Make-Ahead Duchess Mashed Potatoes

Make-Ahead Duchess Mashed Potatoes

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Duchess potatoes is a classic French dish. The mashed potatoes are usually piped onto the baking sheet, but you can shape them or drop them in any way you like.

Make these special mashed potatoes ahead then freeze them in serving size portions. This dish is excellent for any day of the week, and the potatoes are especially convenient for holiday dinners. You can serve them alongside any meat, such as steak, roast beef, ham, turkey, pork chops, meatballs and gravy or roasted pork loin. They are delicious without any gravy needed.

The usual tools used to make the mashed potatoes smooth for piping are a food mill or potato ricer. To make the beautifully piped mounds, you will need a piping bag with a decorative tip such as a star nozzle. This will allow you to make swirled buttons or oblong swirled logs. Brushing them with an egg wash before baking adds a lovely brown glaze.

Ingredients

For the Potatoes:

  • 5 or 6 medium baking potatoes, such as russets

  • 1/4 cup butter, melted

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten

  • 1/3 cup cream, light or heavy

For the Egg Wash:

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 2 teaspoons water

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Make-Ahead Duchess Mashed Potatoes ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Put them in a large saucepan, cover them with water, and add about 1 teaspoon of salt for each quart of water. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat and continue boiling for 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain well.

    potatoes boiling in a pot of water

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Mash the hot potatoes with butter, salt, pepper, egg yolks, and cream. Beat until the potatoes are light and fluffy.

     hot potatoes mashed with butter, salt, pepper, egg yolks, and cream

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. On a baking sheet, form individual serving size portions. You can do this by dropping small mounds of potatoes onto the sheet or by using a piping bag with a decorative tip and making swirled mounds.

    potatoes piped on to a baking dish

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Freeze the potato portions on the baking sheet until solid.

    piped potato portions frozen on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Package the frozen duchess potatoes in freezer storage bags or containers. Label the bag or container with the date and the contents, with a "best used by" date of a year. Store in the freezer until it's time to bake them.

    frozen potato portions in a plastic bag

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. To serve, place duchess potatoes on a lightly greased baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

    potato portions on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Whisk 1 whole egg with the 2 teaspoons of water; brush the potato mounds lightly with the beaten egg mixture.

    potatoes brushed with egg wash

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  9. Brown the potatoes in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and hot throughout.

    Make-Ahead Duchess Mashed Potatoes on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Storage

The frozen potatoes will last at best quality for about a year in the freezer. They will still be safe to eat after that time so long as they don't show any dry spots or discoloration.

Once you have removed them from the freezer, don't leave them at room temperature for more than six hours. It's better to take them right from the freezer to the oven.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
325 Calories
16g Fat
38g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 325
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 159mg 53%
Sodium 302mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 14mg 72%
Calcium 60mg 5%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 1004mg 21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)