Save room on the stove and make your mashed potatoes in the crock pot. These easy crock pot 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 crock pot 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

Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Place them in the slow cooker with the stock.

Cook them on high for three to four hours or until tender. You can mash potatoes right in the crock pot with a potato masher.

Add the butter, sour cream, cream, salt, and paper. Stir until well combined. Keep the potatoes warm in the crock pot until you are ready to serve them.

photo of the butter, sour cream, and cream being added and stirred

Recipe Tips

While I’ve written this out as a recipe, but it’s very adaptable. It’s all about the method, which is as easy as peeling some potatoes, cutting them into chunks, and letting them slow cook for a few hours until they are mashable.

After that, you can dress them up however you like!

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.

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.

How to keep mashed potatoes warm: Another benefit of using a slow cooker is that it’s easy to keep the potatoes warm. Once you make them, turn the heat to warm or low and keep them covered until you’re ready to serve them.

Either way, you can mash or whip them in the crock pot. You can even serve them from the slow cooker, saving yourself one more dish to wash.

More Thanksgiving Side Dishes