Baked Mashed Potatoes are buttery, cheesy, and crispy on the outside. Topped with chives and served warm, this is one side dish that will totally change your hosting game. Creamy baked mashed potatoes are easy to make and loved by the whole family. Serve it as a side dish during the holidays or on busy weeknights.
The magic happens when you bake Mashed Potatoes in the oven: all the flavors combine, the cheese melts, and the top of the mashed potatoes crisps up, forming a perfect crust. It makes the dish more rich and flavorful. Baked mashed potatoes also freeze well and can be made ahead of time, making them ideal for busy holidays!
Why You'll Love this Baked Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Creamy, pillowy mashed potatoes with a crisp top. This recipe is the best of both worlds — a layer of crispy golden-brown potato peaks gives way to soft, buttery potatoes underneath. Every bite is bursting with flavor. You can’t beat these baked mashed potatoes!
- Only 15 minutes of prep. It only takes a few minutes to prep the ingredients before the mashed potatoes go in the oven to transform into the ultimate potato side dish. The rest of the time is passive baking time, and they’re still done in under an hour.
- Perfect for holiday hosting. Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, and Christmas events are perfect for pulling out this next-level baked mashed potato recipe. It’s a crowd-pleasing twist on classic mashed potatoes with a crispy top that can be made ahead of time to make day-of preparation easier, too!
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious Baked Mashed Potatoes, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- Yukon gold potatoes - Russet potatoes will also work, or any high starch potato. Red bliss potatoes or Idaho potatoes are good substitutes, too.
- milk - you can swap this for half and half, heavy whipping cream, or an unsweetened plant-based milk substitute of your choice.
- butter - if you don’t have butter on hand, try an equal measure of olive oil, avocado oil, or cream cheese.
- cheddar cheese - you can substitute the cheddar for a similar cheese, like Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or Asiago.
- sour cream - sour cream can be swapped for plain Greek yogurt or a vegan sour cream instead.
- chives - if you don’t have chives, you can use other soft herbs like dill or basil, or try green onions instead.
- salt and pepper
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, large pot, potato masher or fork, and a 2-quart casserole dish.
How to Make the Best Baked Mashed Potatoes
- Cook potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted water to cover potatoes by about an inch. Heat over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are soft when you insert a fork.
- Mash potatoes. Once the potatoes are ready, drain well and place back in the pot. Use a potato masher (or a fork) to mash the potatoes.
- Add ingredients. Add milk, butter, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Stir well with a spatula until evenly combined.
- Bake. Transfer the mashed potato into a 2-quart casserole dish and bake in a 375F preheated oven until the top turns golden brown, about 20 minutes. Optionally broil on HI for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve. Garnish with chives and serve warm.
Recipe Variations
- Make baked mashed sweet potatoes instead. Switch it up by using sweet potatoes instead of Yukon golds! Follow the same steps to boil and bake the sweet potatoes, and you can choose from the original savory toppings or sweeten things up with a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg instead with a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Load them up with toppings. Up the ante by making these loaded baked mashed potatoes! Top with even more cheese, chopped crispy bacon, green onions, sour cream, chives, roasted garlic, and anything else you usually add to your favorite loaded baked potatoes. See our Mashed Potato Casserole for instructions.
- Use buttermilk. Add a little extra tang by using buttermilk in place of the milk in this recipe. It also has a lower fat content than regular milk, so the resulting potatoes will be a little lighter in texture than full-fat milk mashed potatoes.
How to Serve
These Baked Mashed Potatoes are a delicious side served with almost any entree. Serve them with our holiday favorites such as:
- Roast Stuffed Chicken
- Asian Five-Spice Roast Turkey
- Prime Rib Roast
- Pineapple Glazed Ham Slices
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Stuffed Butternut Squash with Wild Rice
For more recipe inspiration, see our 40 Best Thanksgiving Main Dishes.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overmix the mashed potatoes. Want to avoid glue-like mashed potatoes? Don’t overmix them! You just want the ingredients to be evenly distributed in the potatoes. Just keep an eye on them when you’re stirring.
- Drain them well. Excess water in the potatoes can make the texture gummy instead of soft and pillowy. Allow them to drain thoroughly and let them sit for a few minutes before mashing to allow any extra water to evaporate off the hot potatoes.
- Use the right tool. A potato masher, ricer, immersion blender, food processor, hand mixer, or stand mixer can help you mash the potatoes quickly and efficiently. Stick to a low speed on blenders and mixers to prevent over-mixing.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Once the mashed potatoes have cooled completely to room temperature, cover the whole casserole dish tightly with plastic cling wrap or transfer the potatoes to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
How to Reheat
Reheat them in the oven by baking at 375℉ for about 10 minutes until they’re warmed through and the top crisps up again.
How to Freeze
Transfer the mashed potatoes to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can make it easier on yourself by preparing them in an 8x8 aluminum pan and covering them tightly with foil and plastic wrap before freezing. Allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking or bake straight from frozen (adding a few minutes to the cook time).
FAQ
The answer is yes, you can absolutely make these baked mashed potatoes ahead of time for busy holiday dinners or to save time on busy days. Just make them as directed in a freezer-safe dish (disposable aluminum pans work well!) and freeze as outlined above. Once you’re ready, preheat your oven to 400℉ and bake for fifteen minutes or until completely heated through.
Both work well! You can use whatever consistency you usually like for your mashed potatoes. Mash out more chunks and add more milk for a creamier inner texture, leave them chunkier with pieces of skin for a more rustic baked mashed potato dish.
The recipe doesn’t contain any eggs or meat, so you can easily make these baked mashed potatoes vegan by swapping the dairy products out for non-dairy alternatives like vegan butter, vegan sour cream, plant-based milk, and cheese substitutes.
More Mashed Potato Recipes
- 30 Potato Side Dishes
- Mashed Potato Casserole
- Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
- Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Potato Balls
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
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