If you have a big event coming up, you might be wondering if you can make the mashed potatoes in advance and just reheat them when you’re ready to serve. This can make your life a lot easier when you have a lot of other foods to prepare.
Can you make mashed potatoes in advance? You can certainly make mashed potatoes 2-3 days in advance, although you may want to add the butter at the last minute as this will improve the freshness of the potatoes and make them taste like they’ve just been cooked.
Make sure they are kept in the fridge between cooking and serving.
Can you make mashed potatoes ahead of time?
You can make mashed potatoes up to 3 days before eating, but you shouldn’t make it any further in advance. Adding the butter just before serving will keep it from thickening while it’s in the fridge and may make the potatoes taste better.
There are many recipes for making mashed potatoes ahead of time, and there are a few tricks to making sure your potatoes taste great while doing so.
One of the best tips is to make sure you cook the potatoes until they are very soft. It’s better to have it a little too much than a little too little. This keeps them soft and fluffy in the fridge.
How much of the mashing should you do ahead of time?
You should complete each step of mashed potatoes ahead of time, except for adding butter. Essentially prepare the potatoes as you would put them on the table, but stop before adding the butter and then chill the potatoes and place in the fridge instead.
Do not boil the potatoes and then put them in the fridge without crushing them. Once they cool, they won’t blend well and you’ll end up with lumpy, uncomfortable potatoes.
You can follow your regular mashed potatoes recipe if you like, but make sure you follow each step and don’t stop midway. Taste the mashed potatoes to see if you’re happy with the taste and texture, then place in the fridge.
How should you store mashed potatoes in the fridge?
It’s important to let the potatoes cool completely before placing them in the fridge, as hot food increases the temperature of the fridge. This could make other foods in the refrigerator unsafe for consumption and lead to spoilage. To cool, spread the mashed potatoes on a plate or in a shallow bowl to allow heat to escape.
When the potatoes are completely cool, you should transfer them to an airtight container and put the lid on. This will prevent the porridge from drying out in the fridge and ensure it doesn’t pick up any odors from the rest of the food in the fridge. Porridge that is left open often takes on different flavors and becomes unpleasant.
Some people prefer to cover the mashed potatoes with plastic wrap and press the plastic down so it touches the surface of the potato. This has the benefit of removing all the air so the potato doesn’t dry out or absorb other flavors. However, an airtight tub usually works just fine too.
Place the container near the back of the refrigerator to ensure it stays consistently cold, then leave until you’re ready to reheat the potatoes.
How do you reheat mashed potatoes in the microwave?
To reheat the mashed potatoes, place in a microwave-safe container, then cover with some plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the wrapper to allow steam to escape, or use a loose-fitting lid instead. Set your microwave to medium-high and heat the porridge until hot.
The time will depend on how much mashed potatoes you made, but you should pause every few minutes to check on the potatoes and stir them. This will help distribute the heat and ensure they don’t get too hot.
If you think the potatoes are hot, taste them to check the temperature and flavor, then place them in the container you will be serving them from and add some butter. They are then ready to serve.
How do you reheat mashed potatoes on the stove?
To reheat mashed potatoes on the stove, put some cream and butter in a pan and add the mashed potatoes as well. Turn on the heat and stir gently so the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Be careful not to burn the potatoes.
Season as needed, then serve hot. At this point, no more butter needs to be added.
Can you freeze mashed potatoes?
If you want to cook the potatoes even further in advance, you might want to freeze them. You can freeze mashed potatoes, but be aware that this can have a small negative impact on the texture.
Overall, freezing mashed potatoes isn’t a problem because they’re already soft and mushy, so it doesn’t matter if the freezer affects the texture. However, if you have a mashed potatoes recipe that you’re particularly proud of and you don’t want to risk ruining the potatoes, it’s better not to freeze them.
Alternatively, test a small amount in your freezer to see if it works well. To do this, you should follow your normal recipe and cool it as above before freezing it in an airtight container.
Take out the mashed potatoes about 24 hours before eating and place in the fridge to thaw. Once thawed, heat the potatoes, add the butter and serve hot.
Final Thoughts
You can easily make mashed potatoes 2 or 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat them in the microwave or on your stovetop and dinner will be a breeze.
