Make-ahead mashed potatoes

Subject: Make-ahead mashed potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking

From: ck (ck1144 at home.com)
Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1999 20:26:54 GMT
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I would like to make mashed potatoes the day before Thanksgiving and reheat the next day. Any recipes or suggestions?

From: sportkite1 at aol.comfly (SportKite1)
Date: 06 Nov 1999 21:46:32 GMT
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I would discourage this if at all possible. There is nothing like fluffy fresh mashed potatoes with turkey gravy.

Peeling, cooking and mashing them fits right in with so much of the schedule of making Thanksgiving Dinner. If you peel the potatoes right before pulling out the turkey, you can cook them as the turkey is resting and you make the gravy and warm thru your other casserole dishes/rolls in the oven or microwave.

When they are done cooking, it takes only a moment or two to season and mashed them. By this time the rest of the dinner is ready or close to it.

Not meaning to preach or anything, but based on experience I've found that a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is the easiest meal to prepare for a large crowd. It's all in the timing.

If you are determined to make them ahead I would suggest making chantilly style potatoes and piping them in individual servings or a potato cassarole similar to the filling you would do for twice baked potatoes. Mashing them with the addition of Cream Cheese or Sour Cream, Butter, Salt and Pepper, Parsley and/or Chives, etc.

Hope this helps!
Color My Sky, Ellen

From: aem (aemNOSPAMretd at worldnet.att.net.invalid)
Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1999 13:49:29 -0800
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ck wrote:
> I would like to make mashed potatoes the day before Thanksgiving and reheat
> the next day. Any recipes or suggestions?

The sincerest suggestion I can offer is not to do it. Of course it can be done, but they simply are not as good. If you are thinking about minimizing the number of last minute tasks, why not delegate someone else to do the mashing? As to recipes, our bias is for plain potatoes (i.e., salt, pepper, a lot of butter, a bit of milk), so as not to distract from the gravy. We *love* the gravy.

From: SANDRA L WHALEN (WHALENS at prodigy.net)
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 16:26:22 -0600
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I make my mashed potatoes very early in the day. I make the first batch using red potatoes, salt, pepper, margarine, and canned milk.... except I add a little extra butter and milk. I then put them in the crock pot and let sit while I'm making the second batch... I prepare the same way.... mix together and then about a hr. before dinner is to be ready I put the crockpot on low add extra butter. I have done this for years..... Sandra

From: Jack Schidt (jack.schidt at worldnet.att.net)
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 19:36:47 -0500
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>I would like to make mashed potatoes the day before Thanksgiving and
>reheat the next day. Any recipes or suggestions?

not unless you want to present some leftover, maybe, like fritters or baked mashed potatoes

I'd say fresh mashed potatoes are one of the only things you don't want to prep the day before

From: Gloria Puester (puester at worldnet.att.NOSPAM.net)
Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1999 20:06:07 -0700
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ck wrote:
> I would like to make mashed potatoes the day before Thanksgiving and reheat
> the next day. Any recipes or suggestions?

You can do this and they turn out quite well. The trick is to add more milk and beat it in before you reheat or they come out too dry. The potato starch somehow absorbs the liquid while it sits in the fridge. There is an interesting recipe called "Pickaroon Potatoes" from the Colorado Cache cookbook. It's a casserole of mashed potatoes flavored lightly with horseradish and topped with whipped cream, then baked. If anyone's interested, I'll post the recipe.

From: Robb (rddg at 1st-uspride.net)
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 20:10:10 -0500
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You could certainly prep the potatoes, but I wouldn't cook and mash ahead of time. Scrub, peel, and cut potatoes as for cooking. Store, covered in water, in the refrigerator to prevent darkening. Cook and mash as usual the next day. It doesn't that long.

From: Goomba (goomba at mindspring.com)
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 06:30:27 -0500
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Robb wrote:
> You could certainly prep the potatoes, but I wouldn't cook and mashed
> ahead of time. Scrub, peel, and cut potatoes as for cooking. Store,
> covered in water, in the refrigerator to prevent darkening. Cook and
> mash as usual the next day.

When ever I prep potatoes earlier than I am going to cook them I keep them in water with about a tablespoon of vinegar in it to keep them nice and white. When time to cook just drain and cover with fresh water.
Goomba

From: Jill McQuown
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 19:10:12 -0600
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Goomba wrote:
>When ever I prep potatoes earlier than I am going to cook them I keep them
>in water with about a tablespoon of vinegar in it to keep them nice and
>white. When time to cook just drain and cover with fresh water.

A bit of lemon juice in the water does the same trick :-)

From: Cindy (ckling at a1usa.net)
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 10:32:01 -0500
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ck wrote:
> I would like to make mashed potatoes the day before Thanksgiving and reheat
> the next day. Any recipes or suggestions?

My sister gave me this recipe and I just love it. My dad is the ultimate in being picky about trying new things, and he loved these potatoes. You can modify the ingredients to suit your own tastes. You can add more or less cheese and you don't have to use cheddar. You can experiment with the spices also. These potatoes taste best if they sit overnight in the fridge. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Twice cooked potatoes

6-8 medium potatoes
Cheddar cheese (shredded) about 1/4 to 1/2 lb.
2 pint containers of heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the potatoes in the skins. When cool peel and shred. Mix with the cheese. Pour the heavy cream over the potatoes, refrigerate a couple hours or overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

WARNING: This is NOT low fat, but hey, what are the holidays for, Right?!?!