Learn how to make delicious and creamy mashed potatoes in the crock pot with this delicious Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes recipe. It only takes a few minutes to prep, and it’s always a crowd favorite. :)
Sometimes I wonder if I love my slow cooker a little too much.
Well, actually I have three of them, since I seem to have developed a love of slow cooker entertaining with all three going at once. And I love all of them equally very very much, just as you do with children, ahem, slow cookers.
Seriously, though, I am totally that sentimental cook who often has a little “moment” with my slow cooker. Especially when I come home to a house that smells so yummy after being gone all day, and then I peer through the glass lid past the condensation, and see that my food has somehow already been prepared for me?! I know the technology is nothing new, but I have to say, it feels just a tiny bit like magic. And if I think about all of the past generations — or more importantly, the millions of people around the world today — who don’t have access to this little modern miracle? Well, it actually very genuinely makes me thankful for the gift of slow cooked food. And it makes me want to slow down and make the most of those extra moments I don’t have to stand in front of a stove cooking my food (like, you know, that big holiday that’s just around the corner).
And when delicious, creamy, couldn’t-be-easier-to-make slow cooker mashed potatoes like these ones are involved, it makes me want to dive IN.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Oh man, slow cooker mashed potatoes seem to be “the thing” this year. Just in the past few weeks since I photographed these, I have seen no less than five more recipes for them pop up on Pinterest! There’s a good reason for the buzz, though. These slow cooker mashed potatoes are perfection!!!
You can customize them just about however you’d like. But leave the basics to your slow cooker, and I promise it won’t let you down. Here’s how to make ’em:
Begin by chopping up your potatoes and tossing them in the slow cooker. I’m a big fan of using Yukon gold potatoes for the ultimate in buttery, creamy, mashed potato deliciousness. Add some chicken or vegetable broth, about 4 tablespoons of butter (cut into small pieces), and a few cloves of minced garlic on top. Then cover it and let your slow cooker work its magic for about 4 hours on high heat.
Then mash it all up. You can either do this by hand with a potato mixer, or use a handheld electric mixer. I prefer mine to be slightly chunky, so I do it by hand. (Also, heads up, if you use the electric mixer be very careful not to over-beat the potatoes.)
Stir in some Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt and pepper.
And voila! Your perfect mashed potatoes are ready to go!
Feel free to stir in or top them with any of your other favorite mix-ins. For example, you could go the classic shredded sharp cheddar cheese and bacon route. Or go simple with chopped chives or green onions. Or one of my favs — oodles of gorgonzola cheese.
Actually, though, I have to admit that I actually love these best just plain. But however you make them, I guarantee you will love the creamy, buttery, slow cooked, deliciousness.
Happy mashing!
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold or Red potatoes, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces and peeled if desired (*edited: Russett potatoes tend to oxidize more quickly and turn a bit gray while cooking, so I don’t recommend them)
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup milk, warmed
- (optional add-ins: crumbled bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese, chopped green onions or chives, etc.)
Instructions
- Add potatoes and stock to the bowl of a slow cooker, and place butter cubes and minced garlic on top. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until the potatoes are cooked and soft.
- Use a potato masher or an electric mixer to mash the potatoes to your desired consistency. Stir in the Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt, and black pepper. And add your desired amount of warm milk, until the potatoes reach your desired level of creamy-ness. Stir in any other add-ins if desired.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
do you think this recipe can be doubled? We like having left overs after Thanksgiving. How much longer would they have to cook?
Yes, we think this could be doubled if you have a large enough slow cooker. We’re not sure how much longer they’d need to cook though, since we haven’t tried that. Sorry we can’t be more helpful! We would just advise checking them after the regular amount of cooking time (whether you cook them on low, or on high), and just evaluating from there. We hope you enjoy these!
I need to do 10 lbs of potatoes. will they fit in my slow cooker and do I modify the recipe?
Depends on the size of your slow cooker. I doubt that many would fit even in a large cooker. But yes, if you cook more, it will probably require at least another hour (or two) of cooking time.
Do you think I could make these ahead of time forThanksgiving and just refridgerate till the big day and then heat in slow cooker? It sure would be one less thing to do. It looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
We think you could definitely make these in advance and refrigerate, we’re just not entirely sure how well they’d reheat in the slow cooker. We think if you did them on low for not too long, they might be okay. Or you could heat them up in the oven at a fairly low temperature, with foil or a lid on top. We hope you enjoy!
I did a test run of these today to see if they were good enough for the Thanksgiving table. They certainly are EASY…love that I can do the peeling and cutting ahead of time and then stick the crock pot in a corner and let it do its thing. I followed the recipe exactly as written. In the end, the taste was very mellow which is good for a crowd although I’ll definitely salt and butter mine a bit more! So yes, I’ll definitely be making this on Thursday! Until then, I’ll enjoy my test batch….
Thanks for sharing Janice, we’re glad you liked the recipe! We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that your friends and family enjoy these as well!
If I double the recipe (I have a large crock pot) should I allow for extra cook time?
Yes, I would allow for a little extra cooking time. All crock pots perform differently, but I would guess it would at least require another hour.
Can you please tell us how much broth to use? Also, what size and wattage is your slow cooker? Using the wrong size can really make a difference. Thank you! :)
Yep, you’ll need 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock for this recipe. And I used 3-quart slow cooker for this recipe. Enjoy! :)
What a great idea! This recipe will be very helpful as I plan my first Thanksgiving ?. What size slow cooker do you use for the 3lbs of potatoes?
I just used a small slow cooker, but a larger one would also work! Enjoy!
Would this freeze well?
Yes, definitely! We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Just made this, followed exactly except I drained most of the cooking liquid off before I added the milk & sour cream. It was so easy & it was just as good, if not better than traditional mashed potatoes. I will never make mashed potatoes the old way ever again! Thank you!
Thanks Sharlee! I’m happy you liked them!
do you use electric mixer right in the crock pot? Would hate to damage the sides. Would also hate to have to wash additional dishes, lol.