Making the tastiest, creamiest, and best mashed potatoes in the instant pot is such a breeze! No need to worry about making a huge amount of mashed potatoes for the holiday season because this delicious recipe can be made ahead of time!
As I mentioned in my previous post, this year we got the chance to host Thanksgiving for the first time. By God’s grace, it all went well. Our guests were happily well-fed and we spent a wonderful time together.
A week before Thanksgiving, I did some furious research on the web on how to schedule cooking to help me cook everything on time and how to double or triple dishes that can feed about 15 individuals.
My Facebook page actually came in handy in my preparation because I asked them how they make their best version of mashed potatoes. Wow, I received hundreds (maybe even neared a thousand!) responses and I happily soaked in all their tips.
As a result of their suggestions, I refined my research and came up with this recipe that turned out so wonderfully delicious! In fact, it was practically gone by the end of dinner (despite the competition of about 8 or more dishes!).
It was so yummy that one of our guests to whom I offered some take-home dishes said she only wanted a little bit of the mashed potatoes because she found them to be so tasty! What a great testament to how yummy it was indeed.
So without further ado, here’s the delicious recipe for mashed potatoes made even easier with the use of the instant pot!
FOR FULL RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS and to PRINT, SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW.
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR Best Make Ahead Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes?
- 5 pounds Russet or Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks of even size (about 2 inches)
- 1 cup water or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 12 tbsp) butter, cubed
- 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup of half and half or whole milk, heated
- salt and pepper, to taste or as needed
- Extra 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) butter, cubed for serving
- Chives, diced and use it for garnish
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE Best Make Ahead Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes?
Pour in 1 cup water and add 1 1/2 tsp salt to the instant pot. Mix. Place a trivet into the instant pot bowl.
Place the peeled and cut up potatoes over the trivet. Cover with the lid and set the valve to ‘sealing’ position. Cook on manual high pressure for 12 minutes. When done, do a quick release. Once pressure has fully released, remove the lid then remove the trivet using a large fork or tongs. Don’t drain the water.
Work on the potatoes (which should be quite tender at this point) with a masher. Pour over the heated or warmed up light cream (half and half) or milk and mix. Adjust the amount of liquid to your desired consistency.
Mix in the cubed butter and softened cream cheese just until blended. Use an electric hand mixer to achieve a smoother and lump-free consistency. Season to taste with more salt and a little pepper, if desired.
Serve right away if that’s your plan. If you wish to make this ahead, transfer the mashed potatoes to a baking dish. A 9×13 pan should work best. Allow to cool completely then cover and chill. This can be made 1-2 days ahead.
Make sure to take the pan out of the fridge for a few hours so it reaches room temperature. I have used the slow cooker to warm the mashed potatoes up too, if the oven is otherwise occupied.
If not using the slow cooker, simply cover the dish and bake potatoes at a preheated 350 F oven for 50-60 minutes until heated through.
Before serving, cube the remaining butter and lay on top of the mashed potatoes. The heat of mashed potatoes would melt the butter. Sprinkle with finely diced chives for garnish, if desired.
Best Make Ahead Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Russet or Gold potatoes peeled and cut into chunks of even size (about 2 inches)
- 1 cup water or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (about 1 1/2 sticks or 12 tbsp) butter, cubed
- 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup half and half or whole milk, heated
- salt and pepper, to taste or as needed
- ¼ cup up to 1/2 cup butter, cubed for serving
- fresh chives, diced and use for garnish
Instructions
-
Pour in 1 cup water and add 1 1/2 tsp salt to the instant pot. Mix. Place a trivet into the instant pot bowl.
-
Place the peeled and cut up potatoes over the trivet. Cover with the lid and set the valve to ‘sealing’ position. Cook on manual high pressure for 12 minutes. When done, do a quick release. Once pressure has fully released, remove the lid then remove the trivet using a large fork or tongs. Don’t drain the water.
-
Work on the potatoes (which should be quite tender at this point) with a masher. Pour over the heated or warmed-up light cream (half and half) or milk and continue to mix and mash. Adjust the amount of liquid to your desired consistency.
-
Add in the cubed butter and softened cream cheese and mix just until blended. Use an electric hand mixer to achieve a smoother and lump-free consistency. Season to taste with more salt and a little pepper, if desired.
-
Serve right away if that’s your plan. If you wish to make this ahead, transfer the mashed potatoes to a baking dish. A 9×13 pan should work best. Allow to cool completely then cover and chill. This can be made 1-2 days ahead.
-
Make sure to take the pan out of the fridge for a few hours so it reaches room temperature. I have used the slow cooker to warm the mashed potatoes up too, especially if the oven is occupied.
-
If not using the slow cooker, simply cover the dish and bake potatoes at a preheated 350 F oven for 50-60 minutes until heated through.
-
Before serving, cube the remaining butter (use between 1/4 to 1/2 cup butter, adjusted to your taste) and lay the slices on top of the mashed potatoes. The heat of mashed potatoes would melt the butter. Sprinkle with finely diced chives for garnish, if desired.
Recipe Notes
TIPS & TRICKS
If you wish to just make this and serve it the same day and use a simpler recipe – here’s how I do it.
After the potatoes have been cooked in the instant pot and mashed initially with a masher – add the following: 1 cup heated half and half or whole milk, 12 tablespoons butter, salt, and white pepper as needed to taste. Use a hand mixer to make the mashed potatoes smooth and lump-free. Enjoy.
