Helen’s recipe for make-ahead mashed potatoes means that a party host can spend more time with guests and less time in the kitchen.
Potatoes are one of the most versatile foods. They can be eaten mashed, baked, boiled, deep fried, roasted, scalloped — or in soups, stews, casseroles and potato salad. It’s no wonder that the average person eats 33 kg (73 pounds) of potatoes each year.
My mother used to add cooked carrots or cabbage to mashed potatoes. Known as “stamppot,” this is a traditional Dutch dish. Other vegetables that are cooked and mashed with potatoes include onions, parsnip, leeks and kale. Stamppot is usually served with spicy sausage.
In a restaurant, I once had what were called south-west style mashed potatoes. Sautéed chopped red peppers and corn along with chili powder had been added to skin-on mashed potatoes. This was a nice change from the usual fare and complemented the tangy sauce on the barbequed chicken.
If you’re looking to save time during meal prep, cook enough potatoes for a few nights’ worth of dinners. For example, if you are cooking mini-potatoes with the skin on, the first night you can boil them and serve with a little butter, salt and pepper.
On the second night you can serve them roasted. Toss some of the leftover boiled potatoes with olive oil, minced garlic and dried herbs (such as oregano and rosemary) and roast them in an oven-proof dish in the oven at 400 °F (200 °C) until browned. (To make “smashed potatoes,” flatten the boiled potatoes with a heavy-bottomed frying pan before roasting.) If desired, after roasting, sprinkle with grated cheese and chopped bacon and return to the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
On the third night, make potato salad from the boiled potatoes remaining from the first night by chopping the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and adding chopped green onions, celery, mayo and dill.
Mashed potatoes are the traditional accompaniment to holiday dinners but there’s no need to be stuck in the kitchen mashing the potatoes when you are hosting. That’s why I like this recipe for Make-Ahead Creamy Mashed Potatoes. This dish is great for minimizing stress when serving large numbers of people. It can be made one to two days ahead of time and then reheated just before dinner. It has quickly become a holiday favourite at our house.
Make-ahead creamy mashed potatoes
INGREDIENTS
2¼ kg (5 pounds) of Yukon Gold or other potatoes suitable for mashing
125 mL (½ cup) butter, softened
225 g (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
125 mL (½ cup) half-and-half cream or milk
Seasoning
METHOD
--Peel potatoes. Rinse and cut into quarters.
--Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes. Cook until tender. Drain the potatoes and place them into the dry pot and put the pot back on the burner; turn burner on low. Mash the potatoes for about 3 minutes. Add butter, cream cheese, cream and seasonings such as salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, roasted garlic etc. Mash again. Butter a large baking dish and fill with the mashed potatoes. Smooth the surface with a knife. Dot with butter. Cover with foil and refrigerate for one to two days.
--About two hours before the time you want to serve them, remove the dish from the fridge. Let stand at room temperature for 30-40 minutes. Then bake in an oven heated to 350 °F (175 °C) for 45 minutes, until heated through. (If you want a crispy topping (my preference), remove the foil before putting them in the oven.) Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
- Helen Lammers-Helps