The Best Way to Freeze Mashed Potatoes, According to Chefs

Whether you're cooking the Thanksgiving feast or just Tuesday dinner, it's easy to go a little overboard with the mashed potatoes. They're delicious and crowd-pleasing, but sometimes you have leftovers.

If you can get through your spud surplus in a day or two, go ahead and stash them in the fridge, but if you have more than that, can you freeze mashed potatoes? That's the question we put to two chefs: Former Hell's Kitchen contestant chef Sakari Smithwick and chef Leo Davila of San Antonio's Stixs & Stone restaurant. We're pleased to report that both chefs said that you can freeze mashed potatoes—and they shared some of their tips and tricks with us. Here's what you need to know. 

Related: The Grandma-Approved Trick to the Creamiest Mashed Potatoes

What's the Best Way to Freeze Mashed Potatoes?

Use these chef-approved tips for tip-top frozen mashed potatoes.

• Chill out. The first tip for freezing mashed potatoes is that you want them to be completely cool before they go in the freezer. Putting them in the freezer while they're still warm can raise the temperature inside the freezer, which could affect the other food in your freezer. The hot food can raise the temperature inside the refrigerator/freezer, which can be a risk for food already in the appliance, and your warm food will take longer to freeze, which can keep it in the food safety "danger zone," which is the temperature range when bacteria can thrive.
• Divide and conquer. Once the mashed potatoes are chilled, it's a good idea to portion them before freezing. Davila likes to spoon two servings of potatoes into a small plastic freezer bag. That way, you can easily grab only as many mashed potatoes as you need. You're "only thawing out the portion you are going to eat versus thawing out the [entirety of the] leftovers,” he says. Spoon the potatoes into the bags, squeeze out as much air as you can, seal the bag and then press the mashed potatoes into a flat rectangle and freeze flat. These potato planks will be easier to stack in your freezer and will also thaw more quickly than a giant block of taters.
• Label, label, label. Nope, you're not going to remember when you put those potatoes in the freezer. Definitely label what's in the container and the date they went in so you'll be clear on what you have and how old it is.

Related: The Secret Ingredient to Better Mashed Potatoes

How long can you freeze mashed potatoes?

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reports that mashed potatoes can be kept frozen for 10-12 months. However, Chef Davila and Chef Sakari agree that keeping the side dish frozen for only 1-2 months is ideal. For optimal flavor and texture, it's best to eat them within a month, if you can.

Related: How to Freeze Mushrooms

How do you thaw frozen mashed potatoes?

For the best results, you should thaw your mashed potatoes overnight in the fridge. Although this takes some planning, it will help maintain that mashed potato texture that we all love so much.

If you’re in a time crunch and forgot to defrost the potatoes (like most of us will), Chef Davila recommends using the “on the fly” method. “For this method, take a small bowl and place the freezer bag in the center. Turn on cold running water and allow the water to gently flow over the bag,” he explained. You can also put the bag in a bowl of cold water and switch out the water every half hour or so.

The thawed potatoes can be reheated on the stovetop, in the microwave or in the oven. The chefs we talked to prefer the stovetop method, but it all depends on how long you're willing to wait for delicious mashed potatoes.

Up next: How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes