Easy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Save room on the stove and make your mashed potatoes in the slow cooker. These mashed potatoes are rich, creamy, and decadent, making them a perfect side dish for holiday dinners.
Today’s post is about a no-frills side dish that’s simple and straightforward: easy slow cooker mashed potatoes. Make them for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or whenever you want a rich and decadent side dish.
I love three things about this recipe: it’s easy, it saves room on the stovetop, which is always nice when making a big holiday meal, and the mashed potatoes are delicious, too! They have all the good stuff, so pair these creamy potatoes with turkey, ham, roast tenderloin… you get the idea.
Ingredients
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Chicken broth or stock (or vegetable broth)
- Unsalted butter
- Heavy cream
- Sour cream
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Parsley for garnish
I think Yukon gold potatoes are best for mashing—they have a buttery flavor and are not super starchy like russets. You can use russet potatoes if that’s what you like. Red potatoes will also work.
Recipe Steps
☑️ Prep the Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Place them in the slow cooker with the stock.
☑️ Cook Them in the Slow Cooker
Cook them on high for three to four hours or until tender.
☑️ Mash Them
You can mash potatoes right in the slow cooker with a potato masher. If you prefer whipped potatoes, have at it. I like the texture of using a handheld masher, but you can pull out your hand mixer and whip your potatoes if you like a light and airy texture.
☑️Dress Them Up
Add the butter, sour cream, cream, salt, and paper. Stir until well combined. You can keep them simple or switch them up:
- Add some grated Parmesan cheese when you mash them. Cheddar cheese would also be an excellent thing.
- If you like garlic, add some minced fresh garlic cloves or garlic powder when adding the cream and butter.
- After you mash the potatoes, add some fresh herbs — parsley, chives, and thyme all work well.
- Swap the sour cream for some cream cheese for a tangier, creamier potato experience.
☑️ Keep Them Warm
Another benefit of using a slow cooker is that it’s easy to keep the mashed potatoes warm. Once you make them, turn the heat to warm or low and keep them covered until you’re ready to serve them.
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Easy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
- 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and cut the potatoes into quarters.
- Pour the stock into the bottom of the crockpot. Add the potatoes. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Once cooked, mash the potatoes using a potato masher. Add the butter, cream, sour cream, salt, and pepper and stir until it’s well combined. Give them a taste and add more seasoning, if needed.
Nutrition Estimate
More Holiday Recipes
So much to love about these mashed potatoes—they are so easy to make, deliciously rich and decadent, and pair with all the main dishes. All around, they are so good!
Happy cooking!
This mashed potato post was updated from the archives. It was first published in November 2015.
SO easy to make! Love it!
Thanks, Denise!
Thank you, Kelley!!
Ah man, we are a sucker for mashed potatoes. These look dynamite!
lifesaver for my tiny kitchen when i was working on Thanksgiving meal this year! Crockpot mashed potatoes were a revelation! My son fancies himself a mashed potato aficiando and he said they were the best he’s ever had. There is no higher praise available. He never speaks in superlatives!
That’s so great! I’m so glad your family enjoyed it 🙂
Made these mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving and used the 3x version of the recipe. I followed the recipe as noted and used all the recommended ingredients. Prep and cook time were right on the money…at about 3hrs 45min the potatoes were ‘fork tender’ and easily mashed. The nice thing about this recipe and method is that we didn’t have to have a giant pot of potatoes boiling on the stove top and needing to be tended. Just set it, and forget it! Many compliments on the flavor and texture of these potatoes at our table. Highly recommended!