Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

[simplicity]

Among other things I've been asked to contribute mashed potatoes for 12 for Thanksgiving Dinner.

The hostess lives an hour and fifteen minutes from my home. Is there a good way I can make the potatoes at home and keep them warm during transit? I'm assuming, like the rest of us, her stove will be working to the max by the time I arrive.

 

[miniman]

I would make them and then put them in a warmed dish in the oven until you are ready to go. If you have an insulated serving dish - use that or otherwise wrap the dish in a towel to keep heat in and place in a cool bag - again that will act as an insulator to keep the heat in.

Maybe some one else will have a better idea.

 

[Michelemarie]

I have this recipe -I have not tried it so if you do it post and let us know how it turned out.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
3-1/2 lbs. potatoes
½ sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
½ chives
This can be made ahead and refrigerated until baking, but add 15-20 minutes to baking time.
Preheat oven to 350.
Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. Cook in boiling water until done, 10-12 minutes. Drain.
Put potatoes through ricer, add sour cream, cream cheese. Whip with a mixer. Add chives plus s and p.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

 

[Constance]

Wrap the dish in foil and put in a cooler. Coolers keep things warm as well as cold.
I have made a dish similar to Michele's, and it was very tasty. In fact, I like to use French Onion dip in my mashed potatoes.

 

[GotGarlic]

If they need warming up when you get there, 5 minutes or so in the microwave should do it.

 

[CharlieD]

I'd say make them right before you go, if possible. Keep them in the same pot you cooked them in. Wrap them up in a news papers and some big towels. They will keep pretty hot for couple of hours.

 

[simplicity]

Thanks for your suggestions. I'm going to keep them as hot as I can until I leave - insulate and wrap them as best I can. I remember that newspaper is a great outer insulator. Then I'll hope for the best.

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you.

 

[VeraBlue]

Cooked potatoes are potentially hazardous if time and temp abused. However, they can be outside the window of 140 for two hours, max. So, if you want to travel with them and keep them warm, you have to make them right before you leave, and keep them as warm as possible during transit. When you arrive, you absolutely have to have oven space to get them back up to 140 within the remaining half hour.

You're other option is to keep them cold and reheat them with a little addition of milk in the microwave when you are ready to serve them. They would have to go into the fridge upon arrival, getting them back to 40.

 

[CharlieD]

Really, I did not know about the hazardous part, I guess I never really had to keep them for very long. But would you mind to elaborate on that Vera?