Trying again...make ahead mashed potatoes

[malibuconlee]

I thought I posted this last night. I'll make it shorter and see if it goes.

Has anyone ever peeled and cut up potatoes then kept them in a pot of water in the fridge overnight to help cut down on prep time?

Doing Christmas dinner for DH's family here (well, a late lunch between 1 & 1:30) but we have to be at my mom's that morning an hour away. Thinking if we left shortly after 11, it would give me enough time to cook the potatoes, and throw the turkey in the oven to re-heat.

Planning on doing the turkey the day before, then I read online taht you can put it in a pyrex baking dish with some broth and it'll only take 35-45 minutes to re-heat.

I know I can make the dressing up the day before, I've done that before. I should have just enough time to get it in the oven and ready when everyone shows up.

Thanks in advance. Guess I didnt' keep it that short after all. LOL

 

[Spinning]

I wouldn't do that at all! I think too much of the starch would leech out into the water and they you would have very watery potatoes. Plus is any float to the top they will turn black.
This is what I do.
I make them the day before. Instead of milk I add
block of cream cheese, butter to taste salt and pepper. Of course garlic.
add no fluids.
Put them in a baking bowl. Next day pull them out and put in the oven for about an hour. then stir before serving.

also to save time i have heard people make them in the morning and then put them in a crock pot on low all day.

 

[Spinning]

Here is a few recipes if you want exact measurements. Many of them call for sour cream. But I add it if I have it, but if I dont I skip it
9 potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter

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DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes.
Transfer potatoes to a large bowl, and mash until smooth. Mix in the cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, salt, pepper and butter. Cover, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
Spread potato mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake in the preheated oven about 30 minutes.

5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons onion salt
ground black pepper to taste

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DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Place potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and mash.
In a large bowl, mix mashed potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, onion salt, and pepper. Transfer to a large casserole dish.
Cover, and bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven.

5 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freeze-dried chives
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup butter

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DIRECTIONS:
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and generously salt water. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Mash potatoes together with cream cheese, sour cream, chives, salt, and pepper. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Place in a storage container with the lid off and chill in refrigerator. When potatoes are cold, cover tightly with a lid.
When ready to reheat potatoes, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking dish and spoon desired amount of potatoes into dish. Sprinkle with paprika and dot with butter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Use within 10 days.

5 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
3 cubes chicken bouillon
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste

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DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the potatoes, garlic, and bouillon until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving water. In a bowl, mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.
Transfer the potato mixture to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on Low for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

[goofymom/pop]

I am trying the mashed potatoes in the crock pot thing...will make them in the a.m. clean up the mess, put them in the crock on low and hope they are still great for dinner. Haven't done it before but heard it is a winner!

 

[malibuconlee]

I wouldn't do that at all! I think too much of the starch would leech out into the water and they you would have very watery potatoes. Plus is any float to the top they will turn black.

also to save time i have heard people make them in the morning and then put them in a crock pot on low all day.

I wondered about that. Hmmm. Maybe I'll try the crock pot thing. Thanks guys.

I wouldn't stress about it, but this is my only chance to host a holiday. We lived away until the last year, and now we're moving away again after the first of the year.

What if I asked someone else to bring them? Do you think they would travel OK if someone made them then had to drive almost an hour to get here?

 

[Twigs]

I have never left my potatoes in water overnight, but I do it all the time in the morning before cooking a big meal and they have always turned out fine. I just read about keeping them in a crock pot in a different thread and I'm going to try that this time.

 

[bonzarella]

I've done the crock pot thing, transported them for about 45 min. Plugged the pot in when we arrived & they were raved over. I did use cream instead of milk, don't know if that made any difference. Happy Holidays.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

DON'T DO THAT!!!! See my story under the disaster stories thread and you'll know why!

Yes, the starch will leech out and you'll end up with something resembling wallpaper paste! I have done the crockpot thing and found it worked better with just a little water dribbled off my fingers into the bottom (I also spray with Pam to keep a crust from forming on the bottom)

Deb

 

[striker3636]

I just make a mashed potato dish like the others posted the day before. When pull the turkey out of the oven to rest before carving, I put the potatoes in at a slightly higher temp. I also get the dish out of the frig about 1/2hr before to wam up to room temp a bit. Everyone likes this better than regular mashed anyways since there's more yummy stuff like extra cheeses. Another popular one I make ahead is layers of mashed potato and mashed sweet potato. This goes over very well and is very pretty in a glass dish. I can dig out the recipe and post if anyone is interested.

