It’s not even Halloween yet, but it’s never too early to start planning for Thanksgiving, so I’m going to throw you this little tip to save for later. There are so many moving parts that go into making sure a Thanksgiving meal is hot and ready all at the same time, and it’s even more challenging when you’re working with just one stove. Recipes like these Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes that can be prepared on the side will free up space on your stove top and, because it requires no babysitting, will leave your hands and eyes free to focus on other recipes. Thanksgiving Day boil-over averted. 😅
Why Make Mashed Potatoes in a Slow Cooker?
Using the slow cooker cuts out the “babysitting the boiling pot” step in the process of making mashed potatoes, which can really free you up to concentrate on the rest of your meal. It also eliminates boil overs, draining the potatoes, constantly checking them with a fork to see if they’re tender, using multiple pots and dishes, and gives you another free burner on your stove top. With slow cooker mashed potatoes, you just add everything to the pot and press a button and go. And if you can’t get to them right when the timer goes off, they’ll be okay!
How Do You Flavor Mashed Potatoes?
I flavored my mashed potatoes with garlic, pepper, butter, milk, and cream cheese, but you can use your tried and true favorite mashed potato add-ins with this recipe. The cooking process will stay the same: 3 lbs. potatoes and about 1.5 cups of broth. Then after they’re cooked, add in whatever you’d like! My All-Purpose Garlic Herb Seasoning is a favorite, but other fun seasoning blends include Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, or even ranch seasoning.
What Kind of Potatoes are Best for Mashed Potatoes?
Russet potatoes are my top choice for mashed potatoes because they have a light, fluffy flesh. You can use red potatoes, but they tend to create a more dense mashed potato.
Can I Make Them Vegetarian?
Absolutely! You can swap the chicken broth listed in the recipe below for vegetable broth. Just be aware that vegetable broth is usually a much darker color, so your finished mashed potatoes may look a little more brown.
What Size Slow Cooker Do I Need?
I’m using a 5 quart slow cooker, but it was only about half full, so you could probably get away with using a 3 quart slow cooker for this recipe.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Servings 6 1 cup eachIngredients
- 3 lbs. russet potatoes ($1.80)
- 1.5 cups chicken broth ($0.20)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05)
- 4 oz. cream cheese ($0.40)
- 1/2 cup milk ($0.25)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.13)
Instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes, then dice them into one-inch cubes. Rinse the diced potatoes with cool water in a colander to remove the excess starch.
- Add the cubed potatoes, minced garlic, chicken broth, and some freshly cracked pepper to the slow cooker. Stir briefly to distribute the garlic and pepper.
- Place a lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for three hours, or until the potatoes are fork tender. You can test the tenderness by lifting the lid just long enough to pierce the potatoes with a fork.
- Take the lid off the slow cooker and add the cream cheese, milk, and butter. Stir to combine the ingredients and mash the potatoes. For an extra smooth mashed potato, use a hand mixer to briefly whip the potatoes until smooth.
- Taste the potatoes and add salt or pepper if needed. Serve immediately, or switch the slow cooker to the "warm" setting until ready to serve.
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Nutrition
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Follow steps 1-2 in the recipe above.
- Close the vent, choose the manual setting, and set the cook time to seven minutes.
- Once finished, use the quick pressure release method until the pressure normalizes.
- Follow steps 4-5 in the recipe above.
Try These Other Mashed Potato Recipes:
- Fluffy Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
- Dairy-Free Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
- Spinach and Feta Mashed Potatoes
- Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls
- Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms with Herby Kale Mashed Potatoes
How to Make Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes – Step by Step Photos
Start by washing and peeling 3 lbs. of russet potatoes. Dice the peeled potatoes into one-inch cubes.
Rinse the cubed potatoes well in a colander. This removes the excess starch which can make your mashed potatoes gluey instead of fluffy.
Add the cubed potatoes to a slow cooker along with 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 1.5 cups of chicken broth, and some freshly cracked pepper. Stir briefly just to distribute the garlic and pepper.
