The beauty of this make ahead sour cream mashed potatoes recipe is that its perfect for busy holiday meal plans. Simply stated, this recipe can be a life saver. Make up to 2 days ahead of time, then bake in the oven. Sour Cream mashed potatoes with chives and plenty of butter make this a family favorite side dish.
About This Recipe
I used to be such a mashed potato purist. Surely there couldn’t be any reason to fiddle with such a perfect side dish. Potatoes that have simply been mashed to a fluffy delight, topped with a pat of butter or better yet gravy. Perfection.
Cue this Make Ahead Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes Recipe.
Here’s what you’re going to love about this recipe:
- It’s great for entertaining.
- The make ahead factor frees up burner space on your stove-top.
- You’re not laboring over a big pot of potatoes wielding a potato masher while your guests are waiting for dinner.
- And, the potatoes are mashed with butter, sour cream and chives = fabulous with flavor.
It gets even more genius. Besides its deliciousness, it can be made the day before, or even two. Cook the potatoes, assemble the casserole, wrap tightly and store it in the refrigerator.
When dinnertime comes, dust it with the cheese, butter and bread crumbs and toss it in the oven.
So if you’re looking for a make ahead mashed potato recipe, take a look at this one:
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Potatoes. Yukon Gold potatoes come with their own buttery flavor and texture. Perfect for mashed potatoes.
- Kosher Salt: Why do so many recipes call for Kosher Salt as opposed to Sea Salt or table salt? Chefs, including myself, like Kosher salt for its pure salt flavor.
- Sour Cream and Chives: Why not add your favorite baked potato toppings into a mashed potato casserole?
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan adds a sharp nutty flavor to this mashed potato casserole. A lovely addition to the flavor of the crunchy bread-crumb topping.
- Panko Bread Crumbs: Who doesn’t love a little crunch on their favorite casserole. Panko bread crumbs have a crisper texture that finer grain varieties. They’re less likely to soak up oil or grease, keeping them light and crispy.
How To Make Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
With just a few easy steps, you’re on your way to this convenient side dish
- Step 1: Cook the potatoes. Add 4 quarts of water to a large soup pot. Cut the potatoes into chunks and add them to the water. Bring them to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Step 2: Mash the potatoes. Drain water from the potatoes and in the same pot, mash potatoes with the butter, sour cream, reserved starchy potato water, salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped chives.
- Step 3: Add the mashed potatoes to your favorite casserole dish that’s been greased with butter, or sprayed with non-stick spray, like PAM.
- Step 4: Store the casserole: If you’re making this casserole a day or so ahead of time, at this point, cover the casserole with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
- Step 5: When ready to bake, Pepare The Crunchy Topping: In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs with melted butter and grated Parmesan Cheese.
- Step 6: Bake and Serve: Remove the plastic wrap from the potatoes. If the potatoes seem stiff, pour a little milk over the potatoes and using a fork, gently incorporate the milk. Sprinkle on the bread crumb topping and bake.
FAQ’s and Expert Tips
Yukon Gold Potatoes are a medium starch potato. When cooked, they don’t become mushy or watery, which are qualities that can ruin mashed potatoes.
Yes. And actually the Italian bread crumbs will bring a complimentary flavor to this mashed potato casserole. The consistency of this finer product will soak up more of the butter, so you will need to add an additional ⅛ cup to the instructed ⅔ cup called for in this recipe.
Absolutely. Parmesan is a dry salty cheese, which adds to the panko to form that crunchy topping. So if substituting you might want to think about swapping out Parmesan for another dry cheese. White cheddar would work well here. And even though it’s a softer cheese, Swiss Cheese would bring a nice flavor profile to this recipe. Play around with different cheeses, make this mashed potato casserole recipe your own.
If you’re using the recommended Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe, their skins are tender. You can choose to peel or not peel these potatoes. After all, the potato skins have more nutrients than the interior of the potato. (Source: Idaho Potato Commission)
Tips For Success
- Don’t be afraid to add additional milk depending upon your preference for texture. Plus, the potatoes may stiffen during storage.
- Don’t skip using the starchy reserved potato water. That starchy water will help make those mashed potatoes even creamier.
- I recommend using full fat sour cream for the best flavor and texture. However, low fat sour cream will work well here.
