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Make ahead mashed potato casserole is creamy, fluffy and the perfect side dish for holidays or every day family dinners!
Make Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole
A sweet neighbor shared this make ahead mashed potato casserole with me years ago and it’s been a favorite ever since! This recipe takes plain old mashed potatoes and kicks them up a notch with some added cream cheese and sour cream.
The best part is that they can be made ahead which makes them perfect for the holidays or any time you want to prep a dish in advance.
MENU TIP: This recipe is also found with a TON of other fun Holiday recipes in our Celebration Menu Planning Made Easy Set!
Ingredients needed for make ahead potatoes:
- russet potatoes
- sour cream
- cream cheese
- butter
- milk
- salt and pepper
- smoked Spanish paprika
How to make make ahead mashed potato casserole:
Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with water. Add about a ½ teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender. This should take about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot.
Add the sour cream, cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, milk, salt and pepper to the potatoes. Then beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
Spread potatoes into a greased 13×9-inch baking or casserole dish. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake (up to 2 days). Or bake right away!
When you’re ready to bake, brush the top of the potatoes with 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of Spanish paprika.
Bake, uncovered, in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Make Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tbsps butter
- ¼ cup milk
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- smoked Spanish paprika
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large stockpot. Cover with water and add ½ teaspoon salt to water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to the stockpot.
- Add sour cream, cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, milk, salt and pepper to potatoes and beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Spread into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake (up to 2 days).
- When ready to bake, brush top with 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with paprika.
- Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350°F oven 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Nutrition
Can you freeze mashed potatoes?
You absolutely can! However, frozen mashed potatoes can tend to get a grainy texture. So, to ensure your potatoes stay creamy be sure to add enough fat/butter or cream to coat the potato molecules. This is the key to successful frozen mashed potatoes.
When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with paprika. Preheat your oven, and bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, 30 minutes or until bubbly.
If you have any leftovers, you can store your leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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Need more side dish recipes? Here you go!
Can you put this in a slow cooker rather than the oven?