mashed tater question

I need to make mashed potatoes for thanksgiving and I'm not allowed to use instant, which honestly time wise would be very smart!
So I don't have to peel and cube 20 lbs. of potatoes plus cook and mash them all on thanksgiving as I value sleep more than mashed potatoes.

So I want to do as much of it on wednesday as possible. However, I've never done them ahead of time... so I've come asking for suggestions.

so would be okay to peel and cube them wednesday, toss them in the fridge until I am ready to cook them on thursday?

oh and what's your favorite way to make mashed potatoes?

They will turn brown unless they are covered with water.
I would bake them, frig them, then peel and mash them....tons easier IMO.


Here is what I do for 20 lbs'


wash and bake , oven or microwave
Let cook, peel skins off ( they will just rub right off)

Kinda cube them, and using a mixer add 1 Cup milk, and 2 sticks of butter,salt, red pepper etc. add more milk as needed until they look right.

I peel and cut the day before, put them in a huge pan and cover with water. And I like ANY kind of mashed potatos, LOL.

I can honestly say I have never used instant, are they good?

I think they taste like cardboard. Scott likes them.

I like the real thing. I cut them up and put them in the pan with water the night before all the time.

I live in Maine, second biggest (after Idaho) for potato farms...I tried potato flakes once in my life...I agree with Karen, they taste like cardboard to me. If you wanted to take a shortcut rather than instant potatoes..you could get the microwave Steam and Mash potatoes, if you get the plain Cut Russet potatoes they are not too bad..

or just boil (skins on) and chunked up) tomorrow, then mash, skins all all... it's a good thing if you washed them) with butter and sour cream. PUt them in a microwavable casserole or two, refrigerate and reheat on Thurs, or put the casseroles in the oven.... (and as much as I've always been opposed to instant, Idahoians (bad spell) are good if you add enough butter, sour cream and some fresh mashed garlic...

thanks for the suggestions...the potatoes have been scrubbed, peeled, and cubed sitting covered with water in the fridge.

We have instant potatoes all the time...I don't know what brand they are, but we got them at Costco. They sorta remind me of the mashed potatoes at KFC. I like them and they are definitely easier, but since their will be people other than family...it was insisted to use real, even though I fully believe no one would say a word about instant potatoes because if they did I would say something...