Creamy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes Recipe: These Freeze the Best!

A creamy make ahead mashed potatoes recipe that is delicious, even after it has been frozen, is a gem. I can't boast enough about the benefits of this tried and true recipe from our store. It will simplify entertaining, be it Thanksgiving, Easter or the family barbecue. It is the perfect complement to so many family-style meals.

There are lots of tips and suggestions to consider for this recipe from making small serving portions to calculating the amount of mashed potatoes to make for larger gatherings. This information is all below under the section "Tips and Suggestions."

If you have kids in the house, this is a great recipe to prepare with their help and it may get you out of the kitchen twice as fast if more than one person is peeling the potatoes! But, don't worry about removing every last bit of skin-a little potato skin is desirable and contains a lot of healthy nutrients in it.

The Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe uses the following ingredients.

8 cups mashed potatoes (approximately 4 pounds)

1/2 cup cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

6 tablespoons butter, sliced into tabs

The biggest task in this make ahead mashed potatoes recipe is preparing the potatoes. Once this step is out of the way, the rest of the instructions are a breeze.

Yield: Twelve 3/4 cup portions.

1. Peel and quarter 4 pounds of Yukon gold potatoes.
2. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water.
3. Bring water to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender, approximately 30 minutes.
4. Drain potatoes and return to the pot or place in a large bowl.
5. Begin to break-up potatoes up with a large fork or masher.
6. Add remaining ingredients to pot with potatoes in small quantities and mix with beaters.
   Begin at low speed and switch to medium speed as mixture combines.
7. You're finished when the mixture is creamy and smooth.
8. Transfer mixture to 9 x 11 baking dish. You can also divide the mixture between smaller banking tins or plastic containers that will go in the freezer.
9. Top with 6 tabs of butter.
10. See cooking instructions below to enjoy this recipe now.
11. Wrap any portions you are going to freeze. Place lids on pans or encase with aluminum foil and then fully encase the covered pans in plastic wrap.
12. Label with cooking directions.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Instructions: Defrost in refrigerator for approximately 24 hours. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Stir to mix in butter. Potatoes should be heated through to a temperature of 145F.

Serving Suggestions: Enjoy with any delicious dinner.

Servings:___________

Preparation Date:________________________

This recipe is very versatile. Here are some tips to get the most our of your make ahead mashed potatoes recipe:

• Freeze potatoes in small containers like large muffin tins or air tight ziplock containers or bags. We recommend using potatoes within 2-3 months of freezing. Longer storage may effect the quality of the dish, but does not pose a safety issue.
• Picky eaters may not like to see the green specks of parsley, take this ingredient out for a kid-friendly dish.
• A crock-pot is an excellent way to heat and keep potatoes warm for easy entertaining - and it frees up the oven for another use.
• Allow about 3/4 cup of mashed potatoes per person. This recipe yields about 9 cups and will feed 12 people.
• Yukon gold or russet potatoes will work best with this recipe because they absorb less water when cooking.
• Try these potatoes on top of Shepherd's Pie.