To Face Blog., Jess @ Cooking Is My Sport, Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook and Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com.
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