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Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

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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. :) 

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com #slowcooker #crockpot

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

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com #slowcooker #crockpot

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:

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com #slowcooker #crockpot

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.

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes 2

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.)

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com #slowcooker #crockpot

Stir in some Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt and pepper.

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com #slowcooker #crockpot

And voila! Your perfect mashed potatoes are ready to go!Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com #slowcooker #crockpot

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 Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com #slowcooker #crockpot

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Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 7 reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 240 minutes
  • Total Time: 250 minutes
  • Yield: 6 -8 servings 1x

Description

This slow cooker mashed potatoes recipe is unbelievably easy to make, and it’s perfectly creamy and delicious!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 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
  • 1/31/2 cup milk, warmed
  • (optional add-ins: crumbled bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese, chopped green onions or chives, etc.)

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Serve warm.

Notes

*You’re also welcome to cook these in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low, however sometimes potatoes will get a little brown if they cook that long depending on the heat of your slow cooker.  I recommend cooking for 3-4 hours on high.

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com #slowcooker #crockpot

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100 comments on “Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes”

  1. I love my slow cooker too! These look nice and fluffy, and creamy! I like my mashed potatoes with some feta cheese and chives.

  2. Well now I want mashed potatoes for breakfast, haha! These look soooo yummy. Thanks for the easy peasy Thanksgiving tater recipe ;) 

    xo

  3. I don’t think it’s possible to love your slow cooker too much! It makes life so much easier! And these potatoes look MEGA CREAMY, and I want to face plant right into them. Pinned!

  4. Love that we’re on the same potato page today! And I’m totally down with 3 slow cookers going at once – we had 3 going for Jacob’s birthday party this weekend. No shame. ;)

  5. This is so smart – I never would have thought to make mashed potatoes in the slow cooker. My favorite holiday meal side ;)

  6. IN. LOVE. These are perfection!!!! Nice for Thanksgiving when you have a zillion things going on at once :)

  7. I know what you mean on the overload of love for slow cookers! I use mine AT LEAST twice a week to make dinner. They are just awesome!

    I’ve also seen the multitude of pins for slow cooked mashed potatoes, and I am so loving the idea! I think that’s one of the Thanksgiving dishes that I feel is such a time consumer. But this method has my name written all over it!

  8. Great idea for when there is a lack of cook top real estate! These look great and all too easy. Thanks!

  9. Is it Thanksgiving time yet?? I don’t think I can wait! I need these mashed taters now!

  10. I’ve used my slow cooker in the past to transport mashed potatoes to various events but never thought of doing it this way.  Let’s face it, mashed potatoes are kind of a pain in the butt to make because of the boiling and draining, etc…  So this is pretty genius.  I will be testing this out later this week. Thanks for the great idea.    

  11. I’m so in love with my slow cooker this year – it’s barely been away in the cupboard at all! I have GOT to try these, mash in the slow cooker?!? You’re a genius!

  12. OMG!! I will be trying these! Can I just say I LOVE your blog. Everything I have made is always so delicious! You have the best recipes! 

  13. This post made my mouth water and have a strong desire for mashed potatoes. Luckily, I have some waiting in my fridge for me! ;)

  14. Wow!  Mashed Potatoes are my biggest weakness.  Those look amazing!

  15. So perfect.  My favorite is mashed potatoes with chives.

  16. I loved mashed potatoes on any day, but getting them out of the oven and into the slow cooker on Thanksgiving sounds like a perfect plan!

  17. So many questions Ali-so intriguing!
    1) if I half the recipe, do I modify cook time?
    2) if potatoes are ready but turkey not-do potatoes seize up while sitting in pot?
    3) if not fan of sour cream or yogurt in potatoes, leave out or add more of something else instead?

  18. WOW!!..HAVE NOT USED MY SLOW COOKER IN AGES…THIS SOUNDS GREAT…I’M 77YRS. YOUNG…BUT THIS LOOKS EASY ..WILL TRY IT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON…WOW!!..AGAIN..THANKS FOR INFORMATION….(*.*)*

  19. THANK YOU!!! I will try this because I need to make potatoes for home for 3 and then at a 2nd dinner for 5. When we all get together and I need to make a TON of potatoes I cook & mash them on the stove and then put them in the slow cooker to keep them warm for travel and not taking up stove-top space. This will save me a ton of time on Thanksgiving.

