Looking for a delicious mashed potato recipe that you can make ahead of time? Look no further than this delicious Company Mashed Potatoes casserole!
This dish is perfect for Thanksgiving, as you can make it the day before and then bake it in the oven while you're preparing the rest of your feast. The potatoes are creamy and flavorful, and everyone will love the added cream cheese! Make this dish once and you'll be making it year after year!
Check out all the other easy recipes for Thanksgiving to help you have the best holiday celebration ever!
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One of the best parts of Thanksgiving is the food. And one of my favorite Thanksgiving Make Ahead Side Dishes is mashed potatoes. I love the creamy texture and the rich flavor. But what I don't love is all the work that goes into making them.
That's why I was so excited when I found this recipe for mashed potatoes that can be made the day before Thanksgiving and then baked in the oven as a casserole.
Now, all I have to do on Thanksgiving Day is pop it in the oven and let it bake. This dish is a hit with my family as well as my other vegetable side dishes like roasted butternut squash, roasted Brussels sprouts or acorn squash.
Don't stress about making everything from scratch on Thanksgiving day! This make-ahead mashed potatoes recipe will save you time and hassle. Impress your guests with this delicious dish, and enjoy a stress-free holiday!
Table of Contents
- What are Company Potatoes?
- What's a Potato Ricer?
- How to make mashed potatoes ahead of time?
- Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Main Ingredients Needed
- Step-by-Step Directions
- Baking Instructions
- Before You Begin!
- Preparing Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time
- Storing and Reheating Tips
- More Recipes to Love
- Recipe FAQ
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments
What are Company Potatoes?
Company potatoes are a fancy term given to a mashed potato casserole that can be made ahead of the time you're planning on serving them. Usually a day or two in advance.
They're not to be confused with "funeral potatoes" that are made with frozen hash browns. These are real potatoes and a few extra added ingredients to make them a little more special than regular Sunday dinner mashed potatoes.
Start by boiling the potatoes until they're soft, then mash them with some butter, half and half, cream cheese and salt to taste. Once they're mashed to your liking, transfer the potatoes to a baking dish and cover with foil.
When you're ready to eat, simply reheat the potatoes in the oven or microwave until they're warm throughout. This easy hack will save you precious time on Thanksgiving so that you can enjoy spending time with your loved ones.
What's a Potato Ricer?
A potato ricer is a kitchen gadget that is used to create light and fluffy mashed potatoes. It consists of a handheld device with a series of small holes that can be squeezed together.
To use a potato ricer, the cook simply boils potatoes until they are soft, then puts them through the ricer one at a time. The cooked potatoes will come out in long, thin strands that can be easily mixed with other ingredients.
Potato ricers can also be used to make other dishes, such as cauliflower mash or pumpkin puree. They are often used by professional chefs to create smooth, consistent results. For home cooks who want to make perfect mashed potatoes, a potato ricer is an essential tool.
How to make mashed potatoes ahead of time?
You can definitely make mashed potatoes ahead of time! If you don't want to follow this creamy recipe below, simply make the mashed potatoes ahead of time and reheat them when you're ready to serve. You can reheat the potatoes in the microwave until they're warm throughout.
These mashed potatoes are also one of my favorite recipes to serve alongside my family's favorite Breaded Italian Chicken Cutlets Recipe. Or as a side dish for my Pot Roast Recipe or Dutch Oven Whole Chicken recipe. Pure comfort food!
Helpful Kitchen Tools
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Main Ingredients Needed
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!
- Russet or Yukon gold potatoes
- Butter
- Cream cheese softened
- Half-and-half
- Salt and pepper
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Peel and cut the potatoes and add them to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes thoroughly in a large colander. Place them back into the dry pot and mash the potatoes using an electric mixer. A potato ricer works well too.
Step 2: Using your hand held electric mixer, add the butter, cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half and mash. Adding more of the half-and-half as needed. (I usually use the whole amount). Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Transfer the potatoes to a 9X13 size casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 4: Add a few tablespoons of butter over the top of the potatoes. Cover them with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator.
Baking Instructions
Step 5: Remove the casserole dish from the refrigerator about an hour before you need to serve them. Allow them to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes or so. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until heated through.
Before You Begin!
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Preparing Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time
- Always make sure you fill the pot with cold water. Make sure the potatoes are completely covered as well.
- If you are preparing the potatoes ahead of time, allow them to sit out on the counter for at least 30 minutes to come to room temperature the next day before baking in the oven. This is especially important if you're using a glass baking dish. You should never put a glass baking dish directly from the refrigerator into the oven. You need to allow the contents of the casserole dish to come to room temperature so there's no chance of the glass casserole dish shattering when it's suddenly exposed to high heat from an oven.
- Mix up the seasonings by adding garlic, bacon and cheddar cheese.
- You can even try flavored cream cheese instead of the traditional cream cheese used in this recipe. I think cream cheese with chives would be delicious!
