Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes

4.75 from 12 votes

Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes are smooth, creamy, slightly cheesy, garlicky, a little bit tangy, and a whole lot delicious. Best of all, no last-minute mashing frenzy while juggling a dozen other dishes. They’re indulgent yet practical, elevated yet comforting, and the kind of side dish that feels special without fuss.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 25

Total Time1 45

Course: Side Dishes - Potatoes

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

Equipment

Ingredients

Cooking spray
5 pounds Russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces
8-10 whole cloves garlic peeled
Salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 package (8-ounce) cream cheese room temperature
1 cup sour cream
2 cups half-and-half
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish (or two smaller baking dishes) with cooking spray.
Place peeled potatoes and garlic in a pot of cold water to cover. Add a generous amount of salt (approximately 1 tablespoon).
Set the pot on the stove burner and set the heat to HIGH. Place the butter in a stainless steel bowl and set it over the potatoes to melt the butter.
Bring potatoes and garlic to a boil. KEEP AN EYE ON THE BUTTER and remove the bowl from the pot when the butter JUST melts and before the pot boils over. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the butter.
Boil the potatoes uncovered until they can be easily pierced with a knife. Turn the heat off.
Drain the potatoes then place the pot back on the OFF--BUT STILL WARM-- burner for 1-2 minutes.
Working quickly, push the potatoes through a potato ricer into the melted salted butter. Stir to distribute the butter and smooth out the "riced" potatoes.
Push the potatoes to one side of the bowl. Place the cream cheese, sour cream and half-and-half in the other side of the bowl. Puree the cream cheese/sour cream/half-and-half blend with an immersion blender (DO NOT PUREE THE POTATOES). (Alternatively, use a hand mixer to smooth out the blend.)
Stir the potatoes into the cream cheese/sour cream/half-and-half blend. (It will take a little while and you may think you have potato soup, but as the potatoes cool, they'll blend with the creamy blend.
Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Refrigerate until needed.
When ready to bake, let potatoes sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes. (You never want to place a cold ceramic or glass dish directly into a hot oven.) Preheat oventhe to 375 degrees. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes or until heated through and the top is lightly golden.

Notes

TIPS:

Always start with cold water when boiling potatoes so the potatoes cook unevenly.
Placing the bowl with the butter over the pot of potatoes both melts the butter and helps the pot of potatoes boil a bit faster. However, as stated above, keep an eye on the butter so it just melts and so the potatoes don’t boil over.

TO SERVE THE POTATOES RIGHT AWAY:

Puree or blend the sour cream, cream cheese, and half-and-half.
Place the potatoes in a saucepan on the stovetop on low and gently warm them to keep them as hot as possible.
Allow a little extra time to heat back up in the oven, as they'll cool down a bit.

TO KEEP WARM IN A SLOW COOKER:

Set your slow cooker to LOW and preheat it while boiling and assembling the potatoes.
Melt a little extra butter and lightly brush the slow cooker insert.
When the potatoes are stirred together, transfer them to your slow cooker and cover.
Remove the cover periodically to release any steam and condensation that builds up on it.

FREEZER-FRIENDLY:

After assembling, place in oven-safe containers such as Pyrex or aluminum.
Cool completely then freeze for 1-2 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator then reheat uncovered in the oven at 375 degrees. They may be a little soupy after thawing, but heating uncovered in the oven is key.

Nutrition