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yetanotherBob

In article >, says...
> This year, I really want to avoid the last minute flusters.
>
> However, I want everything to be really good.
>
> On the good side, I am only cooking for 4--but of course we have to have
> enough leftovers for everyone to take home.
>
> Is there a way to make homemade mashed potatoes ahead of time and have them
> be just as good? Or is that the one thing, along with the bread, that I need
> to do just before serving? I'm using russets if that matters. Thanks!
>
I regularly make "smashed potatoes" in large quantities and have them as
leftovers one or two days (or more) after the fact. IMO they're as good
or better in their latter incarnations than the first time around. I
use a double boiler to reheat, very gently, allowing enough time for
simmering water to reheat the potatoes.

First, I would ditch the russets. They're OK if you're making
"whipped" potatoes, but they don't seem to work for "smashed" potatoes,
and don't seem to reheat nearly as well. Get some small, thin-skinned
white or red "new" potatoes and use them instead. Cut the bigger ones
up as needed to make them all fairly uniform in size. Do not peel the
potatoes.

Drop the potatoes into a pot of boiling water, and cook for around 20
minutes after boiling resumes. Test for done-ness with a fork. When
the potatoes yield to the fork, drain the water off, add your seasonings
and smash them with a masher, stout whisk, large fork, or whatever.
You're not aiming for whipped smoothness, but literally "smashing" them.
Lumps are just fine.

I'll add a bit of salt, a good-sized lump of butter, some sour cream,
roasted garlic or garlic powder, some horseradish and a bit of dill weed
prior to smashing, and add liquid from the sour cream and/or whey from
yogurt as needed to adjust the consistency while smashing.

These are quick, not finicky to make, and delicious. I'm not sure you'd
really even have to make them very far ahead of time. If you do them an
hour or two ahead and keep them warm in a covered container, they should
be just fine. You could add a dab of butter and a sprinkling of dill
weed to them when you put them in the bowl for the table to "refresh"
them.

Bob