Mashed potatoes are a popular side dish at many restaurants. Making large batches of perfectly smooth, creamy mashed potatoes requires some planning and technique when done ahead of time for busy meal services. Here are some tips restaurants use to make delicious mashed potatoes in advance.
Can Mashed Potatoes Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes, mashed potatoes can absolutely be prepared ahead of time for busy restaurant meal services. In fact, most restaurants find it necessary to make mashed potatoes in large batches ahead of time. Trying to make individual plates of freshly mashed potatoes to order during a busy dinner service would take way too long and be nearly impossible. The key is properly storing and reheating the pre-made mashed potatoes. With some trial and error and the right techniques, restaurants can master having delicious creamy mashed potatoes ready when they need them without sacrificing taste or texture.
What Ingredients Do Restaurants Use for Mashed Potatoes?
Restaurants typically use a simple ingredient list for their mashed potatoes including:
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
- Butter
- Heavy cream, half-and-half or milk
- Salt
- Pepper
- Optional: Sour cream, cheese, roasted garlic, etc.
The type of potato makes a big difference in the final texture and flavor. Starchier potatoes like Russets break down and get fluffier when cooked and mashed. Waxy potatoes like red potatoes hold their shape better but can result in a gummy, gluey texture when mashed. Restaurants often use Russet potatoes or a combination of potato types. Beyond the potatoes, butter and cream provide rich flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. Heavy cream has more fat than half-and-half or milk and makes the silkiest mashed potatoes. Salt and pepper seasoned to taste finishes off simple, classic mashed spuds. Some chefs may add special touches like sour cream, cheese or roasted garlic to amp up the flavor.
How Much in Advance Can Mashed Potatoes be Prepared?
Most restaurants prepare mashed potatoes 1-2 days before they will be served. The potatoes can be cooked, mashed and stored for around 3-5 days maximum according to most chef recommendations. After 5 days, the quality can degrade rapidly. Here are some general timelines to follow:
- 1-2 days in advance – Best flavor and texture
- 3 days in advance – Still tasty but texture declines slightly
- 4-5 days in advance – Flavor and texture degrade noticeably
Aim to make the mashed potatoes as close as possible to when they will be served for the freshest taste and smooth, fluffy texture. Making them 1-2 days in advance gives lots of flexibility for most restaurant schedules.
Step-by-Step Process for Making Mashed Potatoes in Advance
Here is an overview of the basic steps for preparing mashed potatoes in advance for a restaurant:
- Prep the potatoes – Peel, rinse and cut potatoes into similar sized chunks.
- Boil the potatoes – Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Drain and dry potatoes – Drain boiled potatoes and allow excess moisture to evaporate for 2-3 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes – Gradually mash the potatoes while adding butter, cream and seasonings until smooth and creamy.
- Cool properly – Spread mashed potatoes in a thin layer on sheet pans and cool quickly to stop cooking process.
- Portion and store – When completely cooled, portion potatoes into containers with lids for storage.
- Reheat gently – When ready to serve, reheat mashed potato portions gently with a little cream or milk added.
Getting the potatoes cooked just right is key. Undercooked potatoes will be too firm and resist mashing into a smooth texture. Overcooked potatoes can become gluey and fall apart. Cooling down the mashed potatoes properly before storage also helps maintain the texture. Let’s look more in depth at the key steps.
Boiling the Potatoes
It’s important to start with potatoes that are fork tender but not falling apart. Test a fork in the center of a potato chunk to check doneness while boiling. The potatoes are done when a fork slides in easily with just a little resistance in the center. Avoid boiling the potatoes to complete mushiness.
Salt the boiling water well to infuse the potatoes with flavor. Shoot for about 1-2 Tbsp salt per quart of water. Gently boil the potatoes to avoid over-agitating the chunks.
Potato cooking times can vary based on the size and type of potatoes. In general, expect an average of 15-20 minutes boiling time from the point the potatoes go into the already boiling water until done.
Mashing Technique
The goal is to mash the potatoes to a perfectly smooth, lump-free consistency without overworking the spuds. Using a potato ricer or food mill makes quick work of mashing the drained potatoes evenly.
Next, gradually add the butter, cream and seasonings as you continue mashing. Warm ingredients help melt the butter smoothly throughout the potatoes. Adding the dairy and seasonings slowly gives you control over getting the exact creamy consistency you want.
If needed, pass the finished mashed potatoes through a fine mesh strainer to catch any remaining lumps. The potatoes should be smooth, creamy and ready to portion out for cooling.
Cooling and Storage
Proper cooling stops the potatoes from overcooking and maintains the light, fluffy texture. Spread the mashed potatoes out evenly in a thin layer on sheet pans or hotel pans. Refrigerate uncovered until cooled completely, about 2 hours.
Then portion the cooled mashed potatoes into containers with lids. Plastic deli containers or cambros work well. Store in the refrigerator for 1-5 days.
Reheating
When ready to serve, reheat the mashed potatoes very gently either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Heat too aggressively and you’ll end up with a big gluey mess.
On the stovetop, place the potatoes in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of milk or cream and stir slowly and constantly until heated through, about 5 minutes.
