To Die for Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Helping Hands's Note:

These are the BEST mashed potatoes EVER! And they are so user-friendly because you can make them the night before. I never take these anywhere without people begging me for the recipe. Once you make these, you will never want to make them any other way. Also great in twice-baked potatoes. And, if you need really easy, buy pre-cooked mashed potatoes, add from these ingredients, stir, and re-heat in microwave. Tastes almost as good as home-made! My favorite way to cook these are in the crockpot! EDIT: Please note that I have always cooked these in the crockpot and have never baked them; I have gotten new feedback that they taste FAR BETTER if cooked in the crockpot, so this is now my only recommendation for cooking source.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 8 medium potatoes
• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chives
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 pinch marjoram (optional)
• 1/2-1 cup thinly sliced green onion
• bacon bits or 2 slices cooked crumpled bacon
• milk
• paprika

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes until tender.
2. Beat softened cream cheese and sour cream in mixing bowl.
3. Add hot potatoes and beat until smooth, adding small amounts of milk as needed.
4. Add butter, chives, salt, pepper and onion powder and beat until well-mixed.
5. Add garlic, green onions, and marjoram and beat until well-mixed.
6. Pour into either casserole dish or crockpot.
7. Dot with additional butter and sprinkle with paprika.
8. Bake for 25 minutes in 350°F oven or cook on low in crockpot for 2-3 hours. If cooked in crockpot, add a few additional drops of butter and stir, just before serving.
9. Sprinkle with Bacon Bits or crumpled bacon just before serving.
10. NOTE: Can be refrigerated overnight in either casserole dish or crockpot.

Reviews

[Beautiful BC]

Brilliant recipe - very tasty and creamy. Best part was being able to make earlier in the day along with the turkey stuffing and then letting them stay piping hot in the slow cooker until Christmas dinner was ready to be served. Added a bit of butter just before serving - still smooth and creamy even after hours on warm in the slow cooker. Made my day in the kitchen so much easier - thank you!

[Chef #1535799]

These are the most AMAZING tasting mashed potatoes and perfect to make when having company over. I made these (along with my hubby :) ) in the morning around 10am and put them in the crock pot on the warm setting all day. They formed a nice crust on top, but underneath they were nice and moist. Just before serving around 8pm, I put a dab of butter on top, stirred them, and whola! I actually put them in a serving bowl w/ a lid, and they stayed on the table for about 15 minutes before eating them, and they were still piping hot. Everyone was in awe!

[Engrossed]

These are to die for! I've made them several times and always have rave reviews and requests for the recipe. It's Red, White & Green for Christmas! I double the recipe. I boil whole red potatoes (2- 3lb. bags) in a stock pot and then drain them and mash them right in the pot with the skins still on. Then I mash the other ingredients into them. I add extra garlic, chives, marjoram, green onions & bacon bits (hormel real crumbled picnic bacon). I add some cream along with the milk and more sour cream until it's extra creamy. I put it into a removable crock from my crock pot and refrigerate it until 1-2 hours before the event. Then I bake it at 350 until heated through. I bring it to the event, put it into the crockpot set on low, dot it with butter and paprika & Wowee, it all disappears! Yummy! Thank you for this recipe.