Easy Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Name: Easy Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds Russet potatoes (about four medium-size ); 1 cup heavy cream; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, (divided); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

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Mouth-watering Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes are the answer to your prayers for an amazing, easy-to-make, make-ahead mashed potato recipe.

Delicious and decadent, mashed potatoes are, without a doubt, everyone’s favorite side dish. I can confidently say that after one bite, you will agree that these homemade, creamy, double-baked mashed potatoes are the best ever.

Because you can make them ahead, this mashed potato recipe is perfect for holiday entertaining, special occasions, or whenever you want a truly delicious and indulgent side dish that you can just reheat and serve.

A bowl of mashed potatoes topped with a pat of butter with a spoon.

While this recipe serves four, it’s easy to double or triple the ingredients to meet your needs if you are feeding a crowd.

This dish, unlike my recipes for Rustic Mashed Potatoes for Two or Pancetta and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes, is made simply with potatoes, heavy cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Because it is made without cream cheese or sour cream, it allows the delicate potato flavor to really shine.

The other main difference between this unique recipe and the others is that the potatoes are baked, not boiled. Then, because they can be made ahead, they are baked again to reheat before serving.

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Advantages of baking potatoes for mashed potatoes:
Ingredient notes:
How to make Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes:
Top tips:
Recipe FAQs:
Sharon’s tips:
More potato recipes:
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Advantages of baking potatoes for mashed potatoes:

Baking the potatoes instead of boiling them keeps out excess moisture which can cause all sorts of issues.
Baking potatoes in the oven is hands-off; you can relax while it does all of the heavy lifting.
There is no waste! After scooping out the potato flesh, you are left with potato jackets, perfect for making my flavorful old-school recipe for Loaded Potato Skins.
And finally, and in my opinion, one of the best reasons is that you don’t have to peel them!

Ingredient notes:

Three Russet potatoes, a cup of heavy cream, a stick of butter and a salt shaker.

Russet potatoes – called Idaho potatoes, when grown in Idaho, with their high starch content, work best in this recipe and produce the best results.
Heavy cream – adds a creamy richness to this dish. I do not recommend substituting half-and-half or whole milk.
Butter – adds another layer of creamy, buttery deliciousness.
Kosher salt and pepper – enhance all flavors and bring them together in one cohesive dish.

How to make Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes:

Preheat your oven to 450 °F. Then, scrub the potatoes and prick them with a fork several times.
Place the potatoes directly on the middle oven rack and bake for 60 minutes or until they are very soft and squishy when squeezed with an oven mitt.
Before they are done, add the cream, three tablespoons of butter, and salt and pepper to a small saucepan and bring it to just below a simmer over low heat. Do not let the mixture boil.

Heating butter and cream in a small saucepan.

Remove the potatoes from the oven. Working quickly to keep them as hot as possible, cut them in half horizontally, one potato at a time, and then use a kitchen towel or oven mitt to hold the halves while you scoop the flesh into the bowl of a stand mixer. Put a kitchen towel or a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the bowl while you are working to keep them hot while you repeat this with the rest of the potatoes.

Cutting baked potatoes in half and using a spoon to scoop out the flesh.

Use a potato masher, potato ricer, or fork to smooth out the flesh and remove as many lumps as possible.

Mashing baked potatoes in a bowl using a potato masher.

Then, using your paddle attachment, beat them at low speed just until they are smooth. But, again, do not over-mix or overbeat them.

Mashed potatoes in a bowl with a paddle mixer attachment.

Add the cream and butter mixture and gently fold it in with a rubber spatula.

Mashed potatoes in a bowl with cream poured over them.

Don’t panic; it will look like you have too much cream, but be patient and keep gently folding until the warm potatoes have absorbed all the warm cream and butter. Then, taste and add additional salt or pepper, if needed.

Creamy mashed potatoes in a bowl with a rubber spatula.

At this point, they are ready to serve. However, if you are making them ahead, place the mashed potatoes in a 9′ x 9′ inch metal baking pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and spread them out evenly. Cover with aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Before serving, bake or reheat them covered in a 350 °F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are hot. Place in a serving dish, add a pat of butter, and serve immediately.

A white serving bowl full of mashed potatoes topped with a pat of butter.

Top tips:

The most important thing to remember for perfect mashed potatoes is to work quickly. Keep them as hot as possible when scooping the insides and mashing them.
Also, ensure that your cream and butter mixture is hot before adding it to the hot potatoes. If they get cold, you won’t be able to get the lumps out, and the cream will not be absorbed.

Recipe FAQs:

What variety of potatoes works best in this recipe?

Russet potatoes, also called Idaho potatoes when grown in Idaho, work perfectly in this recipe and are what I recommend.

Because of the way this recipe is made, Yukon Gold doesn’t work nearly as well and won’t absorb the cream like Russets. Also, don’t try this recipe with red skin or waxy varieties.

What’s the best way to keep mashed potatoes warm?

After reheating them in the oven, if you still need to keep them warm or travel with them, put them in a crockpot or slow cooker on low or warm. They will keep well like this for several hours.

What to serve with them?

This decadent mashed potato side dish pairs beautifully with my New York Strip Roast, Southern Fried Chicken, Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce, Filet Mignon with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce, Cast-Iron Skillet Chicken, and Southern Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken.

I also like to top them with my Creamy Skillet Chicken with Bacon and Mushrooms, Crockpot Pork Chops and Apples, and Oven Baked Short Ribs.

Why are my mashed potatoes gummy?

Less is best! Overmixing or over-processing with a mixer, blender, or food processor can cause mashed potatoes to go from fluffy to gummy in the blink of an eye.
Allowing them to cool down too much before mashing can also cause problems. And finally, adding cold cream and butter to your potatoes is a recipe for disaster!

How to store and reheat leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to four days. I do not recommend freezing them.

To reheat them, pop them in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds or until they reach your desired temperature.

Sharon’s tips:

Because the potatoes are baked and not boiled in salted water, they may need a bit more salt. Be sure to taste them before serving and add salt if needed.
When the potatoes go into the fridge, they might still be a little looser than you like. However, they will firm up when they are chilled.
Feel free to garnish this dish with chopped chives, cooked crumbled bacon, or shredded cheese before serving.

More potato recipes:

If you like potato side dishes as I do, you might also like these recipes:

★★★★★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

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