These Freezer Mashed Potatoes are super creamy and flavorful, made with cream cheese, sour cream, and garlicky seasoning. This make-ahead mashed potatoes recipe is an easy Thanksgiving side dish and reheats perfectly in the oven!
Homemade mashed potatoes are one of our most beloved vegetable side dishes. Whether it’s my Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes or Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, I always return for second and third helpings. That’s why I’m thrilled to share this recipe for freezer mashed potatoes! These are extra luscious, creamy, cloud-like mashed potatoes that hold up perfectly when frozen, thanks to a few helpful ingredients. They are truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Does Freezing Mashed Potatoes Change the Texture?
The secret to freezer-friendly mashed potatoes is in how they’re prepared. This mashed potatoes recipe freezes up perfectly due to dairy add-ins like cream cheese, sour cream, and butter. The dairy protects the starches, and as a result, these creamy, freezable potatoes thaw and reheat without much change in texture and flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potatoes: Use a starchy type of potato, like Yukon Gold, peeled and chopped.
- Butter: You can use either salted or unsalted butter.
- Cream Cheese: Cut a block of cream cheese into cubes.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream makes the taters extra creamy, with a hint of tang.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Optional, if you’re baking your mashed potatoes. I love to sprinkle over a layer of shredded cheese beforehand, so it bakes up golden and bubbly.
Let’s Make Freezer Mashed Potatoes!
Once you have your potatoes and ingredients prepped, it’s just a matter of whipping up a batch of these fluffy mashed potatoes, then baking or freezing them to suit your needs. Easy-peasy! Here’s how to do it:
- Boil the Potatoes: In a large pot, boil the potatoes in water for about 15 minutes, until they’re easily pierced with a fork. Once the potatoes are tender, drain them and return them to the pot.
- Mash: Add butter, then mash the potatoes while the butter melts. Next, mash in sour cream and cream cheese. You can use a handheld potato masher, a fork, or an electric mixer depending on how smooth you prefer your mashed potatoes.
- Finish: Lastly, season the mash with a combination of garlic and onion powders, plus a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Give everything a final stir to combine.
- Bake and Serve: If you’re serving them right away, bake your mashed potatoes beneath a layer of cheese while they’re still freshly mashed. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a baking dish, sprinkle over the shredded cheddar, then bake at 350ºF for a half hour or so. The potatoes should be hot throughout and the cheese will be melted and bubbly.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Potatoes: Starchy potatoes make rich and creamy mashed potatoes. Yukon Golds are the best all-rounders when it comes to cooking potatoes. Your next best choice for mashing would be Russet potatoes.
- Use Full-Fat Ingredients: I mentioned it before, and it’s worth repeating! Freezer mashed potatoes are the best excuse to throw calorie caution to the wind. Full-fat dairy helps thoroughly coat the starches and makes these potatoes freezer-friendly. They won’t freeze the same without it.
- Don’t Overwork the Potatoes: Over-mashing the potatoes can cause them to become gluey. This is especially easy to do with an electric mixer. Make sure to mash the potatoes just enough to get them smooth to your liking, then gently fold in any seasonings or add-ins.
- If Your Mashed Potatoes Are Watery: If you notice that your potatoes are a bit watery once they’re reheated, you can stir in a bit of additional cream cheese to help thicken them up.
- Add Bacon: Salty bacon and cheesy mashed potatoes are a perfect match! You can stir bacon bits into the potatoes themselves, or sprinkle cooked bacon over the top after baking.
- Herbs: Add herbs like fresh chopped chives, thyme, rosemary, or fennel to your mashed potatoes for an extra touch of flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Any meal is immediately 10 times better with a side of buttery mashed potatoes. For a casual weeknight dinner, pair them with my Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast and a side of Light Skillet Cornbread. For the holidays, serve them alongside delicious Roast Beef, Thanksgiving Turkey, and Traditional Stuffing. Don’t forget the Maple Roasted Carrots and the Turkey Gravy.
Storage
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, simply defrost them (if applicable) in the refrigerator the night before, then warm them in the oven at 350ºF for 30 minutes. You can also reheat the them in the microwave for a minute or two until warmed through.
More Easy Freezer Meal Ideas
- Freezer Egg Breakfast Sandwiches
- Stuffed Shells Florentine
- Texas No Beans Chili
- Meatball Soup
- Quick Pork Carnitas Tacos
Freezer Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into larger chunks
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a steady boil; continue to cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Drain the potatoes and then transfer them to a large mixing bowl or back into the pot. Add the butter to the potatoes and mash until the butter is melted.
- Mix in the sour cream and cream cheese. If you’d like a smoother texture, you can use an electric mixer to mix it all together. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper; mix until well combined.
- Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
- At this point, you can freeze the mashed potatoes or bake them.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Transfer the mashed potatoes to a greased 9×13 baking dish.
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through, and the cheese is melted.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Scoop out 2-cup portions of mashed potatoes and arrange the portions on the baking sheet. Put in the freezer for a couple of hours or until frozen.
- Remove from the freezer and put the frozen mashed potatoes in a large ziploc bag. Freeze for 3 months.
- When ready to cook, remove from the freezer and thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Then, bake at 350˚F for about 30 minutes, or until heated through.
Notes
- For creamy mashed potatoes, use Yukon Golds, with Russets being a great alternative.
- Use full-fat dairy for freezer mashed potatoes. It coats the starches well, making them ideal for freezing. Skimping on fat won’t yield the same results.
- Avoid over-mashing to prevent your potatoes from turning gluey. Electric mixers can easily overdo it. Mash to your preferred smoothness, then lightly mix in seasonings or extras.
- If reheated potatoes are watery, mix in a little more cream cheese to thicken them.
- Combine salty bacon with cheesy mashed potatoes for a good twist. Mix in bacon bits or garnish the top after baking.
- Garnish with herbs like fresh chives, thyme, rosemary, or fennel for an extra burst of flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
