How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm (4 Best Methods)
So you’re making Thanksgiving dinner for 20 people and you’re wondering whether you can make the mashed potatoes ahead of time and keep them warm. The answer is yes!
Here are four foolproof methods to keep your mashed potatoes warm (or reheat the mashed potatoes you made yesterday). The method you use is up to you; use the one that works best for you and your schedule. Plus, if you plan on making mashed potatoes ahead of time, you should learn the best way to freeze and reheat mashed potatoes
The Best Way to Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm
To keep mashed potatoes warm, there are a few different options you can use. The best method is to use a slow cooker to keep the prepared spuds warm for hours. Add the mashed potatoes to the slow cooker and keep them on warm for hours leading up to the meal. This way, you don’t have to worry about them burning.
Best Method to Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm : Slow Cooker
Mashed potatoes do get stiff and gluey once they sit for too long. And while we’ll eat them cold and hard straight from the refrigerator, obviously you want them to be fluffy and creamy on your Thanksgiving table. But making them at the last minute isn’t always an option, and they cool down fast.
We like to make mashed potatoes first thing on Thanksgiving, and keep them warm throughout the day. (If you’d like to make them the day before, check out the first alternate method below.)
How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm in the Oven
We’ve made mashed potatoes the day before Thanksgiving and re-warmed them with great success. Add a healthy extra dose of cream and butter, so that the potatoes are almost soupy. You want them to just about drip off the end of a spoon. Put them in a deep casserole or soufflé dish — even a Dutch oven will do — and store in the fridge overnight.
Warm the mashed potatoes up in the oven at 350°F, uncovered, with a little butter on top for about 1 hour. The extra moisture will evaporate and you’ll have creamy potatoes. If you’re really nervous about the outcome, do a test run to see how much extra liquid you need to add to get the consistency you want.
How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm on the Stove
Another tip that we’ve used before is to set your bowl of potatoes over a pot of simmering water, just like a double boiler. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap or (our choice) a dish towel. Give it a stir every 15 minutes or so to keep the mixture well-heated.
How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm with a Dish Towel
If you only need to keep the potatoes warm for about 20 minutes, we’ve simply covered the bowl with a dish towel and let it sit. We usually make our mashed potatoes in our standing mixer, so we just throw a towel over the top of the mixing bowl and the potatoes stay plenty warm for up to 30 minutes.
How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm in the Slow Cooker
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- Mashed potatoes
- Butter
- Cream
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Spatula or spoon
Instructions
You'll need extra butter and cream, along with your finished mashed potatoes.
Butter the slow cooker and add extra cream. Butter the insert of the slow cooker. Drizzle a small amount of cream in the bottom.
Keep warm on LOW for up to 4 hours. Transfer the mashed potatoes to the slow cooker, and set to LOW. Keep warm for up to 4 hours, stirring once an hour.
Stir before serving. The mashed potatoes will stay warm and creamy. Keep stirring in any cream that separates out; you may find that the potatoes get a little thinner as they sit.
Recipe Notes
This method isn't recommended for rewarming potatoes that are cold from the refrigerator. Technically, it's not safe food practice to reheat food in a slow cooker, because it won't get into the safe temperature zone quickly enough.