Jeff Mauro's Genius Method For Reheating Leftover Mashed Potatoes

It is a truth universally known that whenever you are reheating leftover food, you must be in want of the best method for doing so. This is especially true of mashed potatoes, which you might have made oh-so-creamy for a special holiday meal, naturally adhering to these 13 chef-approved tips for making them the very best. Since you put so much time and effort into them, you'll want the premier way to give them a zhuzh before serving them up again (as opposed to giving them a whirl in your waffle maker).

According to Jeff Mauro, celebrity chef and owner of Mauro Provisions, with whom we caught up at the Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival, you can make your day(s)-old mashed potatoes like new if you first bring them up to room temperature. "Then top with a layer of melted butter," he continued, "then reheat right before service, with a little blast from the broiler right at the end."

The reheat can be done in the microwave, so make sure you put them in a microwave-safe and oven-safe dish, like this casserole container from Pryex, if you want to cut down on labor. The broiler adds a delightfully browned crust to the top, perfect for some variation in texture, while the butter keeps the potatoes from drying out during the reheat and makes them seem freshly made.

If you don't want to dirty another dish to melt the butter in the microwave, you can also just mix it into your warmed-up mashed potatoes. Provided the potatoes are hot enough throughout, the butter should incorporate right into them; just be careful not to over-mix (especially since they were already mixed a first time), as that can make them gummy and sticky. You can help avoid this disaster by ricing the potatoes when you make them initially.

Instead of reheating them in the microwave, too, you can also do this on the stove. While you'll want to avoid subjecting them to direct heat, you can put them in a heat-safe bowl that is just a bit bigger than the opening of a pot. You'll bring some water up to a simmer in the pot, then place the bowl over top, so the potatoes will gently warm up over the heat. Oh, and if you really want to keep your mashed potatoes moist while reheating, add a splash of cream or milk, or even a bit of broth, as well as the butter, before popping them in the oven to broil.