Mashed potatoes – they can complete almost any meal. Shepherd’s pie, Thanksgiving leftovers, any evening dinner that ends in “day.” But can you freeze them to give yourself an endless supply straight from the freezer?
Can You Freeze Mashed Potatoes?
Yes, you can freeze mashed potatoes for up to 6 months. To freeze mashed potatoes, you can freeze them in portions in bulk in a freezer bag, depending on how you are likely to use them in future.
Do Mashed Potatoes Freeze Well? Sometimes
Can You Refreeze Mashed Potatoes? No
Looking for a full list of Thanksgiving foods you can freeze? Here it is!
How to Freeze Mashed Potatoes
First, you need to make your mash. Normally, we wouldn’t include a recipe or recommendation, but the recipe is vital for freezing it. You want plenty of fat and cream to help the potatoes freeze. Normally, potatoes don’t freeze that well.
That’s why we recommend turning to James Martin’s mash recipe.
He notoriously doesn’t skimp on the fat. With 1kg of potatoes, he uses 200ml of double cream and 100g of butter. Creamy, smooth mash that will freeze perfectly – just don’t forget to season with salt and pepper.
Now you’ve made the perfect freezable mashed potatoes let’s look at how you actually freeze them:
There are two approaches when it comes to freezing your mash:
How to Freeze Mashed Potato Portions
If you don’t mind taking a bit of time over freezing your mash, this is the method to use. It’s a little more time-consuming but worth the effort in the longer run:
- Cool: Once you’ve given your mash time to cool, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Scoop onto Baking Tray: Scoop your mash onto the tray in even-sized portions. You can use an ice cream scoop here to make your life easier.
- Flash Freeze: Once portioned out, place the tray in the freezer for between 30 minutes and several hours to allow your mash portions to freeze.
- Final Freeze: Now that they’re frozen, remove the tray, remove the individual portions and place them into a bad then return to the freezer.
How to Freeze Mashed Potato in Bulk
If you’re pushed for time and would prefer to freeze it in one mass then go with this method:
- Cool: This is a far easier approach. Once you’ve made your mash, you need to allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Bag Up: Transfer the mash to a freezer-safe bag and then squeeze out as much of the air as possible.
- Freeze: Place it in the freezer, and you’re all done.
That was easier! Right?
3 Tips for Freezing Mashed Potatoes
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 5 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing mash to have the best results:
Use Fat (And Lots of It!)
This is no time for a diet. Fatty, creamy, rich mashed potatoes will freeze better than other mash so don’t skimp on the cream and butter when making them for the freezer.
No Need to Thaw Overnight
Mash is one of those great dishes that you can freeze that doesn’t need to thaw overnight in the fridge. Instead, you can use it directly from the freezer.
Consider Freezing in Portions
Freezing anything in portions makes it far easier to avoid wasting it further down the line. It takes a little extra time to do but freezing mashed potatoes in portions is a must!
How Long Can You Freeze Mashed Potatoes?
Mashed potatoes will last for a good 6 months in the freezer. As always, you must label your potatoes with a use-by date, so you don’t let all your effort go to waste.
This is also applicable for dishes that you’ve frozen with a mash topping or filling such as shepherd’s pie or fish cakes.
When kept in a covered bowl, mashed potatoes will last between 3 and 5 days in the fridge. They will dry out the longer they are kept in the fridge, however.
How Do You Defrost Mashed Potatoes?
When it comes to defrosting your mash, you have a couple of options, and neither requires much time.
How to Defrost Mashed Potatoes On the Hob
You can reheat the mash straight from the freezer on the hob. Just place your mash in a pot over low to medium heat (the slower, the better), stirring occasionally. It will begin to thaw and then turn into your creamy mash.
Check the seasoning and add in a knob or two of butter for good measure.
How to Defrost Mashed Potatoes in the Microwave
Place your frozen mash into a baking dish that’s suitable for the microwave and cover. Turn the microwave on for 5 minutes on low power then stir it. Continue to heat in 2 to 3-minute intervals until the mash is hot through and creamy.
Yes, you can reheat cooked mash from frozen. Pop it into a hot oven in a covered baking dish for around 30 minutes. You’ll want to stir it midway through the reheating period.
Can You Refreeze Mashed Potatoes?
We wouldn’t recommend refreezing mashed potatoes if you plan on trying to use them again as mash on its own. You’ll find it can become quite grainy, which won’t be enjoyable.
The only exception to this is if you have used the mashed potatoes for a pie topping. For example, you could freeze a portion of mashed potato, defrost it, spread it over the top of a pie, cook it and then freeze that pie.
Do Mashed Potatoes Freeze Well?
Fresh will nearly always be better.
But, if you plan on freezing mashed potatoes then throw the diet book out the window, forget about your calorie count and load your mash with plenty of cream and butter. It will help the texture and will taste gorgeous too.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing mash or mashed potatoes in general, then these may help:
You certainly can. You use the same method whether you’re using sweet potatoes or normal potatoes. Pop portions of mashed sweet potato into a bag and seal. You must remove as much air as possible when freezing them.
Yes! In fact, the more fat, the better… You need to use lots of milk (or cream) and butter to help it freeze properly.
All the info I needed . Very instructive. Clear concise info