Creamy, fluffy, and full of flavor, Mashed Potato Casserole is the perfect way to prepare mashed potatoes for a gathering or the holidays. This easy recipe can be prepared several days in advance and delivers the classic flavors of mashed potatoes in a creamy potato casserole that is rich, decadent, buttery, and tangy.
What holiday is complete without potatoes? From Thanksgiving to Easter to Christmas, the holidays demand a potato side dish. And everyone's favorite holiday go-to dish is mashed potatoes.
But let's be honest, mashed potatoes are best served immediately and that can be hard to accomplish during the chaos of a big holiday meal.
Let me introduce you to what my mother-in-law refers to as Holiday Potatoes. Her make-ahead mashed potato casserole is the perfect solution to getting a creamy, flavorful mashed potato dish on the table with ease!
Reasons To Love Mashed Potato Casserole
- Easy Make-Ahead Recipe. This mashed potato casserole is not only easy to make, but it can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and then baked right before serving.
- Extremely Flavorful. Dare I say mashed potato casserole is better than classic mashed potatoes? With the addition of cream cheese, chopped onion, and sour cream, this potato casserole is rich, decadent, buttery, tangy, and delivers the classic comfort you crave in mashed potatoes, in an elevated, yet simple, recipe.
- Travels Well. This casserole travels well, making it a great dish to bring to a potluck. You can opt to bake upon arrival or bake at home before leaving for your gathering and keep warm by placing it in a casserole carrier or covering it with foil and warming it with a warm towel. It should hold warm for up to 1 hour.
- The Perfect Holiday Side Dish. This recipe truly is perfect to pair with Baked Ham, Roasted Turkey, New York Strip Roast, or any holiday main course.
Ingredients Needed
- Potatoes: Use either russet or Yukon gold potatoes for this casserole.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese gives the potato casserole a tangy, creamy, almost cheesy consistency. It is what makes this casserole so delicious! Use full fat or â…“ less fat cream cheese, but do not use fat-free cream cheese for best results. Be sure your cream cheese is at room temperature to easily incorporate it into the potato mixture.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is a must when making mashed potatoes in my book. The sour cream keeps the potatoes light, gives them a bit of tang, and makes them so much more luscious! Use full fat or reduced fat. Do not use fat-free sour cream as it can separate when baked.
- Onion: I love the flavor of freshly minced onion in these potatoes. Feel free to omit or use 1 tablespoon of dried onion flakes in place of the raw onion.
- Butter: Potatoes and butter go hand and hand! I recommend using traditional unsalted butter. That way you can control the salt. Traditional butter is best, not margarine or a tub of refrigerated butter. The taste of real butter can not be replaced.
- Eggs: The eggs will help the potatoes puff up a bit and give this casserole a bit of body. If you have an egg allergy, you can omit the eggs without sacrificing much.
Optional Flavor Additions
- Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole: Mix 1 cup of shredded or cubed cheddar cheese into the potato mixture before spreading it in the casserole dish and then top with 1 to 2 cups of additional shredded cheddar cheese and then bake as directed.
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole: Before baking, top the potatoes with 2 cups shredded cheese and ½ cup crumbled cooked bacon. Bake as directed and then top with minced chives or green onions if desired.
- Onion Mashed Potato Casserole: Add ¼ cup finely minced onions and 1 teaspoon onion powder into the mashed potato mixture before beating. Bake as directed.
How to Make Mashed Potato Casserole
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One: Cook Potatoes. Always, always start cooking your potatoes in cold, salted water. The cold water ensures they cook evenly and the salt helps to flavor the potatoes. Once the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them and return the potatoes to the hot pan and simmer until all the moisture has evaporated–about 1-2 minutes. This trick really helps keep the casserole from being watered down and helps to intensify the flavor of the potatoes.
Step Two: Mash Potatoes. You want to start by mashing your cooked potatoes with a potato masher until smooth. Then add in the cream cheese, butter, sour cream, milk, eggs, onion, salt, and pepper and mix with a handheld mixer on low speed until flight and fluffy. Normally, I do not recommend using a handheld mixer when working with potatoes, but this recipe is the exception. Just be sure to first mash the cooked potatoes with a handheld masher, as this will prevent your potatoes from becoming gummy.
Step Three: Refrigerate or Bake. After transferring your potatoes to your baking dish, you can cover the casserole dish and refrigerate for up to 48 hours OR you can bake until the casserole is warmed through and the potatoes are browned slightly on the top.
Step Four: Serve. Once baked, dish out and serve and watch your guests be impressed!
∗ make-ahead instructions ∗
This mashed potato casserole is delicious and a perfect holiday side dish because it is the BEST way to prepare mashed potatoes in advance.
- Up to Two Days in Advance: Prepare the mashed potato casserole as directed up to baking. Then cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When ready to bake the casserole, remove from refrigerator and let the dish come to room temperature as the oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until slightly browned and warmed through.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Store leftover baked and cooled mashed potato casserole in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave on a heat-safe plate in 30-seond intervals, covered with a damp paper towel so the casserole does not dry out.
- Freeze: Let the baked casserole cool completely. Transfer it to an airtight storage container or freezer bag and freeze it for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator. Mix gently to incorporate and then reheat before serving.
