The Thanksgiving planner
Thanksgiving recipes · Potatoes and casseroles

Buttery mashed potatoes

Yukon Golds, warm cream and a lot of butter. Make them up to two hours ahead and hold them over hot water.

30 min hands-on1 hr start to finishNo oven on Thursday
VegetarianGluten-free
Cooking for46810121620
Buttery mashed potatoes

Photo: Renee Comet, public domain

When to make it

Peel and cut the potatoes in the morning and keep them under cold water. Mash up to 2 hours ahead and keep warm in a bowl over simmering water.

Add it to your plan and Chef puts these on the right days, and fits it into your oven on Thursday.

For 10

  • 5 lbYukon Gold potatoes
  • 2 tbspkosher salt for the water
  • 1½ cupsheavy cream or half-and-half
  • 1½ sticks (12 tbsp)unsalted butter
  • 1 tspkosher salt to finish
  • ½ tspwhite or black pepper
  • 2 tbspchives, snipped

How to make it

  1. Boil

    Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch chunks. Put them in a large pot, cover with cold water by an inch and add 2 tbsp salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance.

  2. Warm the dairy

    Meanwhile warm the cream and butter together until the butter melts. Don't let it boil.

  3. Mash

    Drain the potatoes well and return them to the hot pot for a minute to steam dry. Mash with a masher or press through a ricer (never a food processor: it turns them to glue). Stir in the warm cream mixture a little at a time, then the salt and pepper.

  4. Hold

    Cover and keep warm in a bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, up to 2 hours. Stir in a splash of warm cream before serving and top with chives.

Chef's notes

  • A pound of potatoes feeds two people generously.
  • Start potatoes in cold water so they cook evenly to the center.

More for the table

Sweet potato casserole with pecan crumble1 hr 45 min · VegetarianBaked mac and cheese1 hr 15 min · VegetarianGreen bean casserole, from scratch1 hr 10 min · VegetarianHoney-roasted carrots with thyme40 min · Vegetarian, Gluten-freeCranberry sauce with orange15 min · Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-freeA Thanksgiving cheese board15 min · Vegetarian

Every recipe here is Chef Amazing's own, written for this planner, with real quantities. Scale it with Cooking for, or add it to your plan and Chef scales it to your guest list.

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