Make Ahead Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes have three different kinds of cheese, including cream cheese that makes them extra creamy! They’re amazing on their own, but you can always add garlic or top them with bacon!

This mashed potato recipe is the best because it can be made ahead of time then baked in the oven, microwaved, or even heated in the slow cooker!

This recipe was updated with new images and different text in November 2020.

If you’ve ever had mashed potatoes with cream cheese you know how creamy and decadent they are! I know it’s hard to imagine but adding cheddar and parmesan cheese makes them even better!

I’m from Idaho and we’re surrounded by potato farms. Heck, my kids even get a two-week break during the fall so the high school kids can help with the spud harvest. We’re pretty serious about potatoes around here!

Potatoes show up at about every meal! Be sure to check out my Cheesy Chicken and Potato Soup, Smashed Potatoes, Slow Cooker Peas and Potatoes, and Greek Yogurt Potato Salad!

My favorite things about this recipe

Okay! I’m obsessed with this cheesy mashed potato recipe because they are insanely delicious! But, there’s more!

1. Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes – I do NOT like last-minute dishes. Just don’t! These mashed potatoes can be made up to three days ahead of time. Just stick them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them! I’ll show you exactly how to reheat them in a minute!
2. No gravy needed – I’m not in love with those store-bought gravy packets and it’s kinda hard to make gravy without them unless you’re cooking a turkey, chicken, or roast unless you want white gravy. Because these are mashed potatoes with cheese you don’t really need gravy. Sure, they’re amazing with gravy, but it’s totally optional. Life just got easier!
3. Customize them – Think of this recipe as a starting point and then customize them to make them exactly the way you like! Think bacon, garlic, etc!
4. Leftovers – We live on leftovers and these are just as good the next day! #winning

Ingredients in Cheese Mashed Potatoes

The ingredients for these potatoes are so simple and “normal” ingredients. Plus, I’m going to give you options just in case!

• Potatoes – Fresh potatoes are best. But you can even make this recipe with instant mashed potatoes too. Just make sure they are real! See my tip below about the best kind of potatoes for mashed potatoes.
• Cream Cheese – Use regular full fat. You can also use Chive and Onion Cream Cheese, make sure it’s not whipped.
• Sour Cream – Regular full fat is my fave.

• Heavy Cream – You could use whole milk, half and half, evaporated milk, or even 2% a pinch. But heavy cream is BEST!
• Butter – real salted or unsalted. If you’re allergic to dairy you can use margarine instead. Butter is always better if you can use it!

• Whole Egg – It’s okay to leave it out if you want. It adds extra richness though.
• Seasonings – Salt and pepper. Change it up with season salt for fun sometimes.
• Cheese – Parmesan and Cheddar. Instead of cheddar, you can use any cheese that melts well; Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, Gouda, mozzarella, etc.
• Optional – Add minced fresh garlic, or garlic powder if you don’t have it. Bacon is always a fantastic addition to any meal I can think of! I also love adding fresh herbs because the green is so pretty!

Little Dairy on the Prairie Pro Tip: What are the best potatoes for making mashed potatoes? Russets and Yukon Gold Potatoes are the best potatoes for making mashed potatoes. They have the right moisture content for mashing without too many lumps and they are creamy.

How to make Mashed Potatoes with Cheese

Homemade, real made from scratch mashed potatoes are so easy to make, plus there are so many options to make this recipe fit your needs.

Need to make it ahead of time? Gotcha covered! Need to make it last minute? Gotcha covered!

STEP 1: Cook Potatoes. Scrub, peel, and dice potatoes. Then cook using one of the following methods.

• Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes – Add diced potatoes to the pressure cooker. Add about an inch of water and a teaspoon of salt. Place the lid and set the valve to seal. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick-release.
• Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes – Add peeled, diced potatoes to a slow cooker. Add about a cup of water. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-7 hours.
• Stove Top – Add peeled, diced potatoes to a pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil. Cook uncovered until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

STEP 2: Mash Potatoes. Turn the heat on the pot off. Drain potatoes and return to the pot and let sit for a couple of minutes so the rest of the water will evaporate. Mash potatoes with a handheld masher, or use an electric mixer.

Little Dairy on the Prairie Pro Tip: Be careful to not over-mash the potatoes or they will be gummy. Some people are even okay with a few lumps so don’t stress about them too much!

STEP 3: Add other ingredients. Whisk an egg and add heavy cream. Once the potatoes have been mashed add butter, cream cheese, seasonings, and egg/cream mixture. Gently stir to combine until the cream cheese is melted.

STEP 4: Add cheese. Add whatever kinds of grated cheese you like. Reserve about 1/3 of each kind of cheese for the top.

STEP 5: Bake Potatoes. Grease a dish with butter or nonstick baking spray and spread potatoes in the dish. Top with reserved cheese. Bake at 350 degrees. If you’re baking them right way bake them for 40 minutes. If they’ve been in the fridge let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes then bake for 60 minutes.

Reheating mashed potatoes.

These potatoes can be cooked in a variety of ways. Here are your options.

• Baking Dish– Put the potatoes in an oven-safe dish and bake them.
• Slow Cooker – Add the potatoes to a greased slow cooker and cover with cheese. You can refrigerate them for two days or cook them right away. Cook them on low heat for 2-3 hours.
• Microwave – Prepare the potatoes through step 4 putting them in a microwave-safe dish. I like to choose a shallow dish so they don’t take so long to heat through. Refrigerate until about an hour before serving. Let sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Cook covered on high heat for about 10 minutes. Continue cooking until they are warmed through. The amount of time will vary depending on your microwave and how thick the potatoes are.

What to serve with mashed potatoes:

Anything goes! We love them with just about any meaty meal. Here are a few favorite easy meals!

• Beef Tenderloin Steak
• Sweet and Sour Meatballs – also a make-ahead meal
• Classic Roast Beef – slow cooker
• Grilled Strip Steak
• Smoked Meatloaf with Sweet BBQ Glaze
• Melt in the Mouth Roast Beef in the Slow Cooker

• Mississippi Roast – the most flavorful roast beef ever
• Beef Tenderloin Tips
• Grilled Chicken – with a citrus marinade
• Cube Steak in Mushroom Sauce – so tender and easy

• Barbecue Pork Chops – slow cooker
• Ritz Cracker Chicken – a favorite baked chicken recipe
• BBQ Drumsticks – another slow cooker fave

What to do with leftover mashed potatoes?

I feel like I’m the queen of leftovers! We literally survive on them! These potatoes actually reheat really well in the microwave and I think they are just as good the next day. So I serve them as a side dish all the time.

Here are some other options for using leftover mash taters.

• Hot Beef or Turkey Sandwiches – Toast bread, add a layer of hot mashed potatoes, add sliced cooked meat, top with gravy.
• Thicken Soup – They are perfect for thickening a creamy soup.
• Chicken Noodle Soup – I love chicken noodle soup served over mashed potatoes. It works great with stew too.
• Tater Tot Casserole – use mashed potatoes instead of tater tots
• Shepherds Pie – you’ve already got a head start on the classic

Grab the recipe!

You’re going to love how easy these Cheesy Mashed Potatoes are to make and serve!