Ina Garten’s Cheesy, Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

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Mashed potatoes are as integral to a traditional Thanksgiving feast as the roast turkey, but they don’t always get the same zhuzh that the bird or those other sexy side dishes do. Frankly, I didn’t think they needed one until I tried these brilliant cheesy mashed potatoes from Ina Garten’s “Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook” ($28). I trust Ina Garten’s mashed potatoes recipes implicitly — one of her other titles, “Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust” ($18), is a No. 1 New York Times bestseller for a reason — but still, I was surprised by just how clever these make-ahead mashed potatoes are.

Traditional mashed potato recipes can be made ahead of time and reheated without too much harm, but they’re never quite as good as a freshly mashed batch. So year after year, I cooked them in the hectic last hour of Thanksgiving dinner prep. But, thanks to this hack, it doesn’t have to be that way.

In Garten’s baked mashed potatoes recipe, cooked mashed potatoes are transferred to a casserole dish, sprinkled with parmesan cheese, and baked until golden, creating a cheesy potato masterpiece. If you’re the make-it-ahead sort of cook (and really, everyone should be on Thanksgiving), the prepped (but not baked) mashed potatoes can be refrigerated for up to three days. On Thanksgiving, simply pop them in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes as the turkey rests. (Yes, you should let the turkey rest before carving it.)

Conventional recipes tend to add cream, butter, and salt to the potatoes. But Ina Garten’s mashed potatoes have a few extra ingredients that add meaningful flavor: garlic cloves, sour cream, freshly grated parmesan, and garlic-and-herb goat cheese. Together, they add a little creaminess, a little tang, and a little bit of cheesy flavor that goes a long way.

One note: Garten typically uses a food mill to mash her potatoes. You can get one on Amazon for about $40, but if you don’t have one (and don’t intend to buy one), you can also mash the potatoes with a masher, a food processor, or a stand mixer. If you’re using either of the latter, just be careful not to over-mash them, as your potatoes can become gluey.

Try Garten’s make-ahead mashed-potatoes recipe below, and I guarantee: You’ll become a convert, just like me.