This will be my first year hosting the family Thanksgiving dinner so I am working on putting our food together to pop in the freezer so I can enjoy the day free from worries about everything getting done. What is one of my least favorite things to make? Mashed potatoes! I find them to be a little labor-intensive and they can dirty a lot of pots. It is a Thanksgiving staple though so I thought I would figure out how I could make them ahead of time.
I had found a recipe for mashed potatoes that not only freeze beautifully, but they also can be reheated on low in the slow cooker. Both of these qualities make them a winner because I can keep the oven freed up for the other dishes and I can make them early.
Here is my recipe, adapted to our personal taste, perfect for any holiday get together! These are creamy and have a hint of tang to them from the sour cream. Sprinkle with a little paprika, if you so desire, and enjoy the convenience of pulling these out of your freezer for this holiday season.
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Serves 15
5 pounds of potatoes
1 block (8 oz) of low-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup low fat sour cream
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk (or more if desired)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Peel potatoes and cut into small cubes. Throw the potatoes in a large pot filled with cold water. Cook for 25 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and put them back into the hot pot. Add cream cheese, butter, milk, and salt. Mash with a potato masher or use a hand mixer to whip the potatoes. Spoon mixture into a freezer-safe container and label.
Thanksgiving Day: Put potatoes in the fridge 1-2 days before to allow them to completely thaw. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and put potatoes in the slow cooker. Brush the top of the potatoes with a tablespoon of butter and sprinkle with paprika. Cook on low for two to four hours.
If you would rather bake these, bake the potatoes at 350 degrees for thirty to forty minutes or until completely hot.
This side dish was entered in the Frugal Thanksgiving Mini-Series hosted by Frugal Upstate. Be sure to visit for more great Thanksgiving meal ideas!
These are the same potatoes I use, and they come out great every time!
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Cheryl Curl Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 10:59 am
My mother-in-law puts 1 raw egg in her mashed potatoes to make them super creamy. Would it still be safe to freeze?
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Amy Reply:
May 30th, 2012 at 8:51 am
I think this is still freezer-safe! Thanks for your comment, Cheryl!
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That is such a great idea! Did you do a test run to see how they taste after you freeze the potatoes?
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That is great to know, Christi.
Mandy- This is my first time making them,but they are a freezer recipe and had high reviews so I think they will cook up wonderfully. My only concern was that I had to double the recipe for our guests (we have twenty people coming).I made two separate batches though and plan to rewarm them in two separate slow cookers. I just worried they wouldn’t heat all the way through!!
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I made this recipe last year, and it is SO GOOD! Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had.
And they warmed up just fine, too. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.
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These look great! Thanks for entering them in my Frugal Thanksgiving Mini Series.
I would think with 2 crockpots you should be fine for reheating, but if need be you can always nuke them for a bit at the last minute if not quite hot enough.
And bless you for hosting the whole family this year! Quite an undertaking.
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I made these last year and they were the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. A huge hit among all!
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I love make ahead mashed potatoes. Thanks.
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What a great recipe! I’ve heard of freezing mashed potatoes, but warming them up in the crockpot is an excellent idea, since it’s always so tricky to coordinate everything that has to be in the oven. Thanks for the recipe! This year I’m going to try cooking my turkey the day before and then reheat slices in the oven (I have a recipe for that), which should make things even simpler on Thanksgiving.
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This recipe is very similar to the one I use, but I had no idea they froze well, and reheating in the slow cooker is a great idea – thanks for the tips!! (also thanks for reminding me about the Frugal Thanksgiving series)
Have a great week!
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Sarah- Can you share your recipe for the turkey? Would love to see it!
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This is great, thank you!! I’m also hosting Turkey Day for the first time… after 10 years of marriage, it was more than my turn and we finally have a house that’s big enough! I will definitely try this recipe. Like you, I hate to make them… peeling gritty feeling potatos–ew! But I love sour cream mixed in, so this should be right up my alley. Thanks again! And good luck next week!
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I had no idea…thank you! It’s always good to find recipes that can be frozen and thawed for late.
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I recently ran across your blog(s). The idea of making Thanksgiving dishes that can be frozen ahead of time is great! I think im going to do that with a few things. I loooove your Aldi Queen blog, by the way!
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“That is such a great idea! Did you do a test run to see how they taste after you freeze the potatoes?”
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Amy, I'll blog the turkey recipe in the next few days & send you a link to my blog when I do. The recipe is from this year's Taste of Home Holidays cookbook. I'm hoping that cooking it ahead of time will work well!
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I've made these potatoes (less the sour cream, but thinking I will now add that- yum!) and they REHEAT BEAUTIFULLY in the oven. As your instructions state, you do need to thaw them completely if you want your oven reheat time to be in that 30-40 minute window. I've made these at home, packed them in the cooler (as the 'ice pack'!), traveled to Grandma's house 7+ hours away, and then we reheated them the next day for Thanksgiving. Works like a charm.
I am really interested to hear how they do reheating in the crockpot!
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Thanks so much for this recipe! I will definitely try it this year. Love mashed potatoes but what a pain and I feel like my husband and I are always working in the kitchen to get everything to the table warm while the rest of the family is having fun. Something I tried last year was putting gravy in a tiny crockpot on the buffet table and it was great! Gravy always gets cold so fast and this kept it piping hot for the second helpings! I also do a cornbread dressing in the crock pot that's easy. Just need one more crock pot and my Thanksgiving will be a breeze!!!
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