Storage
- Cover any left over mashed potatoes with plastic wrap. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for 4 days.
- To Reheat: Warm in the microwave in 30 second increments at 50% power. Stir as you warm to distribute heat.
Serving Ideas
Since I usually make this recipe during the holidays, here are some main course showing recipes to consider:
- Italian Steak Tagliata
- Boneless Prime Rib Roast
- Spiced Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
- Lemon Garlic Chicken in White Wine Sauce
Recipe for Make Ahead Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
The end result? A creamy mashed potato casserole with a sour cream and chives flavor and a crunchy Panko Parmesan topping that’s simply irresistible.
More Potato Casserole Recipes For Entertaining
- Scalloped Potato Casserole
- Grandpa Johnson’s Potato Casserole with Corn Flakes
- Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes with Green Chile
- Blue Cheese Potato Dauphinoise
And if you’re looking for more side dish recipes don’t miss my Side Dish Category. You’ll find lots of supporting actor ideas, including the most popular side dish recipe on my site, Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole.
Make Ahead Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, and more for the pan
- 6 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups sour cream
- ¾ cup starchy potato water (reserved water the potatoes have been cooked in)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 tablespoons finely chopped chives
- ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan.
- In a large pot, bring the potatoes, 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes. You can tell when potatoes are done, if when pierced with a fork they break in half. Drain, reserving a cup of the starchy water that potatoes cooked in.
- Mash potatoes with 10 tablespoons butter, sour cream, ½-3/4 cup starchy potato water (just enough to get a creamy, not dry texture), 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir in the chives. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Spread potatoes into the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to three days. Even if your casserole dish has a lid, use plastic wrap. It will better seal in the moisture and keep the potatoes from drying out.
- In a small bowl, melt the remaining 4 Tablespoons butter in the microwave in 15 second increments. combine butter, bread crumbs and cheese. Mix together until it forms coarse crumbs. Crumbs can be refrigerated for three days.
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the potato casserole and bake, uncovered until golden and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Garnish with additional chives, or fresh thyme works nicely here. Serve directly from the casserole pan, or spoon into your favorite special serving dish.
Notes
- Don’t be afraid to add additional milk depending upon your preference for texture. Plus, the potatoes may stiffen during storage.
- Don’t skip using the starchy reserved potato water. That starchy water will help make those mashed potatoes even creamier.
- I recommend using full fat sour cream for the best flavor and texture. However, low fat sour cream will work well here.
- If you’re using the recommended Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe, their skins are tender. You can choose to peel or not peel these potatoes. After all, the potato skins have more nutrients than the interior of the potatoes.
Nutrition
Make Ahead Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes …. It’s Whats for a Holiday Side Dish
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
This Casserole looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! And thanks for including my White Cheddar and Chive Creamy Mashed Potatoes!
Quite a delightful assortment of delicacies. They look inviting too. Keep it up, Lea Ann.
I’m digging this recipe. Like you, I didn’t want to like it. But, I was wrong. This looks really good!
Lea Ann, even though a good mashed potato casserole (minus cans of soup!) is really good, I too am a purist about mashed potatoes. And yet there are times when that make-ahead factor really wins out. It’s delicious, it’s convenient, and so what if it isn’t “real” old-fashioned mashed potatoes! I’m not going to turn my nose up at a big serving of this!
Mashed potatoes are my favorite food of the holidays, love this version. My husband admires Anthony Bourdain, maybe I should add this to his list, so hard to buy for. Thanks Lea Ann!
While we don’t eat them often as gravy is required, I love mashed potatoes and never met one I didn’t like so I know I’d like this – especially like the make ahead part.
I love mashed potatoes! And yes, I used to be a purist too. Not any longer — I’ll take them any way the cook is dishing them up! These look SO good — thanks.
You just have to love make ahead recipes like this for Thanksgiving to make the holiday less stressful! This sounds like a total winner, Lea Ann!
I love potatoes in every form and thinking of having a dish of them just waiting for me in the fridge is comfort. Thanks for this great recipe, Lea Ann!
Any make ahead recipe is really good to have in your repertoire during this time of the year. These potatoes sounds great.
Oh my my – this sounds delicious and the you are so right about the make ahead factor. What a find! Also, that cookbook is a perfect gift for a foodie friend on my list. Thanks!!