Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
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On a big cooking day, the one thing I can never spare is a free burner. So for a full house, I make these crock pot mashed potatoes in the slow cooker instead. The russets cook hands-off in vegetable broth, then I mash them right in the pot with butter and cream. They keep warm until everyone sits down, which is exactly what I want when the potatoes are done first.
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At a glance
3 hours 15 minutes Total time
10Servings
Make ahead
Day before
What it is
Mashed potatoes for a crowd, five pounds of russets cooked and mashed in a single slow-cooker pot.
Why it works
The butter, cream and milk go in only after the potatoes finish cooking, so the dairy stays smooth instead of turning grainy over the long cook.
What keeps them from turning gluey? Mash by hand and stop once they’re smooth; a blender or mixer overworks the starch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The slow cooker frees your stovetop and oven on the busiest cooking day of the year, which is the whole reason to make mashed potatoes this way.
- Everything happens in one pot, from cooking the potatoes to mashing them, so there’s no colander to drain and no second pan to wash.
- Cooking the potatoes in vegetable broth instead of water seasons them from the inside, so the flavor isn’t just sitting on top in the butter.
- Once they’re mashed, the Warm setting keeps them hot and ready for hours, which is exactly what you want when the potatoes are done before the rest of dinner is.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
- Russet potatoes. The ones I use here, and the choice matters more than it looks. Russets are starchy, so they mash light and fluffy. Waxy potatoes hold onto water and turn gluey when you mash them, which is the texture you’re trying to avoid. Peel them and cut them into even cubes so they cook at the same rate.
- Vegetable broth. This is the cooking liquid, and it does double duty. It cooks the potatoes and seasons them as they go, which plain water can’t. One cup is all you need for five pounds, because the potatoes release their own moisture as they soften.
- Butter, heavy cream, and whole milk. They all go in after the potatoes are cooked, never before. The richness comes from the combination: butter for flavor, cream for body, and milk to loosen the mash to the texture you want.
- Garlic and fresh herbs. Both go into the pot at the start so they soften and mellow with the potatoes. The herbs are split, half cooked in and half saved to scatter over at the end, which keeps a fresh note on top of the cooked-in flavor.
How to Make Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Cook the Potatoes in Broth
Add the cubed potatoes, the minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of the herbs, salt and pepper, and the vegetable broth to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Give them a real test with a fork before you move on, because a five-pound batch and an older cooker can both run slow. If a cube still has resistance in the middle, it needs longer.
Mash and Add the Dairy
Start mashing with a potato masher, right in the pot, until the potatoes begin to break down. Here’s where you deal with liquid: how much is left depends on your potatoes. If there’s clearly too much, lift out about half a cup before you go further. You can stir it back in later if the mash ends up stiffer than you like.
Add the heavy cream and the butter and mash until combined. Then add the milk a little at a time until the texture is where you want it. Going slow with the milk is the difference between creamy and soupy, so add, mash, and check before you add more.
Garnish and Serve
Serve the potatoes warm from the cooker, with the remaining tablespoon of chopped herbs and the melted butter spooned over the top.
If you want to get ahead, you can peel and cube the potatoes earlier in the day. Keep the cut potatoes covered in cold water in the fridge so they don’t brown, then drain them before they go into the cooker. Don’t mix the dairy in until after the potatoes have cooked and you’re ready to serve.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Keep the dairy out of the cooking stage. Milk and cream left to cook for hours in the slow cooker can separate and turn grainy. Cooking the potatoes in broth alone and stirring the dairy in at the end is what gives you a smooth, creamy mash instead of a broken one.
- Mash by hand, and stop when it’s smooth. A masher gives you control. A blender or electric mixer works the starch too hard, and that’s what makes mashed potatoes gluey. So I keep to a masher and stop as soon as the lumps are gone.
- Taste the seasoning after the dairy goes in. Butter, cream, and milk all soften the salt you added at the start. So, what tasted right over the cooked potatoes can fall flat once it’s a finished mash. Check it at the end and adjust.
- Prevent the top from drying out. If the top starts to dry while it holds on Warm, give it a stir and add a splash of warm milk to bring it back. A few pats of butter on the surface, with the lid on, also keep it from drying as it sits.
