Creamy slow cooker mashed potatoes are smooth, velvety, and loaded with cheesy garlic flavor. Made with zero boiling required, they’re unbelievably easy and the perfect side dish for every occasion. Whip them up for holiday dinners, family gatherings, weeknight meals, and more!
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Creamy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Is there anything better than a side of warm mashed potatoes? Whether you’re serving baked cheesy mashed potatoes or Greek-inspired Yukon Gold mashed potatoes they always hit the spot! However, with the holiday season in full swing, we wanted to create an upgraded recipe that still has all the bold flavor and creamy texture we love but requires half the work so we have plenty of time to prepare the turkey, stuffing, and everything else needed for the Thanksgiving dinner table. So, let us introduce you to our brand new slow cooker mashed potatoes!
Easy to make, ultra creamy, and absolutely bursting with flavor, they’re definitely our new favorite comfort food and are guaranteed to have your guests begging for the recipe. Even better, they taste like you spent hours peeling, boiling, and mashing but really require just a few minutes of prep work. Holiday recipes don’t get any better than that!
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients needed for these slow cooker mashed potatoes are super simple and budget-friendly, making them perfect for crowd-pleasing meals that won’t break the bank.
- Potatoes – We prefer to use peeled and chopped Yukon Gold potatoes for a smooth texture and extra buttery taste.
- Broth – Low-sodium vegetable broth is used to create a velvety consistency while enhancing the flavor.
- Salt and Pepper – Adjust to suit your flavor preferences.
- Butter – You can’t have mashed potatoes without butter! Feel free to use salted or unsalted varieties.
- Sour Cream – This is our secret weapon to creating a velvety texture!
- Parmesan Cheese – We love to incorporate plenty of Parmesan for an extra savory taste.
- Oregano – Adds a lighter herbaceous flavor that balances out the heaviness of the rest of the ingredients.
- Garlic – Everything tastes better with garlic!
- Milk or Cream – Add as little or as much as needed to smooth out your potatoes and enhance the richness of the dish.
The Best Potatoes for Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
When it comes to creating creamy, flavorful mashed potatoes, you’ll want to use starchy varieties such as Yukon Gold or Russet.
How to Make the Best Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Once you see how easy it is to make mashed potatoes in the slow cooker, you’ll never turn back!
- Combine ingredients. Place the chopped potatoes, broth, and garlic in your slow cooker.
- Cook. Cover, and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Mash. Using a hand masher, mash the potatoes until they are smooth. Then, stir in the butter, sour cream, oregano, and Parmesan cheese.
- Adjust. Add a splash of milk or cream as needed until your desired consistency is reached. Taste your potatoes, and adjust the seasonings to suit your preferences. Serve warm, and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
Season to Taste. Don’t be afraid to have a heavy hand with the seasonings. Just be sure to taste and adjust them as you go instead of adding them all at once so that you don’t overpower the dish.
For an Indulgent Flavor. If you want to really amp up the rich taste, feel free to incorporate more butter, milk, or cream.
Adjust the Texture. If you prefer chunkier mashed potatoes, leave chunks of potatoes instead of mashing them all into a smooth consistency.
Peeling vs Not Peeling
For this recipe, we chose to peel our potatoes for a smoother consistency. However, you can definitely leave them on if you prefer a little chunkier texture! It all depends on how you like your mashed potatoes. So, feel free to experiment!
Make Ahead and Storage Options
Make your life easier by preparing these slow cooker mashed potatoes in advance! If you want to make them the day of serving, feel free to peel and chop your potatoes the day before, and store them in a bowl of water in the fridge. Then, just add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker the next day.
Or, prepare your mashed potatoes completely, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Or, store them in the freezer for up to 1 month!
To enjoy, let them thaw in the fridge. Then, warm them in the microwave, or add them back to the slow cooker until they’re heated through. Add more milk or broth as needed to freshen them up!
Common Questions
Of course, every slow cooker will work differently. However, on average, we’ve found that you can reheat your mashed potatoes in 3-4 hours.
It’s possible, but not likely. Be sure to keep an eye on your potatoes, don’t let them sit in the slow cooker long after they’re finished cooking, and you shouldn’t have any problems!
You can keep your mashed potatoes in the slow cooker on warm for up to 4 hours.
More Family-Friendly Side Dish Recipes
Whether you’re preparing a feast or a simple family dinner, these side dishes are always a hit.
Creamy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 4 garlic cloves
- Milk or cream as needed.
Instructions
- Place the potatoes, broth, and garlic in a 4QT slow cooker.
- Cover, and cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-7 hours or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Using a hand masher, mash the potatoes until smooth. Stir in the butter, sour cream, thyme, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add a splash of warm milk or cream as needed until the desired temperature is reached.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We made this today but 1 cup of broth was not near enough. It was so thick we couldn’t even stir it. I added 2 more Tbsp butter, 1/4 cup half & half, when that didn’t work I added 1/3 cup of milk, when that didn’t work I started adding in more vegetable broth a little at a time until I could stir it. When they cooled down they were still extremely thick. Not the creamy texture I was looking for but the flavor was good and no only complained about them but just didn’t look anything like the potatoes in the video and in the video it looks like they are using much more than 1 cup broth in their slow cooker. Also in the video she says to use thyme but in the written instruction it says oregano. We went with thyme since we did an herb butter roasted turkey and were using a classic poultry blend of herbs plus tarragon. Everything went well together despite the thick texture.
So sorry, that was a typo on our part. It should have been 2 cups 😔 Glad you went with thyme, that is correct! We hope you try it again and glad it still worked out! xo, Alia & Radwa
This recipe mistakenly lists prep time as 5 minutes and total time as 5 minutes. Very misleading at first glance.
Sorry for the mistake, we adjusted the time.