Mashed potatoes have got to be one of the ultimate comfort food side dishes. So, so good. Creamy carbs? Now it’s a holiday!
This is about the easiest EVER way to make mashed potatoes. The only way it could get easier is if farmers/food scientists could create some kind of self-peeling potato. I don’t know if I would ever eat that as it sounds INSANE. But I would sure be tempted.
Maybe for Halloween next year I should be a mad food scientist. Which would pretty much be a mad scientist who is holding a bag of potatoes all night.
Or maybe that was the worst idea I’ve had this week. I’ll never tell.
Related: Mississippi Pot Roast
M
Oh, this totally feeds a crowd. Look at the giant pie pan of mashed potatoes! Don’t make this amount for just you and your significant other, or you’ll be eating mashed potatoes for a week.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, serves 6-8+ as a side dish.
5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup milk (go ahead and use whole milk if it’s a holiday)
salt + pepper
chives or cheddar cheese to garnish
First, peel and cube the potatoes. Throw them in a slow cooker with the vegetable stock (or water) and butter. Cut the butter into small cubes before adding. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Once the cook time is up, mash the potatoes. I used a potato masher. You could also use an immersion blender, potato ricer, etc. But I think the masher is the easiest option.
Add the sour cream and milk and stir to combine. If it still seems too thick to you, add more milk until you get the consistency you prefer. Taste and add as much salt and pepper as you think it needs.
Just before serving, top with chopped chives or some shredded cheddar cheese (or maybe some french fried onions—go nuts!).
If I’m serving gravy, then I usually omit any cheese to my mashed potatoes; otherwise, I add plenty of cheese. But that’s just a preference thing, so change it up based on what you and your guests like best. Enjoy! xo. Emma
P.S. Looking for more ideas? Check out 20 Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes!
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Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes (peeled and cut into large cubes)
- 1 ½ cups vegetable stock or water
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup milk (wholle)
- salt + pepper
- chives or cheddar cheese ( to garnish)
Instructions
- First, peel and cube the potatoes. Throw them in the slow cooker with the vegetable stock (or water) and butter. Cut the butter into small cubes before adding. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours and 30 minutes.
- Once the cook time is up, mash the potatoes. I used a potato masher. You could also use an immersion blender, potato ricer, etc. But I think the masher is the easiest option.
- Add the sour cream and milk and stir to combine. If it still seems too thick to you, add more milk until you get the consistency you prefer. Taste and add as much salt and pepper as you think it needs. Top with chives before serving, optional.
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. The best part was that it freed up a burner spot and helped me more easily time the rest of the meal. I put the taters in a baking dish, topped with cheese, and popped under the broiler for 5 minutes before serving for an extra cheezy presentation.
Easy peasy and delicious! Bonus: they stay warm since they are made in the slow cooker!
Thank you SO much for this recipe! I am an American living in Ecuador and use this recipe for our Friendsgiving every year. It’s perfect!
The best mash we’ve ever had! Discovered whilst raiding your blog for thanks giving recipes (UK podcast listener who felt left out) but we’be made it all through the year since. Great for meal prepping too.
I really enjoyed this!
I do this and add a block of cream cheese!
I just made these today for Thanksgiving and they were ah-MAY-zing!
I used 5 lbs of russet potatoes as suggested in the recipe and cut them in to chunks that are the same size or smaller than pictured. I do have a less fancy slow cooker (same brand) that is about 10 years old. It only has three settings — off, low and high. It may not have the same high temp settings as yours, which would be the issue! I used high and after 4.5 hours, potatoes were still hard as rocks! Not sure what I did wrong!
I actually had a friend that also tried this and she had the same problem as me…she left them going in the slow cooker and it took 8 hours for hers to be soft enough for smashing!
It is really ok — I was a little stressed but like I said — my guests were so thrilled with the Jalapeño popper dip, the potatoes didn’t phase them! 🙂
That looks so good.
Oh no! That’s a total bummer. I’ve made this quite a few times now and I’ve never encountered that, hmm. What kind of potatoes did you use? Did you cut them as small (or smaller) as they appear in the photo in this post that shows them in the slower cooker before mashing? I wonder if your slow cooker is different from mine, like the temp setting for “high.”
Well, I’m sorry that stressed you out on Thanksgiving day! Boo! Appreciate you coming back with your honest review. I sincerely love getting crowd soured recipe testing from you guys-you’re the best!
-Emma
Tried this on Thanksgiving and despite following instructions to a T, these didn’t work! Potatoes were still hard after 4.5 hours on high and we had to boil them on the stove after the slow cooker. We managed to save them but sheesh! Thought it would be super easy and it was stressful!
On the other hand, I also made your recipe for jalapeño popper dip, which turned out awesome and was a total hit!
Can’t win them all I guess!
I really wanted these to work out, but they just didn’t. After 4.5 hours on high in the slow cooker they were still pretty much hard. 🙁
I love slow cooker meals! What a great way to make mashed potatoes!
So since it’s high for 4 hours, does that mean you could leave it on low for 8??
I am tasked with the potatoes this year! This may just by my go to! Thanks!!
Very cool, can’t wait to try! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Kerby
http://life-love-craft.blogspot.ca/
Oh my goshhhhh. There are only three of us eating in this household, but one of my favourite things to make with leftover mashed potatoes are pancakes. Add chives, cheddar, an egg and 2-4tbsp of flour… and a wee bit of cream cheese to cold mashed potatoes and crisp them up in a frying pan. Deeelightful. This would be awesome for Christmas… And Christmas morning eggs benny with a mashed potato base 😉
What? Why have I never thought of this before??? So brilliant!
xo
Kristina
www.eccentricowl.com
I never would have thought to cook potatoes in a crockpot. It’s genius really. Thanks for sharing! Those look absolutely delicious!
ooh! I’ve made baked potatoes in the slow cooker before (just wrap them in foil whole) and I loved them, but I haven’t made mashed. On the list to try.