There’s nothing quite like a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes, smooth, buttery, and rich. These aren’t your everyday potatoes. Made with Yukon Golds for natural flavor and mascarpone for extra creaminess, they’re the kind of side dish that steals the spotlight from the turkey. Best of all, you can make them ahead without sacrificing that fresh-from-the-pot texture. Warm, fluffy, and ready when you are,holiday cooking just got a lot easier.
No Lumps in These Mashed Potatoes
There’s always that one dish that disappears first at Thanksgiving, and in our house, it’s the mashed potatoes. Smooth, buttery, and rich enough to make you forget everything else on the table. I used to hand this job off to my mother-in-law because timing mashed potatoes with everything else coming out of the oven felt impossible.
Since they are Natalies’ favorite food, I needed to figure out how to make creamy, buttery mashed potatoes that could be done ahead of time and still be the star of the show.
I tried quite a few techniques to get a creamy texture, along with a buttery taste and Yukon golds along with mascarpone cheese made them impossibly creamy, with that Southern-style richness everyone expects at the holidays.
Next I wanted to figure out how to make them a day ahead of time and still serve creamy hot mashed potatoes. Not only are these the creamiest mashed potatoes, but the make ahead steps will make your holiday meal so much easier.
What’s nice about mashed potatoes is that they don’t take up oven space. So when considering easy side dish ideas, think about what else needs the oven.
They can also be made up to two days in advance and reheated with a little more liquid on the stove or in a slow cooker.
// vintage colander //
Yukon Golds For The Creamiest Potatoes
The type of potatoes can really make a difference for creamy mashed potatoes that taste buttery before you even add the butter. Most people agree that Yukon Gold potatoes are the way to go. They are slightly yellow in color with thin skins that just slide right off. If you want super white mashed potatoes, then you’ll need to use russet or Idaho potatoes.
For mashed potatoes you can choose to use the skins or not. I like them both ways, but for the creamiest texture, remove the skins. You can make them even better by adding a Southern white gravy, you can make it in just 10 minutes.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the basics, get the rest in the recipe card below.
- Yukon Gold potatoes – they are naturally creamy and already have a buttery flavor to them, the skins are thin making it easy to remove. This recipe uses 4 lbs of potatoes or about 10 medium size potatoes. It doesn’t have to be exact.
- Mascarpone – the fat content of this cheese is 60-75 percent making it smooth and creamy. It’s similar in texture to cream cheese but a little sweeter. You can use cream cheese instead if you prefer.
How to Make Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
Step 1 – Boil the potatoes
Add potatoes to cold water in a large pot, and bring them to a boil and then simmer for about 30-40 minutes. To remove the skins, rub a towel over the hot potatoes and the skins will come right off.
Step 2 – Warm the liquid
Warm the milk and cream in the microwave so that it’s warm when added to the potatoes and make sure the butter is at room temperature.
Step 3 – Make them smooth
This is my favorite ricer and one I’ve used for years.
Step 4 – Add mascarpone
Top with butter if desired.
Alternative: Mash the potatoes along with the butter in the hot pot with a potato masher, add salt and then add warm cream and milk mixing until smooth.
// potato masher //
Step 5 – Keep them warm
Serve immediately or place in a slow cooker on warm until ready to serve. You can also place in a pot on the stove over very low heat adding extra milk as needed.
Pro tip: If you’re going to refrigerate these for a day or so before serving, add less milk and cream so that they are a little thicker than you want. You will add more cream and milk when they are re-heated.
When it comes to the best mashed potatoes, I think you should keep it simple. Save the bacon and cheese and chives for microwave. mashed potatoes or crispy potato skins. For make-ahead mashed potatoes, I just add butter, cream, milk and just a little mascarpone.
Make Ahead and Reheat
- If making ahead of time, let them cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
- Remove from the refrigerator and transfer to a pot over medium heat. Add about ⅔ cup cream/milk, stirring until smooth.
- Serve immediately or place in a slow cooker on warm until ready to serve.
If you have mashed potatoes left over, freeze them to use in fluffy dinner rolls or top off a meat pie.
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Make-Ahead Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes That Stay Creamy and Fluffy
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes scrubbed but not pealed
- salt
- ⅔-1 cup heavy cream
- ⅔-1 cup whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups butter 2 ½ sticks, softened
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese you can use plain greek yogurt or cream cheese, but it will not be exactly the same.
- salt and pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a large handful of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, but not falling apart, about 30 minutes. Drain and use a dish towel to rub the skins off. Return the potatoes to the warm pot, off heat.
- Heat the ⅔ cup of cream and ⅔ cup of milk in the microwave until hot but not boiling, about 2-3 minutes.
- Run the potatoes through a potato ricer and add butter., or you can use a potato masher. Season with salt. Add warm cream and milk mixture mixing with a spoon until smooth, do not over mix. Add marscapone at the end and season with additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately or let cool, cover and chill.
- Remove from the refrigerator and transfer to a pot. Add ⅓ cup of cream and ⅓ cup of milk and reheat over medium low heat stirring often until heated through.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- This recipe makes about 10 cups of mashed potatoes
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes
- Cook the potatoes whole and with the skin on, this will keep them from getting watery
- Make sure the potatoes are dry before mashing
- If you want to remove the skins, use a cloth towel and rub it over the potatoes while they are still hot, the skins will come right off.
- DO NOT use a food processor to mash them, you will end up with gummy potatoes.
- Add the cream and milk gradually so that you get just the amount that is needed.
- These can be made two days ahead of time.
Nutrition
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Lisa Hatfield says
My mouth is watering just looking at this recipe, great make-ahead mashed potato tips Barbara!
Jessica Robinson says
What a great recipe and such wonderful tips on reheating mashed potatoes! They complete our Thanksgiving dinner.
Laura Reigel says
In our house too! It seems like no matter how many mashed potatoes I make they all get eaten.