Storing and Reheating Tips
Refrigerator: Allow the mashed potatoes to cool down to room temperature. Transfer the mashed potatoes to an airtight container. Store the mashed potatoes in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Freezer: Add any leftover mashed potato casserole to a freezer-safe container. Label and place the container in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
Thawing and Reheating: Thaw the container in the refrigerator overnight. Transfer the mashed potato casserole to a oven-safe casserole dish. Reheat in the oven until warmed through.
More Recipes to Love
- A new family favorite is my mother's recipe for Cheesy Corn Pudding Casserole that starts out with a box of Jiffy Muffin Mix.
- Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce made in the Instant Pot you can use a crock pot too!
- This recipe for Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing can be made ahead of time and either frozen or wrapped in aluminum foil the day before Thanksgiving.
Recipe FAQ
To view the answers, simply click on the down arrow (⬇) next to each question. If you have any other questions not answered here, please leave a comment!
The great thing about mashed potatoes is that they can be prepared in advance, freeing up time on busy days. In general, mashed potatoes can be made up to two days ahead of time and stored in the fridge. When you're ready to eat, simply reheat the potatoes on the stove or in the microwave. For best results, add a little splash of milk or cream before reheating, as this will help to restore their creamy texture. With a little planning, you can enjoy homemade mashed potatoes any day of the week.
📖 Recipe Card
Company Mashed Potatoes - Prep Ahead Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 stick butter plus more for topping
- One 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Peel and cut the potatoes and add them to a large pot of water.
- Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly in a large colander.
- Place them back into the dry pot and mash the potatoes using an electric mixer or a ricer.
- Using your electric mixer, add the butter, cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half and mash. Adding more of the half-and-half as needed. (I usually use the whole amount).
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the potatoes to a medium-sized baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Add a few tablespoons of butter over the top of the potatoes.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until the butter is melted and the potatoes are warmed through; about 30 - 40 minutes.
Nutrition
Notes
- If you prepare these potatoes the day before Thanksgiving, you will need to cover them with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator.
- Reheating takes about 30 minutes or so. I like to take them out of the refrigerator to bring to room temperature for about an hour.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2017 with new photos and a new printable recipe card that includes nutritional information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them!
Doreen Clougherty says
Can you tell me what half and half is please. (UK).
Thanks
Doreen
Lois says
Hi Doreen, Half is a dairy product you can purchase here in the US that is half heavy cream and half milk. If you can't find it in the UK, you can use all heavy cream or all whole milk. Thank you for visiting!
Jennifer says
Haven’t tried yet, but am very excited to. I will use my (very similar) regular mashed potato recipe. Pardon me if I missed it, but I didn’t see the oven temperature to heat the potatoes. Just a note to those who hate peeling: I always use Yukon Gold for mashed potatoes. I scrub the potatoes really well, but never peel them. They’re always delicious. I promise. Thank you for sharing.
Lois says
Great catch! Thanks for letting me know I left out the oven temperature. I've updated the recipe with the correct information. I know you're going to love this recipe!
Hallie says
Love the idea of doing mashed potatoes the day before. I wonder if you could reheat them in a crock pot? Oven space is at a premium on T'giving day.
Thanks for the recipe!
Lois says
I think you could reheat them in the crock pot but why not do a trial run this weekend? Report back and let me know. Thanks for visiting!
Jenny says
Make ahead recipes are a lifesaver. These look delicious and easy. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
Peeling potatoes on Thanksgiving is such a chore: I avoid it by doing it the day before and then soaking the potatoes in water in the refrigerator, which also removes the excess starch (bye bye, gluey potatoes). But I love the idea of finishing the mashed potatoes a day in advance and then baking them on the big day. With that cream cheese and half-and-half, these must be positively luscious!
Lois says
These are definitely a holiday type of mashed potatoes with all the cream cheese and butter! My family loves them and I think yours will too! Thanks for visiting!
Benita says
I will definitely be trying this recipe for Thanksgiving this year! Looks delicious! And I'm all about saving myself some time and trouble by making things ahead of the holiday! Have a great one!
Lois says
Thank you for visiting today! I would love to know how you and your family enjoyed the recipe!
terri says
These look so good. I love mashed potatoes and gravy. I'm going to have to try these. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Lois says
Thank you Terri!
Jacquelyn Cory says
Lois,
I used to work for a company where I cooked for up to 15 people daily. One thing we were given was instant potatoes, which as I'm sure you know are terrible compared to the real thing. However, messing around on day I added basically the same things to them that you have listed in your Company Potatoes recipe. Makes all the difference in the world. I had people not even know these were instant potatoes. So, if ever in a pinch, try using the instant. You just may like it enough to decide whether or not you really want to peel all those potatoes. Personally, I HATE peeling them and will pawn it off on someone else if possible. Love the blog and am using my daughter's account.
Maureen