Easy, creamy, and delicious mashed potatoes in the slow cooker. Hints of garlic, butter, and sour cream bring these mashed potatoes to the next level.
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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
Work smarter, not harder, this holiday season. Preparing dishes in your slow cooker can be a lifesaver, especially when the oven and stovetop are all spoken for. And when it comes to mashed potatoes, they come out wonderful when made in the slow cooker.
These mashed potatoes are creamy. They're a dream. They're smooth and delicious as if they have been whipped to perfection. Cover them in gravy for the perfect side. Or eat them as is.
Ingredients Needed for Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Russet Potatoes - Peeled or unpeeled, your choice...but for the creamiest potatoes, unpeel them.
- Chicken broth
- Seasoning - Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt, and Black Pepper
- Unsalted butter
- Sour cream - for a little bit of tang.
Kitchen Tools Needed To Make This Recipe
- 6-quart Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
- Potato Peeler
- Fine Potato Masher or Hand beater
How to make Mashed Potatoes in a Slow Cooker
Add potatoes, chicken broth, garlic powder, and onion powder to a 6-quart slow cooker
Top with unsalted butter on top.
Cover and cook on the high setting for 4 hours or on the low setting for 8 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
Open the lid. The potatoes should be tender at this stage and slightly brown. You'll notice a lot of water. Do not fret; mash the potatoes with a fine potato masher until mashed and creamy. You can also use an electric mixer to beat the potatoes until whipped and smooth. The potatoes will thicken while mashing.
Stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper.
Serve and enjoy.
Storing leftover Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
Refrigerate leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Prepare your dish ahead of time
Time is precious during the few hours we have to prepare our holiday dishes, so if you are making these delicious creamy mashed potatoes in a slow cooker this year, planning this dish could save some time and headache.
Peel and cube your potatoes the day before. Keep them covered in a bowl of water in the fridge until you're ready to use them.
You can even par-boil cubed potatoes the day before and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge before returning them to the crock pot the next day. This might be a good option if you are short on time.
What do you serve them with?
Mashed potatoes are a great everyday side dish, but these are also impressive enough to serve at larger gatherings and throughout the holidays. Try them with:
- Spatchcock Turkey
- Southern Meatloaf Recipe
- Juicy Oven Roasted Chicken Pieces
- Baked Turkey Thighs & Vegetables
- Perfect Air Fryer Steak with Garlic Herb Butter
- Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Creamy slow cooker mashed potato FAQs
The two most popular potatoes perfect for mashing are russet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes. Both are starchy, which makes for a light and fluffy mashed potato. If you've chosen a waxy potato, chances are your mash will have some lumps in it. Some people prefer that, though.
Before placing your potatoes in the crock pot, greasing the bowl beforehand will help to prevent any burning or sticking that could dry out your potatoes. Leaving your mashed potatoes in a crock pot for a few hours may cause them to start browning on the edges. To prevent this, stir the potatoes often, and keep a few pats of butter on top to keep them moist. Leaving the lid on will greatly reduce dryness as well.
This recipe calls for more liquid than most slow-cooker potato recipes. The extra liquid makes these potatoes extra creamy as the potatoes absorb the excess liquid. I do the same with my pressure-cooker mashed potatoes.
To halve this recipe to 8 servings rather than 16, cut the ingredients in half and cook in a 4-quart slow cooker on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
Notes:
- Feel free to leave the skin on the potatoes if you prefer.
- The potatoes will have a lot of liquid in the slow cooker when you take the lid off; this is expected. Immediately mash the potatoes. The potatoes will soak up the excess liquid.
- Keep the mashed potatoes in a warm setting until ready to serve.
Looking for more Side Dish recipes? Try these out:
- Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Air Fryer Carrots (Sweet or Savory)
- Golden Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Cornbread Dressing Recipe
If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Creamy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Russet Potatoes Peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 3 cups Chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- 8 tablespoons Unsalted butter
- ½ cup Sour cream
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add potatoes, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, and unsalted butter to a 6-quart slow cooker
- Cover and cook on the high setting for 4 hours or on the low setting for 8 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
- Open the lid and mash the potatoes with a fine potato masher, until mashed and creamy. You can also use an electric mixer to beat the potatoes until whipped and smooth. The potatoes will thicken while mashing.
- Stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Feel free to leave the skin on the potatoes if you prefer.
- The potatoes will have a lot of liquid in the slow cooker when you take the lid off, this is expected. Immediately mash the potatoes. The potatoes will soak up the excess liquid.
- Keep the mashed potatoes on the warm setting until ready to serve.
Martey says
Sounds delicious! Wondering if you could use cream cheese rather than sour cream?
Tanya says
Hi Martey, I bet that would work fine.
Marilyn says
Mashed potatoes yummy yummy