Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

Our favorite completely indulgent Crockpot Mashed Potatoes. These buttery, smooth and ultra-creamy potatoes are the perfect side dish to so many meals and a holiday table must-have .

Save oven space during the holidays and let the slow cooker prepare the side dishes instead! Other delicious holiday sides to accompany these potatoes: sweet potato casserole, Thanksgiving dressing, and this Wild Rice Salad.

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

Hands down, mashed potatoes are one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. I’ll find just about any excuse to whip them up and they hold a prime space on my holiday plate (along with these dinner rolls)!

And today I’m sharing how you can save space on your stovetop by making mashed potatoes in the slow cooker instead. This incredibly simple method leaves you with the most tender and creamy mashed potatoes. Additionally, the timeline is much more forgiving when using a slow cooker — you don’t need to be worried about when to begin boiling the potatoes or scheduling when they’ll be finished as you’re working to finish up everything else going on the table. Face it: Thanksgiving dinner prep can get crazy as serving time approaches. Anything we can do to ease the stress is good!

These Crockpot Mashed Potatoes are definitely an indulgent recipe, meant to be enjoyed in moderation. While the potatoes can be lightened up, I highly recommend trying this recipe as written — it’s our absolute favorite!

Can you put raw potatoes in a slow cooker?

Yes! There is no pre-cooking required of the potatoes before they are added into the slow cooker. Simply peel, chop, and throw them in the crockpot. Set it and forget about it and return to buttery and tender mashed potatoes.

Crockpot Mashed Potato tips

• Rinse the potatoes well. Potatoes are roots and roots grow in the ground. By the time they make it to your kitchen pantry, they’re likely to still have some dirt on them. To avoid dirt in your mashed potatoes, I recommend washing and scrubbing your potatoes before peeling them. Then, you’ll want to wash them again after they are peeled to remove excess starch. This will improve the texture and taste of your final Crockpot Mashed Potatoes.
• Remove ALL extra moisture. after straining the cooked mashed potatoes from the slow cooker, give the potatoes time to fully dry out — about 5-7 minutes– to avoid watery mashed potatoes.
• Don’t forget salt and pepper. These two unassuming ingredients make all the difference in your potatoes. Taste the potatoes a few times before serving and make sure to adjust the salt and pepper to personal preference.
• Use unsalted butter. The amount of salt in salted butter varies from brand to brand and sometimes package to package. To ensure you perfectly season these Crockpot Mashed Potatoes to personal preference, I recommend unsalted butter. That way, the added salt is fully in your control.

Using a potato ricer

Beating or hand mixing the potatoes can cause the texture to be gluey or gummy. To get the fluffy potatoes that everybody loves, you need a potato ricer. I highly recommend adding a potato ricer to your cooking arsenal – here’s the potato ricer I use and love. Beyond its ability to make the perfect potatoes, using this ricer is also a lot of fun – it’s like adult play dough!

QUICK TIP

Slow-cooked mashed potatoes can easily end up gluey or rubbery tasting, depending on how they are mashed. Overbeating or overmixing will break down the potatoes’ cells and cause the potatoes to release starch and become pasty or rubbery in texture. For this recipe, I don’t recommend using a stand mixer, hand mixer or food processor. A handheld potato masher or ricer is going to give you the best results and are the least likely to overwork the potatoes. Less is more when mashing these potatoes!

No milk in mashed potatoes?

Instead of milk, we use heavy cream and sour cream in these Crockpot Mashed Potatoes. The heavy cream allows the potatoes to remain thick and creamy without watering down the mixture. I find that milk makes these mashed potatoes lack a bit in flavor and thinner in texture. The sour cream adds body and a very subtle tang to the potatoes.

What potatoes to use?

There are many varying opinions on this, but my all-time favorite spuds are gold potatoes. They make these potatoes buttery smooth and creamy with a touch of sweetness. Russets will also work and if might want to try half russets and half gold potatoes.

More Great Holiday Side Dishes

• Baked Sweet Potatoes made in a fraction of the time!
• Cornbread Dressing with onions, celery, and fresh herbs
• Thanksgiving Salad with roasted butternut squash
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts with a crispy Parmesan coating
• Cranberry Sauce with a hint of orange flavor

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Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

Our favorite completely indulgent Crockpot Mashed Potatoes are buttery, smooth, and ultra-creamy -- the perfect side dish to so many meals and a must-have on your holiday table.

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Our favorite completely indulgent Crockpot Mashed Potatoes are buttery, smooth, and ultra-creamy -- the perfect side dish to so many meals and a must-have on your holiday table.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Servings 8 -12 servings, as a side dish

Calories 541kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $5.61

Equipment

• 6 quart slow cooker
• Potato Ricer (See Note 1)

Ingredients

• ▢ 5 pounds (2.27kg) gold potatoes or a mix of gold and russet; peeled and cut into large (1-inch) cubes
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 container (32 oz.) chicken broth
• ▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes

Add later

• ▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream (lite or full-fat works)
• ▢ Additional fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• POTATOES: Generously coat a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch (golf-ball sized) cubes. Add to a colander and thoroughly rinse in very cold water until the water comes out clear. Once washed, shake the colander to dry and then transfer the potatoes to the prepared slow cooker.
  
• SLOW COOKER: Cube 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter into small pieces. Place butter cubes on top of the potatoes in the slow cooker. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of fine sea salt over everything and add the bay leaves. Pour chicken broth over. No need to stir anything; just cover the slow cooker and begin cooking.
  
• COOK: Cook on high for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork (they are perfect around 4 hours in my slow cooker). Remove the lid from the slow cooker carefully, allowing steam to escape. Remove the slow cooker insert and pour everything into a colander, draining the potatoes; discard the bay leaves. Gently shake the potatoes and allow them to stand and dry out thoroughly in the colander for about 5-7 minutes; we want to get rid of all extra moisture; don't rush this drying process.
  
• RICER: Quickly dry out the slow cooker if there is any remaining liquid. While potatoes are still hot, transfer them from the colander into a ricer (See Note 1) and then back into the slow cooker.
  
• CREAM MIXTURE: Meanwhile, melt 8 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat in a small pot. Once butter is melted, add the heavy cream and sour cream and stir. Once the mixture is combined and smooth, remove from the heat and pour over the riced potatoes. Gently stir until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper (we add another 3/4 teaspoon of each here, but add to preference. It will vary, depending on how salty the broth used; you'll use less if using table salt instead of fine sea salt). Serve mashed potatoes hot, straight out of the slow cooker. If not serving right away, cover and keep potatoes on the warm setting until serving.
  
• MAKE AHEAD: While these mashed potatoes reheat okay, they are best straight out of the slow cooker. Prep ahead by peeling and cutting the mashed potatoes, covering in cold water and storing in the fridge for up to 12 hours. Drain thoroughly before proceeding with the recipe.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Slow-cooked mashed potatoes can end up gluey or rubbery tasting, depending on how they are mashed. Overbeating or overmixing will cause the potatoes to release starch and become pasty or rubbery in texture, so don't overmix. For this recipe, I don't recommend using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or food processor. A hand-held potato masher or ricer is going to give you the best results and are the least likely to overwork the potatoes. Less is more when mashing these potatoes!

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1037mg | Potassium: 1322mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1157IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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