- Creative Use for Leftovers: Use leftovers as the filling for Pierogi Lasagna--out of this world good!
More Delicious Holiday Side Dishes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Classic Stuffing
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
- Green Beans Almondine
- Green Bean Casserole
- Holiday Salad
I hope you love this mashed potato casserole as much as my family does and be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing from you!
Mashed Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled, and cubed
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup milk any fat percentage
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish or 3-quart baking dish with butter. Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Place cubed potatoes in a large stock pan. Cover with cold water and salt well. Bring the potatoes to a rapid boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender (the chunks should fall apart easily when pieced with a fork.) Drain the potatoes and return to the hot pan. Place over low heat and simmer until all the moisture has evaporated–about 1-2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mash hot potatoes with a potato masher.
- Mix in cream cheese, butter, sour cream, milk, eggs, onion, salt, and pepper. Beat the potato mixture with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy.
- Place the potato mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until warmed through and slightly browned.
Notes
- Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole: Mix 1 cup of shredded or cubed cheddar cheese into the potato mixture before spreading it in the casserole dish and then top with 1 to 2 cups of additional shredded cheddar cheese and then bake as directed.
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole: Before baking, top the potatoes with 2 cups shredded cheese and ½ cup crumbled cooked bacon. Bake as directed and then top with minced chives or green onions if desired.
- Onion Mashed Potato Casserole: Add ¼ cup finely minced onions and 1 teaspoon onion powder into the mashed potato mixture before beating. Bake as directed.
Nancie Callon
I usually make a similar recipe with bacon and have never tried to use eggs. My family loved it. Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
You are welcome, Nancie! I am so glad you gave it a try and enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂
Peggie
My mom use to make a similar recipe back in the 80’s. I never got the recipe this extremely similar as hers had onions, cream cheese and sour cream. I’m so happy to have found it. It’s a crowd favorite
Susan Weinberg
We all loved it! Made it without onions due to one family members preference and it was still fabulous!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing, Sharon. I am so happy to hear you enjoyed.
Julia Chipley
Can I make this a week ahead and freeze it before baking?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Julia! I would actually recommend baking and then freezing for best results. To do this, To freeze, prepare as directed using a freezer-safe baking dish. Let the casserole cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and two layers of foil. Freeze for up to 2 weeks. Thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator. Unwrap and discard the plastic wrap and recover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes to warm through. Enjoy 🙂
Martha Harris
I fairly regularly make this and freeze before baking and it has always turned out great! There is no discernible difference in appearance, texture or taste. I’ll be making tomorrow (doubling recipe), freezing before baking, removing to thaw on the morning of the 24th, then cooking early evening on the 25th. I’ve done it this way for years.
Mikaela Carpenter
Delicious recipe and easy to follow recipe!
Kathy Rector
I forgot to take a picture before serving this very delicious recipe! I added garlic instead of onion and most everyone at the table for Thanksgiving dinner had second helpings and quickly accepted the invitation to take a container of leftovers home with them. I will definitely make this recipe again many times.
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing this recipe will now be a family tradition!
Deanna Arata
No amounts for ingredients and number of servings are provided. 🤔
Kristen Chidsey
Everything is found in the recipe card towards bottom of the post 🙂 I hope you enjoy!
T
Can this be doubled in a larger pan? Will that effect the cooking time?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi there! Because this is baked in a 9x13 pan, the best way to double it would be to use two 9x13 pans or one large 6-quart baking dish. If using a 6-quart dish the casserole will be a lot thicker, so I would cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until browned.
Shawn Swift
Quick question - it says not to temper the eggs before adding. How do the eggs not cook or curdle in the hot potatoes? Just curious. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Shawn! Great questions, but adding the creamed cheese, milk, sour cream, and eggs together cool the potatoes enough, we have not had this issue. If you are concerned, mix the sour cream, milk, butter, cream cheese into the potatoes first, then mix in the eggs. Enjoy!
Janet Kuehn Kosick
I made these for Christmas dinner. They were absolutely delicious and a hit with everyone!
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you for sharing, Janet!
Glorz
We had this for dinner tonight and the family all thought it was great! The prep time is a bit more than mash potato but I do understand what an advantage it would be if you prepared it in the morning ready to cook for that nights dinner. The potatoes were definitely still fluffy. I made mine entirely in the instapot so drying out the potatoes after straining was pretty easy. Will definitely keep in mind for when I have guests and prep ahead. Thanks
Beth Chamberlin
Excellent! Easy and delicious.
Monica
Would this do ok in a roaster oven? I want to make it for Christmas dinner but oven space will be limited
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Monica! Yes! Just be sure to follow the instructions for cooking. (Put water in the roaster if called for per your model). Keep in mind it may cook a bit faster as well, so I would be sure to keep a close eye on it.
Debbie
This was wonderful when I made it for Christmas last year. I did the cheesy variety and added a bit of garlic. Do you think it would turn out well with yukon gold potatoes. My hands are really arthritic this week and they peel more easily
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Debbie! I am sorry your hands have been bugging you this week. As for the potatoes, yukon gold will be perfect!