Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

Creamy, buttery crockpot mashed potatoes can be made with the skin on or without, that’s up to you! This is a set it and forget it kind of recipe, great for the busy holidays.

Why this recipe works

Some people have asked why I would cook potatoes for 3-4 hours in a slow cooker instead of just making them on the stove.

I’ll be honest, when cooking a big dinner, I hate making mashed potatoes. All the peeling takes forever, then you have to make sure they are boiled just right, and of course, you can make them tough by over-beating, or mushy and watery by overcooking them. That’s why I love these Crockpot mashed potatoes so much!

My crockpot mashed potatoes have the skin on, but you can just as easily peel them if that’s what you prefer. And while I will always love simple stovetop mashed potatoes, I tend to reach for this slow cooker recipe during the holidays when there’s a lot going on in the oven.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

POTATOES – We use Yukon gold potatoes, which are rich, creamy, and dense when mashed. For a fluffier, lighter texture, you can use russet potatoes instead. Russet potatoes are relatively dry and have a high starch content, so you may need to adjust the other ingredients as needed (such as sour cream, butter, etc.) to make up for that.

ADDITIONS – Sour cream, cream cheese, and butter really make these crockpot mashed potatoes that much better. Feel free to use low-fat variations if you’d like.

How to Make Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Place scrubbed and quartered potatoes into a 6 or 7-quart Crockpot.
2. Add chicken broth.
3. Add whole cloves of garlic.
4. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Potatoes should be fork tender.
5. Do not drain broth from slow cooker. Add sour cream, cream cheese, and butter. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Stir and turn potatoes from the bottom of the crock, continue mashing until you reach your desired consistency.
6. You can keep the mashed potatoes in the covered crock on the warm setting for about 3 hours. Just give them a stir every 45 minutes or so.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

For this crockpot mashed potato recipe, there is no need to peel the potatoes. Simply scrub the potatoes so they are nice and clean, then cut them into quartered wedges.

There’s no boiling required. The slow cooker, with a little bit of broth, does all the work for you.

The beauty of this dish, especially during the holidays, is that you can set it and forget it for a while! These Crockpot mashed potatoes take about 3-4 hours to cook, so you can work on other things while they cook!

You can keep the mashed potatoes in the covered crock on the warm setting for about 3 hours. Just give them a stir every 45 minutes or so.

Absolutely. You can add shredded cheese to the mashed potatoes, simply stir it in at the end until melted and combined. I would recommend shredding the cheese straight from the block so you don’t end up with that grainy texture you typically get from bagged pre-shredded cheeses.

For crockpot mashed potatoes, Yukon Golds are usually the best choice because they stay creamy, buttery, and stable during long, slow cooking. Russets also work and make a fluffier mash, but they can absorb too much liquid and turn gummy if overmixed or kept warm too long.

Skins or No Skins

I use Yukon Gold potatoes, and I leave the skins on. There are lots of nutrients in the skins so why discard them? Once these potatoes are mashed up, you can’t even tell the skins are still in them because of how the slow cooker method softens them.

However, if you prefer your potatoes without the skins, you can absolutely peel them first and then proceed with the recipe. You can also use Russet potatoes or red potatoes instead of Yukon Gold.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your crockpot mashed potatoes with brown gravy or chicken gravy, they’re amazing either way! Optionally garnish with chives. You can mash your potatoes until you reach your desired consistency. Like them really smooth? Run a handheld mixer through them!

There are a lot of ways to jazz up this mash, for example, adding shredded cheese or chopped bacon at the end. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

These are perfect under a homemade Salisbury steak smothered in brown gravy.

More Mashed Potato Recipes

• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
• Homemade Mashed Potatoes – on the stovetop!

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This post originally appeared here on Nov 6, 2018.