Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

A recipe for smooth, silky, extra creamy slow cooker mashed potatoes. The perfect potatoes for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

As of September 22nd, it’s officially Fall, which means you’re going to be inundated with allllllll the feel good comfort recipes I’ve got up my sleeve. Guess what folks: MASHED POTATOES are at the top of my list. I don’t make them often but when I do (ahem…Thanksgiving and Christmas), I make sure to eat them ALL because they are that good. If you’re going to buy the potatoes, peel the potatoes, rinse the potatoes, cut the potatoes, cook the potatoes and mash the potatoes, you better make all that work worth eating the potatoes. This is why I add butter and whole milk and cream cheese. They deserve to be made right.

Now my original mashed potato recipe is made the old fashioned way on the stove. Around the holidays, that isn’t always possible because of the other ninety million things you’re making. So, I’m posting an equally delicious slow cooker version that can work around your cooking schedule. Ones that can hang out in the crockpot, ready and waiting for hours. They really are the perfect candidate for the slow cooker which is why I’ve developed and now published this recipe.

You will notice that I cook my potatoes in water in the slow cooker and not chicken broth, vegetable broth, garlic powder, onion powder or anything along those lines. That’s because I like my potatoes to only taste like potatoes and butter. I like recipes a certain way so that’s how I make them. If you like the way some of these extras taste in mashed potatoes, of course add them in.

Cream cheese is my secret ingredient while mashing because it’s thick, creamy and tangy without being obviously so. Sour cream is too much tang and not enough cream for me, so I always opt for cream cheese. I also use salted butter because I love the stuff with whole milk. If you’re feeling particularly naughty, half and half or heavy cream would work too, though I refuse to calculate the nutritional info on that.

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Because the slow cooker has a ‘keep warm’ function, it is the perfect spot to store these spuds after you’ve mashed. I add a pat or two of butter to ensure they don’t dry out. Totally optional, but makes for a great presentation, along with some dried parsley.

Below are a few photos of the process with the printable recipe card at the bottom, as per usual.

Have a great day, friends!

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Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

A recipe for smooth, silky, extra creamy slow cooker mashed potatoes. The perfect potatoes for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 310 kcal

Ingredients

• 4 pounds Idaho potatoes
• 6 tablespoons salted butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 cups whole milk
• salt & pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Peel and rinse potatoes. Cut into even sized cubes (1 inch x 1 inch approximately) and place into cold slow cooker. Add cold water until potatoes are just covered and sprinkle with salt. Add lid and cook on high for 3 -4 hours or until fork tender.

2. Drain potatoes and return to warm slow cooker. Mash together with butter, cream cheese, milk and seasonings. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.

3. If you'd like to keep these potatoes warm an hour or two before serving, switch to "keep warm" function and add 1-2 tablespoons of butter to the top of the mashed potatoes to keep them moist. If your crockpot runs a little hot, the bottoms of the mashed potatoes might scorch if left in too long, so just stir occasionally if you keep it warmer longer than two hours and keep an eye on them.

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 310 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 16g 25%

Saturated Fat 9g 45%

Cholesterol 47mg 16%

Sodium 162mg 7%

Potassium 852mg 24%

Total Carbohydrates 36g 12%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 4g

Protein 6g 12%

Vitamin A 11.9%

Vitamin C 12.5%

Calcium 10.3%

Iron 9.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.