Cover the slow cooker, then cook on high for three hours, or until the potatoes are tender. You can test their tenderness by removing the lid just brief enough to see if a fork can be easily inserted into the potatoes.
Add 4oz. cream cheese, 1 Tbsp butter, and 1/2 cup milk to the hot potatoes. Stir with a spoon to combine the add-ins with the hot potatoes. The potatoes should be so tender that they begin to mash as you stir. You can continue to stir with a spoon for a chunkier mashed potato, or…
Use a hand mixer to briefly whip the potatoes until smooth.
Finally, taste the mashed potatoes and season with salt or pepper if needed. Depending on what kind of broth you use, you may want to add salt.
And that’s it! Soft, silky, flavorful slow cooker mashed potatoes without any “heavy lifting”. You can serve the potatoes right away or switch the slow cooker to the “warm” setting to keep them warm until you’re ready to serve dinner.
Canadian Thanksgiving is this coming weekend, so this timing is amazing. Thank you so much for re-upping this, as I wouldn’t have thought to try making this in the slow cooker.
Hello
I am using an Instant Pot but had already started by using Slow Cook on high heat for four hours. Will they still turn out ok?
Can I use 5-6 red potatoes instead of 3lbs of potatoes russets ? Trying this for first time for I just got a crock pot as a gift
This recipe has made me not dread making mashed potatoes anymore! Followed to the letter, the potatoes will begin to “mash” when you stir in the add-ins at the end of cook time – I sometimes don’t even use the beaters to whip them – it’s not necessary unless you want super smooth potatoes. Prepared as written, they’re delicious and will pair well with just about anything. You can easily make these your own by switching up add-ins at the end. Thanks for sharing this!
I’ve made this recipe before and it was awesome! I want to make it again this year but was wondering if you could substitute milk with unsweetened soy milk, almond milk or coconut milk. We don’t keep regular milk on hand because we don’t drink it.
No idea how this almost has a 5-star rating, these were horrendous. The mashed were so bad that in comparison, instant mashed potatoes taste better. I followed this recipe to precisely what it said, and I made no changes. What a waste of time.
Was looking forward to these mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving Day, but the potatoes never softened in my Crockpot. Followed the simple instructions so I’m not sure what possibly could have gone wrong. The diced russet potatoes were still hard even hours after the 4 hour cooking time. It was disappointing. Guests definitely missed the traditional mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving.
Very yummy recipe. I cooked the potatoes in the pressure cooker and it couldn’t have been easier. As much as I love Yukon good potatoes, I don’t think they worked well. They were to each and didn’t result in fluffy mashed potatoes. I cooked two more russet potatoes and added that to the mix, which helped. Everyone thought they were fantastic!
Would this work with red potatoes?
Yes. :)
Thanks!
Made this tonight. I always mix celeriac with my potatoes when I make mashed potatoes…Well, I did it here and the change…did not work so well…I guess there is much more water in celeriac, so version of the recipe (without even adding the milk) is basically a soup. A really, really tasty soup, so we’re still happy!. I will try this again (without any changes) for sure. It was still really easy! Thanks!
Hi Beth!
Longtime fan! I had a question– do you know if these mashed potatoes freeze well? Thing is, I LOVE mashed potatoes but, just like you, I hate peeling and cutting potatoes. My plan is to double the recipe and have leftovers frozen for a quick side whenever I need it.
Any thoughts?
I think they freeze fine, but some people really dislike the texture of potatoes after they are frozen and thawed. It’s funny though, because I can never tell any difference, but for some people it’s a deal breaker. :P
omg!!! I need a wife!
OK so love this recipe of all the slow-cookermashed. My question is if I have to double recipe how much time incooker. Yes I know to double ingredients but not sure of cook time.
It should take roughly the same amount of time.
How much liquid would I use if I were to make double the amount?
I would double the liquid as well.
OMG. WINNER!!!
We had these this week as a “test” as I prepare for Thanksgiving. We will be having these (made in the Instant Pot…my new favorite thing). It will help make Thanksgiving easier, but these are also the easiest, tastiest mashed potatoes I’ve ever made. And mashed potatoes are my ‘thing’