These make ahead mashed potatoes are rich, buttery and unbelievably creamy, made with Yukon Gold potatoes and cream cheese so they reheat beautifully without turning watery or grainy.
Make them up to 3 days ahead in the refrigerator or freeze them for up to 2 months, then simply reheat when you’re ready to serve. One less thing to make on Thanksgiving day!
I have made mashed potatoes ahead of time a BILLION times, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and technically you can do it with almost any mashed potato recipe. But after plenty of experimenting, I’ve found two things make a huge difference: Yukon Gold potatoes and cream cheese.
And if you have a FoodSaver, even better. That’s my absolute favorite way to store them. Removing the air helps protect the potatoes in the freezer, and freezing the bag flat makes storage AND reheating easier. They seriously taste like you just made them.
Why You’ll Love These Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Actually made for reheating: Cream cheese helps the potatoes stay rich and creamy instead of drying out.
- Refrigerate OR freeze: Make them 3 days ahead or freeze them for up to 2 months.
- Perfect for holidays: Get the potatoes completely out of the way before Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: We’ve found they maintain their creamy texture better than russets after freezing.
- Multiple reheating options: Reheat them in the oven or use our favorite FoodSaver method.
- Taste freshly made: Give them a good stir after reheating and no one will know you made them ahead.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need 5 simple ingredients to make these mashed potatoes. Here’s what each one does:
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: Naturally buttery and creamy, and our favorite potato for mashed potatoes that will be frozen and reheated.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps create that silky mashed potato texture. We add a little extra on top before reheating too.
- Cream Cheese: The secret to make-ahead mashed potatoes! It adds richness and helps the potatoes stay creamy after refrigerating or freezing.
- Cream or Half and Half: Loosens the potatoes and makes them extra creamy. Warm it before adding so you aren’t cooling down the potatoes.
- Kosher Salt: Season both the cooking water and the finished potatoes so they’re flavorful all the way through.
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