Recipe Variations
- Add a second tablespoon of minced garlic along with the first for a more pronounced garlic flavor. The garlic cooked into the base turns gentle and savory rather than sharp, so doubling it carries the dish toward a true garlic mash. Keep the extra garlic cooked in with the potatoes, not stirred in raw at the end.
- For a cheesy version, stir a handful of grated sharp cheddar or another hard cheese into the finished mash, off the heat. Use a vegetarian cheese, since some styles are made with animal rennet. The cheese melts into the warm potatoes and adds savoriness without changing how they cook.
- Swapping the russets for Yukon Gold works in the slow cooker too. The mash comes out a little denser and more buttery, whereas russets give you the lightest, fluffiest result.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover mashed potatoes keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. They firm up as they chill, so when you reheat them, stir in a splash of warm milk and a little butter to bring back the creamy texture. Reheat them on the stovetop or in the microwave until they’re hot all the way through, to 165°F (74°C), stirring so there are no cold spots.
They freeze for up to 3 months, though the texture is softer after thawing. A mash with cream and garlic already mixed in also holds up less well than a plain one. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
If you cooked them to serve at a gathering, keep them hot in the slow cooker at 140°F (60°C) or above the whole time they’re out. Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours.
What to Serve With Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes want something to pool in them, and a good rich vegetarian mushroom gravy is the first thing I’d put on the table beside them. For a holiday plate, I’d round it out with a classic green bean casserole, which is the partner these potatoes were practically made for.
A pan of warm buttermilk cornbread is the one I want when the meal is more of a comfort-food spread than a formal dinner. And if you’re building a proper spread, a bowl of buttery Southern mashed potatoes shows how differently the same potato can read when it’s made the Southern way with cream cheese worked through it.
FAQs
Not usually. One cup of broth for five pounds of potatoes is measured so most of it is absorbed by the time they’re tender. If there’s clearly extra liquid pooling after cooking, lift out about half a cup before you mash. Then stir it back in later only if the mash turns out stiffer than you like.
Yes. Mashed potatoes reheat well, so you can make them a day ahead and refrigerate them, then warm them back up to 165°F (74°C) with a splash of milk and butter to loosen them. Full prep-ahead options are in the How to Make section above.
You can, and the Recipe Variations above cover how the texture changes. Both potatoes work in the slow cooker, so it comes down to whether you want light and fluffy or dense and buttery.
Keep the lid on and stir now and then, and give the top a splash of warm milk if it starts to dry. For food safety, hold them at 140°F (60°C) or above the whole time they’re out, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving.
More Potato Side Dishes to Make
If these won you over, here’s where I’d send you next for the rest of the potato course.
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes. When you want the opposite of creamy, with crisp edges and crunchy tops straight from a hot oven.
- Oven-Roasted Potatoes. For the Sunday-roast potato, parboiled first so the outsides go properly golden and crunchy.
- Easy Potato Casserole. A make-ahead potato side you can assemble and bake, which is handy when the slow cooker is busy with something else.
- Hashbrown Casserole. The cheesy, crowd-feeding potato bake that disappears first at a potluck.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley) chopped and divided
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- ⅓ cup butter
- 2 tbsp melted butter for garnish
Instructions
- Add the potatoes, garlic, 1 tbsp of herbs, salt and pepper to taste, and vegetable broth to the slow cooker.5 pounds russet potatoes, salt and black pepper, 2 tbsp fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley), 1 tbsp garlic, 1 cup vegetable broth
- Cover and cook on High for 3 hours, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Once the potatoes are cooked, switch the slow cooker to the Warm setting.
- Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until they begin to break down. The amount of liquid left in the slow cooker may vary depending on the type of potatoes you use. If there’s too much liquid, remove ½ cup before mashing. You can add it back later if needed, depending on your preferred consistency.
- Add the heavy cream and butter, then continue mashing until combined. Gradually add the milk, a little at a time, until the potatoes reach your desired consistency. Add the liquid slowly to avoid making the mashed potatoes too thin. Continue mashing until smooth and creamy.¼ cup heavy cream, ⅓ cup butter, ½ cup whole milk
- Serve warm, garnished with the remaining freshly chopped herbs and melted butter.2 tbsp melted butter
Notes
Nutrition