In the microwave, heat the potatoes on Medium power in 30 second increments, stirring between each interval until hot, about 2-3 minutes total.
Whether reheating on the stovetop or microwave, take your time for slow, even heating. The potatoes should come out hot and flavorful with their creamy texture restored. Add any extra seasonings or stir in additional cream if needed just before serving.
What Mistakes to Avoid When Making Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time
With a little practice, restaurants can master preparing mashed potatoes in advance. However, there are some common pitfalls to avoid.
- Overcooking the potatoes – Potatoes cooked to mush will become gluey when mashed and reheated.
- Under-seasoning – It’s tough to add more salt and pepper later so season well at the start.
- Overworking the potatoes – Too much aggressive mashing can make gummy potatoes.
- Letting potatoes cool slowly – Slow cooling ruins the light, fluffy texture.
- Storing too long – Potatoes stored over 5 days tend to degrade in quality.
- Reheating carelessly – Aggressive reheating turns potatoes to glue.
Follow the tips in this article to avoid these common mistakes. Mastering delicious make-ahead mashed potatoes does take some practice to perfect.
Tips for Adapting Recipe for Large Restaurant Batches
Once you have the basic method down, it’s easy to scale the mashed potatoes recipe up to make very large batches for a busy restaurant.
Here are some tips for multiplying the recipe:
- Stick to a ratio of about 1 part dairy to 2 parts potatoes by volume.
- Use heavy cream for best results when making big batches.
- Cook potatoes in smaller batches for even cooking.
- Mash potatoes in smaller batches for smoothest results.
- Use industrial equipment like food processors if needed.
- Portion into smaller containers for fast cooling.
- Label and date containers for first in, first out use.
Making 10 pounds, 25 pounds or even 50+ pounds of mashed potatoes ahead of a busy shift is possible when you nail the proper ratios, batches, and equipment. Smaller batches cook and mash more evenly. Portioning into smaller containers also helps the potatoes cool faster to prevent overcooking.
Should Cooked Potatoes Be Refrigerated or Frozen?
For making mashed potatoes ahead of time, refrigeration is preferred over freezing. Fully cooked mashed potatoes will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator with minimal quality loss.
Freezing fully cooked potatoes often results in a mealy, watery texture once thawed. The reason is that the water in the potatoes expands as it freezes, rupturing cell walls. Once thawed, the texture just isn’t the same.
However, restaurants can successfully freeze raw potatoes chopped up before cooking. The firm cell structure stays relatively intact when frozen raw. Then the frozen potatoes can be cooked up fresh when needed.
If you do end up with leftovers of already cooked mashed potatoes, freeze them in an airtight container for up to 4 months. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating gently with cream or milk added. They won’t be quite as creamy and fluffy as fresh, but still usable.
What Equipment Do Restaurants Use for Mashed Potatoes?
Having the right kitchen tools makes preparing pounds of smooth, lump-free mashed potatoes much easier for restaurants. Here is some key equipment for mashed potato preparation:
- Commercial potato peeler – Quickly peel pounds of potatoes.
- French fry cutter – Evenly slice potatoes into uniform chunks for boiling.
- Colanders – Drain boiled potato batches.
- Commercial stand mixer – Use paddle attachment to mash potatoes in batches.
- Potato ricer or food mill – Mash or rice batches evenly.
- Commercial food processor – Quickly puree very large batches.
- Sheet pans – Spread mashed potatoes in thin layers for fast cooling.
- Hotel pans – Store and hold mashed potatoes for service.
- Cambros – Seal and store potato portions.
Investing in some commercial grade mashed potato prep equipment can take a arduous task and make it much more efficient. Items like a food processor or commercial stand mixer make quick work of enormous quantities of potatoes. And tools like hotel pans, cambros and sheet pans are indispensable for properly storing and cooling big batches of potatoes made ahead of time.
How Long Does it Take to Make Mashed Potatoes for a Restaurant?
The time it takes to make a batch of mashed potatoes for a restaurant depends on:
- Quantity needed
- Number of cooks prepping
- Efficiency of equipment used
- Skill level of staff
As a rough guide:
- Small batch (10 lbs potatoes): 45-60 minutes
- Large batch (25 lbs potatoes): 1.5-2 hours
- Extra large batch (50+ lbs): 2.5-3.5 hours
Having multiple staff members prepping simultaneously can drastically speed up production. Investing in equipment like commercial food processors and stand mixers also saves lots of labor time. An experienced chef will have much faster knife skills and workflow efficiency.
With practice, a skilled chef can produce 50 pounds or more of creamy mashed potatoes in just 2-3 hours. Getting your mashed potato prep down to a science helps restaurants easily serve up plentiful portions.
Conclusion
Serving up amazing mashed potatoes day in and day out is crucial for many restaurants. While fresh made-to-order mashed potatoes isn’t realistic for most high volume dining rooms, properly prepared make-ahead mashed potatoes can deliver consistent quality and flavor. With some trial and error, restaurants can perfect their mashed potato game using the right methods and practices for advance prep and storage. Mastering great mashed potatoes prepared ahead of the dinner rush provides restaurants with a delicious, hearty side to offer their guests.