Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

By Genevieve Ko

Updated Sept. 10, 2025

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Total Time
40 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ reheating, if desired
Rating
4(1,478)
Comments
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It’s not just that mashed potatoes can be made ahead; they actually end up creamier and fluffier when prepared in advance. When mashed potatoes chill, their starches firm up, and when reheated gently, they relax into a mash with an even silkier texture. But you can’t save potatoes that start out gluey. Shearing cooked spuds with any blade — food processor, blender or hand mixer — releases enormous amounts of starch and turns the mash into spackle. Here, you break up the potatoes by hand or with a stand mixer’s paddle attachment for an airy smoothness. If you have a ricer or food mill, you can use that instead. Discover more ideas for the big day in our best Thanksgiving recipes collection.

Featured in: These 6 Thanksgiving Dishes Only Get Better With Time

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 12 servings (10 cups)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 5pounds russet potatoes
  • 10tablespoons butter, sliced and at room temperature, plus more for reheating
  • 1cup whole milk, warmed, plus more for reheating
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

298 calories; 13 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 619 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fill a large pot with 8 cups cold water and 1 tablespoon salt. Peel and quarter the potatoes, adding each to the cold water as you cut to prevent them from discoloring. The potatoes should be immersed. If they’re not, add enough water to cover them, along with a pinch of salt.

  2. Step 2

    Bring to a boil over high heat and continue boiling until a knife slides through the potatoes very easily, 15 to 20 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Drain well, then return the potatoes to the pot. Some should be falling apart. Heat over low, shaking the pot occasionally, until the potatoes are mottled and very dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.

  4. Step 4

    Mash in the pot, adding the butter a few pieces at a time, until smooth, then stir in the milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Or transfer to a stand mixer and beat with the paddle on low, adding a few pieces of butter at a time, until smooth, then add the milk with the machine running. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    You can serve the potatoes right away or hold them for up to 3 hours: Transfer the hot potatoes to a large, wide metal bowl and evenly smooth the top. Set the bowl over a large saucepan of steaming water (or in a skillet of steaming water) over low heat. Add just enough milk to barely cover the potatoes and partly cover the bowl. Stir gently but well before serving so they’re evenly hot and creamy.

  6. Step 6

    You also can transfer the potatoes to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, use the setup in Step 5, but add an ⅛-inch layer of milk over the cold, flat top of the potatoes and stir the potatoes every 10 minutes to help them reheat evenly. The whole batch should be steaming hot within 30 minutes. If the mash is still stiff when hot, stir in more milk (or butter, if you’d prefer). Season to taste with salt and pepper again before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,478 user ratings
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Comments

Diana

I reheat my potatoes in a slow cooker. One less thing I have to fuss over at the last minute.

make ahead?

This title is a bit misleading. To make ahead, cook potatoes as directed, but put thru a ricer or food mill then refrigerate until ready to use. Then heat milk and melt butter, add in riced potatoes and heat through. That’s how we did it in a well respected restaurant. Works great and you can make single servings on up to a bunch.

Gabby B.

We skip the milk and use sour cream instead. Full-fat sour cream, plenty of butter, and salt. I don’t want to hear anything about the amount of fat and salt! We’ll enjoy thanksgiving our way, and you do yours. See how easy that was? When our kids were younger, we made ‘party potatoes,’ by adding a few tablespoons of really tiny minced carrots and broccoli into the mashed potatoes, giving them a festive look. They were thrilled when I made them again during our first pandemic Thanksgiving. :-)

LS in NY

These were not a success. I made them as usual, but the next day, they weren't great. I'll make them fresh next time.

donna

Eureka. I’ve solved the “last minute mashed potatoes and gravy” dilemma. Well, at least the potatoes. I followed this recipe using my stand mixer, and it worked quite well. The potaotes were refrigerated overnight, then to reheat, I put them in a crockpot, added butter and milk on top. When heated, I mixed it all together and got rave reviews. Next year: will repeat this.

Amy Ranger

Fantastic. Kept in the fridge overnight. Next day I poured 1/2" milk on top of the potatoes and reheated in 350°F oven for 30 minutes.

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