The Best Holiday Mashed Potatoes. Creamy, buttery, light and fluffy—mashed potatoes are the heart and soul of the holiday table. Make this recipe and everyone will be reaching for the mashed potatoes! Get a jump on your Thanksgiving prep by making your mashed potatoes now, freezing them and then reheating on the big day. Scroll down to see how!

Potatoes: Which type is the best for mashed potatoes?

• Russet potatoes: have a high starch content with low moisture. They are a good choice for mashed potatoes.
• Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn potatoes. They have a great flavor and taste buttery. Also a good choice for mashed potatoes.
• Sweet potatoes: are moist or dry fleshed. A good choice for mashed potatoes
• Red or white potatoes are low in starch and high in moisture. They are most often boiled or roasted and used in potato salad. Not suited for mashed potatoes. These potatoes are of the “waxy” variety and require more mashing to become creamy. This can result in a potato paste.

Tips for making the perfect bowl of mashed potatoes

1. Choose the right potato for the job.
2. Salt the water. As the potatoes cook they will absorb the salt. If you salt at the beginning you won’t have to add as much salt at the end.
3. Starting with cold water. If you start with hot water the potatoes will cook unevenly.
4. Drain the potatoes well. Not draining your potatoes could result in mushy, watery potatoes.
5. Pour potatoes back into the hot pot, add butter, place lid on the pot, wait 5 minutes and beat until creamy.
6. Keep potatoes in the original (hot) pot until ready to serve and then transfer potatoes to your serving bowl.

Mixer vs. Masher vs. Ricer

Which tool is the best—You be the judge!

How to Freeze and Reheat Mashed Potatoes

Freezing

• Make the mashed potatoes as instructed.
• Cool completely
• Scoop into a large container with a tight fitting lid
• Freeze until Thanksgiving

Reheating

• Take the potatoes out of the freezer two days before your dinner and place in the refrigerator to thaw
• Stovetop: Spoon thawed mashed potatoes in a large pot on low to medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
• Oven: Spoon mashed potatoes into a heat proof dish that has a lid. Place in a cold oven. Heat oven to 350°. Depending on the amount of potatoes and the shape of the dish (shallow or deep). The reheating time will vary. Allow 30 minutes to 1 hour. TIP: Stir after 30 minutes.
• Slow Cooker: Spoon thawed mashed potatoes into a slow cooker. Heat on low 2 to 4 hours. BEST METHOD..IT FREES UP THE STOVE AND OVEN!
• Microwave: Spoon mashed potatoes into a microwave safe container. Heat a total of 6 minutes at regular powder. Heat in increments of 2 minutes, stirring between each time.
• FINAL THOUGHTS: Once reheated, if the potatoes seem to be on the watery side, stir in some sour cream or cream cheese to give them a thicker creamier texture. If the potatoes are thick and chunky, add a couple of splashes of milk. Taste the potatoes and add more butter, salt and pepper is necessary.

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