Company Mashed Potatoes - potatoes that are cooked to perfection and then mashed with cream cheese, butter and milk. Then they're baked in a casserole dish until every blends together and tastes amazing. This is a very simple easy recipe for Thanksgiving that's an elegant side dish. Let me show you how to make life easy for you on Thanksgiving morning by preparing mashed potatoes the day before the company arrives.
Today I'm sharing with you one of the easiest side dish recipe you will ever make to go along with the Roast Turkey. In fact, they're so delicious, I know you'll be coming back to the blog the day after Thanksgiving to thank me for sharing this recipe with you!
But, you know what? These mashed potatoes are also one of my favorite recipes to serve alongside my family's favorite Breaded Italian Chicken Cutlets Recipe.
If you're making a big Sunday dinner this weekend, try making this recipe as a side dish for my Pot Roast Recipe. Pure comfort food!
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The Perfect Prep Ahead Side Dish
I have been making this recipe for Company Mashed Potatoes for our Thanksgiving menu for a few years now.
The secret is to make the mashed potatoes the day before and then an hour before you're ready to serve dinner, bake the casserole in the oven until they are completely warmed through.
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Easy Tip: I always use a potato ricer to mash potatoes. It is the best tool for getting lump-free mashed potatoes. If you don't have a potato ricer on hand, you can use a regular masher or even an electric mixer. Just don't use a food processor or even a stand mixer. Your potatoes will turn to glue. Trust me, I know this!
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Main Ingredients Needed
Exact measurements are listed below in the recipe card. Make sure you scroll down to print and save the recipe for later!
- 5 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes
- Butter - 1 stick plus more for topping
- One 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Salt and pepper
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1 | Prepare the Potatoes
- 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.
- 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.
- Transfer the potatoes to a 9X13 size casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. 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.
Step 2 | Baking Instructions
- 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.
They look great on the buffet table. And you don't have to peel potatoes Thanksgiving morning. There are so many other things you need to be doing instead of peeling potatoes!
Mashed Potatoes Prep Ahead Tips
- 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!
Ready for More Thanksgiving Recipes?
- 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.
- Candied Sweet Potatoes - one of my favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving!
- Tips on Roasting the PERFECT Turkey for Thanksgiving plus a free roasting chart to use on Thanksgiving morning.
- Turkey Breast cooked in the crock pot - I always cook another turkey breast in the crock pot so we have extra white meat. That way you can send home extra with family members and have enough on hand the next day to make turkey sandwiches.
Tried any of my recipes? Let me know in the comments!
Company Mashed Potatoes - Prep Ahead Recipe
These incredibly creamy mashed potatoes can be prepped a day ahead and then baked in the oven when you're ready for them to be served which makes them perfect for Thanksgiving Day or any other special occasion!
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
Instructions
- 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.
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.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 251Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 132mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
The nutrition information is calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you, please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
Make ahead recipes are a lifesaver. These look delicious and easy. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!
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!
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!
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!
Thank you for visiting today! I would love to know how you and your family enjoyed the recipe!
These look so good. I love mashed potatoes and gravy. I'm going to have to try these. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Thank you Terri!
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