Mom’s Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
For as long as I can remember my mom was put in charge of making the mashed potatoes at our Scheuring family Christmas. Mom’s Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes are full of the “good stuff”, aka… butter, cream, cream cheese, and sour cream.
These potatoes could be made ahead of time and heated in a slow cooker or roaster depending on the size of group that was being fed.
Hence the addition of “make ahead” to the title, no one wants to be mashing the spuds as guests are arriving.
Side Note: How adorable is this spatula!?
My cousin Matt, before getting married this summer, begged and pleaded with my mom to make “the” potatoes for his rehearsal dinner. She agreed and afterwards was bombarded with “Jeanie. You have to give me the recipe for those potatoes!” from others who had attended the dinner.
Mom’s Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes are perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any holiday celebration.
Serve along with any main dish like roast beef, ham, turkey, or pork loin and your guests are sure to walk away happy.

Mom's Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 lbs Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 3 Tbsp Butter
- 1-2 Tbsp Cream or Milk
- 1 pkg (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Butter, to top potatoes
Instructions
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Peel and cut potatoes into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook for 25-35 minutes or until cooked through. Drain the potatoes.
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Pour the drained potatoes into a large mixing bowl and using a paddle attachment, mix the potatoes on low speed until mashed. Add in butter and cream. Mix again until ingredients are incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl. Add in softened cream cheese and sour cream. Stir on low. Season potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. I usually do about 1 tsp of pepper and 2 tsp of salt. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.
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Potatoes can be kept in refrigerator for a few days (or freezer for a few months) until they are ready to be heated. When ready to bake pour potatoes into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan and top with pieces of butter. Bake in a 350°F oven for 1 hour.
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The recipe can also be doubled and heated in a slow cooker over low for a few hours, stirring occasionally. If you need to feed a huge crowd, quadruple the recipe and heat in a large electric roaster.
I made these with what I had on hand tonight to be baked tomorrow for Thanksgiving. These are hands down the very best taters that ever came out of my kitchen! I am guessing I used about 3 1/2# of Klondike Gold Potatoes (filled my 2 quart Revere Ware kettle). When they were cooked through, I put them through my food mill on the most coarse disk. I used about 3 TBSP soft butter, 3 TBSP 1/2 & 1/2, 8 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tsp fine Himalayan pink salt and 1 tsp white pepper. I came in from outside and the house smells amazing! I have never had mashed taters smell so enticing! Of course, I had to taste them several times before I put them in the fridge. I am so looking forward to eating them with gravy and stuffing (which will probably end up being dressing since I checked my turkey that has been thawing in the fridge since very early Monday morning and it it still not thawed.) These tasty mashed taters, gravy, dressing, sweet taters, squash, cranberries, homemade buns and punkin pie might be best Thanksgiving meal I have indulged in. Who needs turkey?
That’s Awesome! I love that I’m not the only one who “tests” out the taters before they get put away in the fridge. Your Thanksgiving line up sounds divine! Happy Turkey Day (Eve!).
I would like to try your make ahead potatoes. If I quadruple the recipe at what temperature and for how long in a toaster do I reheat them? Thanks for the recipe!
Since each roaster heats differently, I would just suggest starting it early on a low temperature and stirring frequently to distribute the heat and prevent sticking (speaking from experience here). Probably at least a few hours to get everything heated through.