Prep-ahead mashed potatoes

Cooling a large batch of potatoes gets into some food safety issues that are problematic even in a restaurant environment. Over time -- a few days under refrigeration, a few hours when hot -- potatoes can develop stale and other off flavors. Will this work for you?

Without sacrificing anything, you can mash the potatoes with butter and hold at room temperature for up to three hours. Warm them just before serving over low heat, adding the cream at that time.

The butter should be cold and mixed in as you mill, rice or mash. Warm butter invites greasiness; cold will emulsify much better. Besides adding richness, the fat coats the starch granules, insulating them from the liquid, preventing glueyness.

On American tables, russets are traditional and will be the fluffiest, some people prefer the flavor of Yukon Golds. You've got plenty of time for a few trial runs, try them both and decide for yourself.

Try: For each pound of potatoes, mix in a quarter pound of butter (cut into pieces) then add sufficient heavy cream (1/4 to 1/2 cup, depending) -- plus salt to taste.

I always make them ahead of time. I reheat in the microwave. They are still delicious. I use Yukon golds, butter, half n half, salt and pepper and make a rough mash. I don't like puréed potatoes. I'll also mix things up and add pepper jack cheese, or garlic and rosemary, or cheddar, sour cream, small amount of minced onion and crisp bacon. Yum!

I make the mashed potatoes the day before Thanksgiving every year, cover really well in plastic wrap and reheat right before dinner. They taste perfectly delicious and no one ever knows i make them ahead.

Mashed potatoes are funny that way. They seem so simple that I always save them for the last 30 minutes of prep. Suddenly, I have this big pot of water taking up stove space, your sink needs to be clear for your colander, and if you are like me, you have to take out the food mill which is another space taking contraption and extra parts to clean.

I've never boiled potatoes ahead of time with the intention to to re-heat and mash later. That just seems like the same amount of trouble as just boiling them that day. I would steer clear of mashing ahead of time, then adding butter and cream later. I think that would possibly make your potatoes gummy (for lack of better description). Its best to mix the cream and butter in at the same time you mash them.

For me, I take my mashed potatoes seriously. When I am serving guests, its just one of those things that I have accepted the inconvenience of having to do them just before serving. Boil, drain, let it sit for a while to evaporate, run through a food mill, fold in cream, butter, salt and pepper.

I found this recipe a couple of years ago and have been using it ever since when I make mashed potatoes for a crowd. I normally use Idahoes for mashed.
http://busycooks.about.com/od/sidedishrecipes/r/cpmashedpotatoe.htm