These Baked Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese are make-ahead mashed potatoes, perfect for holiday baking and busy nights for dinner. They can be made 1-2 days in advance and then baked just before serving. Made with cream cheese, butter in the potatoes and on top, and cream, they are incredibly creamy and buttery, with a light golden top.
What we love about Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
I grew up eating my uncles’ Idaho potatoes from their farm, and I love great potato dishes. This one is sooo good! It’s decadent, delicious, creamy, and it makes holidays and dinnertime so much easier. With cream, cream cheese, and butter in the potatoes, the potatoes are incredibly flavorful and creamy. The cream cheese in the potatoes not only enhances the flavor and texture, but it is a bit of a magic ingredient as it prevents the potatoes from becoming watery after chilling them and helps the potatoes keep their structure after chilling and reheating.
You can make these potatoes one to two days in advance, cover and refrigerate them, and then bake them to reheat them before serving. The added melted butter on the potatoes when you bake them makes a beautiful golden top with slightly crispy edges. I have done this many times, and then I’m not worried about cooking and mashing potatoes on a busy night for dinner or for a holiday meal, just heat them in the oven for 30 minutes, and they are ready to go.
The inspiration for this recipe is mainly from this recipe by Jeff Mauro on the Food Network. I have made a few adjustments according to preference and taste.
Looking for other sides for dinner or a holiday meal? Try our Garlic Parmesan Green Beans, or our Big Soft Fluffy Dinner Rolls. For holiday main dishes, try our Marmalade Glazed Ham, or our Brined Boneless Turkey Breast with Maple Glaze
What you need to make Baked Mashed Potatoes
You will need the following ingredients:
- Russet potatoes
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Heavy whipping cream
- Optional: chives
Baked Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You can substitute half-and-half in place of the cream, or possibly whole milk.
- The chives garnish is optional, but we like the flavor. You could garnish with parsley or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before baking for more of a crust on top if you like.
- Sour cream could possibly be substituted for the cream cheese, though I haven’t recipe tested it.
Step-by-step Instructions for these Baked Mashed Potatoes
Step 1. Put the potatoes in a large pot, fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and bring the water to a boil. Cook the potatoes until the tip of a sharp knife or a fork can easily pierce them, for about 15-20 minutes. Drain the potatoes well in a colander and pour them back into the pot. Add the softened cream cheese and 1 stick of softened butter to the potatoes and let them sit for 5 minutes to slightly melt over the hot potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 2. With a potato masher, mash the potatoes with the seasonings to remove lumps. Warm the cream in the microwave for 30-60 seconds and add it to the potatoes, continuing to mash and stir until you reach the desired consistency. Use a spatula to incorporate the edges to make sure the potatoes are evenly seasoned.
Step 3. Transfer the potatoes to an ungreased 9×13 pan. I like to swirl the potatoes a bit on the top so the melted butter seeps into crevices when baking. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1-2 days until ready to bake (you can bake the potatoes immediately after mashing as well).
Step 4. Remove the potatoes from the fridge and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the remaining ¼ cup of butter and drizzle it over the potatoes. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes; the edges and tops will be just starting to brown. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired and serve.
Tips
- Always add warmed milk to mashed potatoes to prevent them from becoming gummy. Adding cold milk can cool the potatoes, making them less creamy, harder to mix, and overworked.
- The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are russet or Yukon Gold potatoes as they are starchy and break down easily, leading to a fluffy or creamy result. Russets produce a fluffier mash, while Yukon Golds create a richer, creamier texture.
- For more tips on making mashed potatoes, see the notes section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How to store and reheat Baked Mashed Potatoes with cream cheese? |
| a. These mashed potatoes should be stored covered in the fridge and can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. b. You can freeze Baked Mashed Potatoes, covered, for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat according to directions below. c. To reheat, bring them to room temperature for 15-30 minutes, then warm gently in the microwave in a microwave safe dish or in a covered oven-safe dish in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes. You may need to add a bit of milk, cream or a pat of butter to restore their creamy consistency if needed. |
| Can I make these potatoes ahead of time? |
| Yes! These potatoes are the ultimate make ahead side dish. Boil and mash them 1-2 days before baking, cover and refrigerate, and bake them according to the recipe directions when you desire to serve them. You can keep them warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven for up to 2 hours before serving as well. |
Baked Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese
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minutesThese Baked Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese are the ultimate comfort food and make the perfect side dish for holiday baking. These make-ahead potatoes can be made 1-2 days in advance and then baked just before serving. Made with cream cheese, butter in the potatoes and on top, and cream, they are ultimately creamy and buttery, with a light golden top.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt
1 stick (½ cup) softened butter
4 -ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Coarsely ground black pepper
Topping:
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, melted
Optional garnish: minced fresh chives
Directions
- Put the potatoes in a large pot, fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and bring the water to a boil. Cook the potatoes until the tip of a sharp knife or a fork can easily pierce them, for about 15-20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes well in a colander and pour them back into the pot. Add the softened cream cheese and 1 stick of softened butter to the potatoes and let them sit for 5 minutes to slightly melt over the hot potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- With a potato masher, mash the potatoes with the seasonings to remove lumps. Warm the cream in the microwave for 30-60 seconds and add it to the potatoes, continuing to mash and stir until you reach the desired consistency. Use a spatula to incorporate the edges and stir to make sure the potatoes are evenly seasoned. If you prefer to beat them in a mixer, you can, just don’t overmix or the potatoes can become gummy.
- Transfer the potatoes to an ungreased 9×13 pan. I like to swirl the potatoes a bit on the top so the melted butter seeps into crevices when baking. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1-2 days until ready to bake (you can bake the potatoes immediately after mashing as well).
- Remove the potatoes from the fridge and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the remaining ¼ cup of butter and drizzle it over the potatoes. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes; the edges and tops will be just starting to brown.
- Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired and serve. You can also tent with foil and place in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven to keep warm before serving if desired.
Notes
- The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are russet or Yukon Gold potatoes as they are starchy and break down easily, leading to a fluffy or creamy result. Russets produce a fluffier mash, while Yukon Golds create a richer, creamier texture.
- Feel free to use a ricer to remove lumps in your potatoes after they have been cooked.
- Mashing your potatoes for too long or too vigorously releases to much starch and can make them “gluey”.
- Make sure your potatoes are drained well. You can slightly reheat them when putting them pack in the pan if desired before adding additional ingredients so that any extra liquid doesn’t make them watery.
- Always add warmed milk to mashed potatoes to prevent them from becoming gummy. Adding cold milk can cool the potatoes, making them less creamy, harder to mix, and overworked.
