Ask Dr. Potato

Can I keep mashed potatoes warm in a slow cooker on low? If so for how long? If not, what are my options?

How many fresh Idaho potatoes do I need to prepare mashed potatoes for a crowd?

Can I prepare mashed potatoes 10 days in advance and freeze, then rewarm them covered, in the oven for my Thanksgiving dinner?

Can you cook mashed potatoes ahead of time and freeze them for Thanksgiving Day?

We are empty nesters, so we don’t need a whole turkey. Still I want to fix something special with our boneless turkey breast and mashed Idaho potatoes, any ideas?

My family is expecting plain old mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. I’ll make those but in addition I would like to make something different with the extra mashed Idaho potatoes. What can I surprise them with for a fun recipe?

I just bought a new slow cooker, since they were on sale I actually went for the Crock® Pot brand and I am so excited to try new recipes. Do you have any suggestions for using Idaho Potatoes for a slow cooker recipe?

I'm dicing Yukon Gold potatoes to make hash browns or home fried potatoes. How many pounds of potatoes should I be using? There will be other sides. It's a breakfast with eggs, grits, and oatmeal as options and/or additions to each plate.

I will be serving a baked potato bar for my son's graduation (150-200 people). I planned on cutting in half, applying olive oil and then cooking for about 30 min. At that point I need to keep the potatoes warm. I was thinking either a preheated insulated cooler or roaster. Which do you think will work best? They will need to stay warm for approx. 5 hours. Thanks so much for your help!

Every once in a great while I get the most perfect baked potato in a restaurant that I would love to duplicate at home. I prefer a potato that is a little denser rather than fluffy on the inside, with the skin crispy and pulling away from the outside surface of the potato. Any suggestions of how to achieve this type of dense texture?