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How To Reheat Mashed Potatoes

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Leftover mashed potatoes often disappoint, but not when reheated correctly. Discover how to reheat mashed potatoes with this quick and easy-to-follow guide.

Do you have leftover mashed potatoes you don’t know what to do with? Often, they are never as good as the day they were made, so it’s safe to say refrigerated mashed potatoes generally aren’t something people look forward to. But they can be, and chances are you were reheating them incorrectly. One wrong move, and you have a gluey, gloppy mess, or even worse, they’re pretty dry or gritty. Fortunately, this guide will explore how to reheat mashed potatoes to perfection and cover the common mistakes to avoid.

How To Reheat Mashed Potatoes

Store Them Right

There’s a right and wrong way to store all foods; however, you want to be particularly careful with mashed potatoes because they are sponges that absorb any other scent in your refrigerator. Moreover, storing them wrong can introduce too much moisture to mashed potatoes or dry them out. Either way, it will impact how they taste once reheated. To set the tone for success, cool mashed potatoes to room temperature, making sure not to leave them at room temperature longer than 2 hours, as doing so puts food at risk for harmful bacterial growth. Then:

  1. Transfer the mashed potatoes to an airtight container, or you can divide the potatoes into individual portions and store those portions in airtight containers. Glass containers are best.
  2. Refrigerate the potatoes for up to 3 days.
  3. As for freezing, can mashed potatoes be frozen? Yes, but it is not recommended since it negatively affects the texture. The reason is that freezing adds too much moisture to leftover mashed potatoes.

Methods

Microwave

The microwave is the quickest, easiest, and most common way to reheat mashed potatoes. Unlike other foods, mashed potatoes reheated using this method are quite delicious. The thing is, they are only delicious when you reheat them right. To do that:

  1. Place your desired portion of mashed potatoes in a microwave-safe container and loosely cover with a lid. This creates some steam to help heat the potatoes through.
  2. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then remove from the microwave and stir. You’ll notice that the potatoes are relatively warm outside and cold in the center.
  3. Loosely cover again, return to the microwave, and reheat in 30-second intervals, stopping to stir in between intervals until heated through. The time will vary depending on the efficiency of your microwave and the amount of mashed potatoes you’re reheating. You want to stop, check, and stir between intervals to prevent overheating, which can cause the potatoes to dry or develop an unpleasant texture.

Lastly, to take your mashed potatoes (reheated in the microwave) to the next level, stir in warm milk and/or melted butter. Whatever you choose, ensure it is warm to avoid decreasing the temperature of the potatoes.

Considerations

While microwave reheating is convenient, it has its drawbacks. As mentioned, overheating can lead to unpleasant results, including dry mashed potatoes or an undesirable texture. To mitigate these potential pitfalls, diligent stirring and careful monitoring are essential.

Stovetop

Let’s call this method the champion of consistency because when it comes to how to reheat mashed potatoes, this method reigns supreme. The reason? Mashed potatoes are as creamy and delicious as the day they were made, so stovetop reheating should be your go-to if you have more time. To reheat leftover mashed potatoes on the stovetop:

  1. Place the mashed potatoes in a saucepan or pot.
  2. Add a splash of milk or cream to the potatoes and a pat of butter. These two additions help restore their creaminess.
  3. Turn the heat to low and heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring every minute or so until warmed through.
  4. Serve and enjoy.

Considerations

  • Keep the mashed potatoes moving on the stove. Forgetting to stir every minute runs the risk of scorching the potatoes on the bottom. Fortunately, adding milk and/or butter acts as a buffer to prevent that; the risk is low if you keep the heat low and avoid cheap, thin-bottomed pans/pots.
  • Stovetop reheating allows you to control the process more precisely, ensuring the mashed potatoes don’t dry or become lumpy. Adding a touch of milk or cream revitalizes their smooth consistency.

Oven Reheating

Oven reheating mashed potatoes heats them through, they remain creamy, and they can form a thin, golden brown crust at the top. For this method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Place the mashed potatoes in an oven-safe dish. A casserole dish would work well for this. Do not use a baking sheet.
  3. Pour in a little milk, half and half, or heavy cream, as well as some melted butter. Stir.
  4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it into the oven to reheat for 15-20 minutes or until they are heated through. Check at the 10-minute mark.

Considerations

  • Be sure to get a reasonably tight seal on the foil. This helps the potatoes heat evenly and prevents any browning from taking place. If you’d like a light crust on top, you can brush the mashed potatoes with butter and pop them under the broiler.
  • Set the temperature slightly lower if your oven runs hot. A great way to verify this is using a dial oven thermometer to check.
  • Although not required, there’s the option to leave refrigerated mashed potatoes out on the counter for 10-15 minutes to return to room temperature to reduce reheating time.

Slow Cooker

Reheating leftover mashed potatoes in a slow cooker is a great way to get the potatoes creamy without the risk of scorching or drying out all while keeping the warm throughout the night. For this method:

  1. Add the mashed potatoes into the slow cooker.
  2. Depending on the consistency of your mashed potatoes add a liquid such as milk, cream, or chicken/vegetable broth. You can add warm water in a pinch. Stir the mashed potatoes to mix in the liquid.
  3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and heat at medium-low setting.

Considerations

  • Stir every 15 minutes until warm and heated through.
  • If they seem too thick or dry, add a little more liquid and stir.

Now that you know how to reheat mashed potatoes, what method will you choose? Are you a sucker for convenience, prefer the stovetop, or wish to reheat in the oven? Either way, you’ll love the results. They will be just as creamy and delicious as the day they were made. Just remember to stir as directed, and do not forget the milk, cream, and/or butter. The added fat/moisture has quite an impact.

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Monique McArthur
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