I also use an electric steamer for cauliflower or carrots, and just add a nice sauce I made ahead to jazz it up. I don't want to spend all Christmas day in the kitchen, and these tips help me alot. I never thought to use the crock pot for potatoes - great idea!

I used to stress over having all these fancy and new items for Christmas dinner. I do like to try a new recipe each year, but when I ask for feedback, it is always the old favourites the family asks for.

 

[hercamore]

Hi to the OP, last year I made mashed potatoes in the morning and let htem sit in crockpot on warm for a couple hours. still good.

striker, would love your two potato recipe.

I've got two xmas parties to host and everone loves sweet potatoes.

herc.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Hercamore -

It sounds like strikers layered potato recipe is one I use as well - it was in a Martha Stewart mag years ago. I've since altered it to use just sweet potaotes (yams work too whatever you have in your area). I don't have the recipe with me at work and won't be back until after the holiday. You could try searching the Martha website.

Deb

 

[lillygator]

I always make mine a day or two ahead....I call them "refigerator mashed potatoes" similar recipe as above with sour cream, cream cheese, butter, etc...they need no gravy and everyone raves over them!

 

[hercamore]

Fantastdisfamily...thanks, I'll try Martha's website. Her upgraded website and shows are so much better this fall than the old ones.

herc.

 

[striker3636]

My recipe is from a magazine called Canadian Living. I have to take my dd to gymnastics now, but I'll post tonight!

 

[hercamore]

Thanks, couldn't find that potato recipe on martha's website.

herc.

 

[kittychatalot]

Here is my recipe- and BTW I am always asked to make them and bring them to whoever is hosting!

Divine Mashed Spuds

5 pounds golden russets
2 containers sour cream
2 sticks salted butter
salt to taste
white pepper to taste
Paprika

Boil potatos and out through a ricer or mash however you prefer. Add one container sour cream and 1 stick butter, salt and white pepper and mix. Use the other stick to butter an oven/microwave safe container and spoon potatoes into dish. Cut the rest of the stick of butter into small slices and dot the surface, pushing some pieces into the potatos and covering them back up. Sprinkle the top heavilly with paprika. ( buy some nice Hungarian sweet Paprika fresh for these- save the stuff in your cabinet for decorating and not something like this where taste counts as well as color)

Cover and put in fridge overnight. The next day stick in the oven, wherever you are- or in a pinch nuke them in a microwave.

I promise you will get raves! I have made these a couple of days in advance and they are fine!

 

[striker3636]

Hi...Here's the sweet potato and regular potato make ahead that is very popular in my family (from Kraft..oops not Canadian Living)

4 large white potatoes, peeled, chopped and cooked

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped and cooked

1 tub (250 g) PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Spreadable Cream Cheese, divided

1/2 cup sour cream, divided

1/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper

1/4 cup Kraft 100% Parmesan Shreds, divided

1/4 cup Kraft Double Cheddar Shreds, divided

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Place white and sweet potatoes in separate bowls. Add half each of the cream cheese and sour cream to the potatoes in each bowl; season with salt and pepper. Mash with potato masher or fork until creamy.

STIR half of the Parmesan cheese into bowl of white potatoes. Stir half of the cheddar cheese into bowl of sweet potatoes. Alternately layer half each of the white potato mixture and sweet potato mixture in 2-L. clear glass casserole dish. Repeat layers.

BAKE 15 min.; sprinkle with remaining cheeses, continue baking 5 min. or until cheeses are melted.


Make-Ahead
Assemble casserole as directed. Do not add the cheese topping. Cover and refrigerate casserole and cheese topping separately up to 3 days. When ready to serve, uncover and bake casserole as directed, increasing baking time as needed until casserole is heated through. Top with remaining cheeses and continue as directed.

 

[tinkermell]

My family always uses the cream cheese- sourcream recipe now for the holidays. They always turn out great and it's so nice to have them done and ready for the next day. As a matter of fact, I just bought the ingredients today to make them. Enjoy!!!

 

[MazdaUK]

we eat a lot of mashed potato, so i always make more than is needed (and try to stop DH finishing it) and freeze down portions for the kids midweek. Defrost, reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes and beat in extra butter - this does nto work so well if you add in some sweet potato as it gets a bit watery. I always add plenty of nutmeg to mine, milk, seasoning and lots of butter. You can also make ahead and do Devonshire potatoes - fry until golden in a large skillet with (you guessed it) more butter.

 

[hercamore]

Thanks to striker for the two potato recipe!

I'll be making that in a couple weeks!

herc.