Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes: Million Dollar Crockpot Recipe for the Holidays
These make-ahead mashed potatoes taste freshly made, even though the real work was done two days earlier. Cream cheese, sour cream, and a full stick of butter make them the million-dollar kind, and on the day, they finish in the crockpot while the stove and oven handle everything else.
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The method is the one restaurants use. Boil the potatoes plain, then chill them with nothing added. On the day, the cold mash goes into the slow cooker with warm milk and butter and slowly drinks up the liquid, and the cream cheese and sour cream go in once it is hot. Because the dairy never gets reheated, you get mashed potatoes ahead of time without the stiff, grainy texture of a reheated batch.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Your stove and oven stay free on Thanksgiving. They are made before the holiday and finish in the crockpot on the day.
- They taste freshly made. Cold mash soaks up warm milk and butter and comes out as some of the creamiest mashed potatoes you'll make, far better than a batch reheated with everything already mixed in.
- The richness is built in. Cream cheese and sour cream turn plain mash into million-dollar mashed potatoes, and both go in last so the texture stays smooth.
- They scale for a crowd. Double the batch, and you have holiday mashed potatoes for 16 without changing the method.
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Ingredients and Substitutes
- Yukon Gold potatoes. I use Yukon Golds. They mash up naturally creamy and hold up well in the fridge. Russets work and turn out fluffier, but they absorb more milk on the day, so plan to use the extra milk in the recipe.
- Cream cheese. Use full-fat and let it soften on the counter while the potatoes heat. Cold cream cheese leaves small lumps, and it is the ingredient that makes these mashed potatoes with cream cheese so thick and rich.
- Sour cream. It adds the tang sour cream mashed potatoes are known for and balances all that butter. Plain whole milk Greek yogurt works in its place and goes in at the same point.
- Milk. Whole milk keeps the potatoes creamy without going heavy, and half-and-half makes them richer. When I make this, the cold mash takes just over a cup of milk to loosen, so warm the full amount and keep the extra ready.
- Butter. Unsalted lets you control the salt. With salted butter, cut the finishing salt and taste before adding more.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time
The make-ahead step is plain potatoes and nothing else. Drain them the moment they are tender: potatoes left sitting in the cooking water absorb it and turn watery and grainy, and that texture can't be fixed later. Steam them dry in the hot pot for a minute, then mash with a hand masher or ricer, never a mixer, which makes them gluey.
Press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate. Whether they chill overnight or for a couple of days, the potatoes are done before Thanksgiving morning, which is exactly what a make-ahead Thanksgiving dinner needs.
Finishing Make-Ahead Crockpot Mashed Potatoes on the Day
The crockpot is the best way to reheat mashed potatoes made in advance, whether they are night before mashed potatoes or two days old. Refrigerated mash goes in stiff with the warm milk and butter and slowly turns smooth. When I make this, warming potatoes in the crockpot from cold takes about 3½ hours on LOW, stirring every 45 minutes. Because this crock pot mashed potatoes recipe only warms the potatoes, the texture stays smooth.
Once they are hot through, stir in the cream cheese and sour cream, then loosen with warm milk, since they firm up as they sit. Adding the dairy last keeps these million dollar mashed potatoes silky instead of split. Slow cooker mashed potatoes hold on WARM for up to 2 hours, which makes these million dollar crockpot mashed potatoes one of the easiest crockpot side dishes for a holiday table.
Short on time? Finish them on the stove instead. Heat the milk and butter to a simmer, turn off the burner, stir in the cold mash until smooth and hot, then add the cream cheese and sour cream. It takes about 10 minutes.
What to Serve With Mashed Potatoes
What goes with mashed potatoes? Anything with a sauce or pan juices to spoon over them:
- Holiday ham: pick one of these crockpot ham recipes and run it in a second slow cooker next to the million dollar crockpot mashed potatoes, so nothing needs oven space.
- Marry me chicken: the creamy sauce needs something to soak into, and this is it.
- Classic chicken cacciatore: a tomato braise that belongs next to a pile of buttery mashed potatoes.
- Air fryer chicken thighs: a weeknight dinner in minutes when the mash is already made.
- Air fryer salmon: ready in 10 minutes, about the time the stovetop finish takes.
- A green side: roasted broccoli in the air fryer or air fryer garlic mushrooms keep the plate from going all beige.
- The rest of the holiday spread: one of these sweet potato casserole recipes rounds out the Thanksgiving side dishes with both potatoes covered.
Leftovers make a ready topping for the turkey shepherd's pie in these leftover turkey recipes.
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes FAQs
Yes. Day-ahead mashed potatoes work perfectly, and the plain mash keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Leave out the milk, butter, cream cheese, and sour cream until the day you serve them.
Yes. Freeze the plain mash before any dairy goes in, for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then finish it as make-ahead crockpot mashed potatoes or on the stove as usual. The plain mash freezes cleanly and comes back as creamy mashed potatoes once the dairy goes in.
Three pounds serves 8 as a side, so double it for 16. A double batch needs a 6-quart or larger crockpot and extra time to heat through, so start it earlier and check the center before adding the cream cheese. For potluck mashed potatoes, carry them in the slow cooker and plug it in on WARM when you arrive.
If this easy make-ahead mashed potatoes recipe is a hit, you'll find more rich dishes like them in the million dollar recipes roundup. There are more sides for the holiday table in the potato recipes collection. If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the make-ahead mash
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes or Russet, peeled and cut into 1½-2-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon salt for the cooking water
For finishing
- 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half, plus up to ½ cup more as needed
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cubed
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
To serve
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Chopped chives or green onions optional
Instructions
Boil the potatoes
- Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and add 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender.
- Drain immediately, then return the potatoes to the hot pot over low heat for 1-2 minutes to steam off excess moisture.
Mash and chill
- Mash with a hand masher or ricer until smooth. Do not add anything else yet.
- Transfer to a container, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Finish in the crockpot and serve
- On the day, warm 1 cup of milk with the butter until the butter melts. Pour into a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add the cold mash and stir. Cover and cook on LOW for about 3½ hours, stirring every 45 minutes, until hot all the way through.
- Stir in the cream cheese and sour cream. Add more warm milk, a splash at a time, until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Switch to WARM and hold for up to 2 hours, stirring in a splash of warm milk before serving.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and top with 2 tablespoons of butter and the chives.
Notes
- Stovetop finish (10 minutes): Heat the milk and butter in a large pot until the milk just simmers, then turn off the heat. Stir in the cold mash for 3-5 minutes until smooth and hot, using low heat if the center is still cool. Off the heat, stir in the cream cheese and sour cream.
- Potatoes: Yukon Golds give the creamiest result. Russets are fluffier and absorb more liquid, so they use the full extra ½ cup of milk.
- Drain right away: Potatoes left sitting in the cooking water absorb it and turn watery and grainy.
- No mixer: A hand mixer, blender or food processor makes mashed potatoes gluey.
- Why the dairy goes in last: The cream cheese and sour cream never get cooked for hours, so they stay smooth instead of splitting.
- Freezing: Freeze the plain mash (after step 4) for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then finish from step 6.
- For a crowd: A double batch needs a 6-quart or larger slow cooker and more time on LOW. Check that the center is hot before adding the cream cheese and sour cream.
- Serve right away instead: Skip step 5. Mash the hot potatoes into warm milk and butter on the stove, then stir in the cream cheese and sour cream.