  20. Did you rinse your potatoes first?

  21. 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.

  22. 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!

  23. Would this freeze well? 

  24. 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?

  25. 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! :)

  26. 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.

  27. 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!

  28. 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!

  29. 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.

  30. 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!

  31. Perfect answer to us that are the old fashioned way with one oven.  Great Idea  Thanks

  32. Can you use water instead of stock for the cooking liquid?

    • Sure, it just won’t be quite as flavorful, but water will definitely work!

    • Yes, it sure can, the mashed potatoes just won’t be as flavorful. If using water, you should most likely add more salt and seasonings. We hope you enjoy these! :)

  33. I LOVE this recipe for entertaining. I have shared it on my blog as a part of a fully planned dinner party menu (the same one that is my go to menu for entertaining). I love that I can prep it and clean before guests arrive and actually enjoy time with them instead of cook. Thanks for an awesome recipe (as your recipes always are incredible). 

  34. Do you peel the potatoes first?

  35. Can you peel the potatoes? 

  36. We prepared this recipe yesterday, for Thanksgiving.  My family LOVED it! 
    I look forward to using this recipe again on future occasions.
    Thank you! 

  37. I have done my mash potatoes this way for the last 6 or 7 years, have big family so I am the house they all come to ( which I love )  Before crockpots on holidays I used up all my pans in the house , but now for the last 6 or 7 years I use all my crock pots, which is not easy for clean up always but easier for serveing , it keeps the food hot, I have a long fold out table that I put all my crock pots on and I make most of my holiday  foods in them, mash potatoess, sweet potatoes casserole, green beans, corn and my Christmas mix which is a corn check mixs  for family to nibble on while they wait for supper to be served, family goes down the long table with all the crock pot foods on it and they get what they want and sits down to a table with no bowls on the table which always use to take up all the table space but now with the crock pot ideal they eat and visit without all that food being in bowls and taking up all the table space,  now if they want more they get up and serve themselves and eats then gets up  and goes to the desert table, it really is a nice way to me to set it up this way, so I love my crock pots!

  38. I had them for dinner to day .They were great .

  39. These look so yummy! I’m not sure why but for some reason, for the life of me, I cannot master the perfect mashed potatoes. I think maybe I whip them too much?? They seem to be gummy and just not good. Attempting these today! 

    Do they come out better when you cook on low for longer or shouldn’t really matter?

  40. Sometimes I wonder if I love my slow cooker a little too much.

  41. I tried this for dinner using Yukon Gold potatoes and it was so nice to let the crock pot do the work.  I will be using it again! Thank you!

  42. What size is your crockpot?

  43. I have an 8 hour workday and my small crock-pot is not programmable. Would 8 hours on low work as well?

  44. Awesome recipe! My daughter and stepson ask me to make it for them. I made it for Easter and it was a big hit. I’m not a fan of mashed potatoes but that doesn’t mean my kids don’t try it ;-)

  45. Do you need to drain the broth out before you mash these?

  46. How many servings would you say this recipe would feed? I need to fix mashed potatoes for 100 and can’t find a recipe. But this sounds so good, I’m wondering if I could make a bunch ahead for Thanksgiving dinner.

  47. Hi!  How many people does this recipe serve?  Thank you for the information!  :)

  48. Works perfectly, I love it, just try it, you’ll find them great, too easy for so good

  49. Hey I need to make 10 lbs. of potatoes for Thanksgiving , Would I triple ALL ingredients including chicken stock or will that be way too much liquid? Also do you drain the liquid before mashing?
    Thank You

    • Oh goodness, that’s a lot of potatoes! :) We used a 4-qt slow cooker for this, so you’d definitely want to use a 6-qt or bigger, and even then you’d need to still double the recipe and then make one more (regular sized batch). Also, no need to drain before mashing. We hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe!

  50. Have you tried a similar recipe with sweet potatoes? So many today have food issues and yet sweet potatoes seem to be ok.  Going to a get together & want to bring this delicious veggie.