Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
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Published Oct 29, 2024
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These no boil slow cooker mashed potatoes are the easiest mashed potatoes you’ll ever make! They’re rich, creamy and the perfect side dish for the holidays or big family meals.
If you’re looking for an easy, hands-off side dish to make for Thanksgiving this year, this slow cooker mashed potatoes recipe is it! This is a real deal mashed potatoes recipe with butter, sour cream and milk, but if you’re looking for something lighter you’ll have to try my healthy mashed potatoes recipe.
The thing I love most about this recipe is that there’s no need to boil or drain the potatoes. Just pop everything in your slow cooker, let it work its magic and a few hours later you’ll have perfectly soft potatoes ready to be mashed into creamy, smooth mashed potatoes!
Using a slow cooker not only saves stovetop space, but it also keeps these potatoes warm until you’re ready to serve, which is such a game-changer especially when making a bunch of different recipes for the holidays. No matter how hard I try to get everything done at the same time, it never seems to happen, so having a way to keep at least one side dish warm while everything else finishes cooking is huge!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hands-off – With the slow cooker doing all the work, you can prep these potatoes and go about your day. No boiling, straining or draining required. Perfect for busy holiday prep!
- Super creamy – The mix of butter, sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and milk makes these mashed potatoes extra rich and creamy.
- Serves a crowd – This recipe makes a big batch, which is perfect for feeding a crowd at Thanksgiving dinner.
- Make-ahead – Once these mashed potatoes are done, keep them on the “warm” setting in the slow cooker until you’re ready to serve. No need to rush!
Ingredients Needed
- gold potatoes – yukon gold potatoes are my preferred potatoes for mashed potatoes because they’re so creamy and buttery! Look for small-medium sized potatoes with smooth skin and free from any bruises or cuts. If you don’t have Yukon gold potatoes on hand, russet potatoes will also work. I just suggest avoiding red or white potatoes as they are waxier and may require more mashing, which can lead to a different texture.
- butter – can’t have real deal mashed potatoes without the butter! You can use salted or unsalted butter. If you use salted, you might want to cut back on the amount of salt used.
- sour cream or greek yogurt – helps to achieve that perfectly silky smooth texture. Both sour cream and greek yogurt are great options.
- milk – helps make the mashed potatoes extra creamy. Whole milk is my go-to for this recipe, but any milk you like will work. Unsweetened almond milk is a great option if you want to reduce the fat and calories.
- seasonings – you’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Variations
- Make it dairy-free: Use vegan butter, vegan sour cream or yogurt and a non-dairy milk option. The flavor won’t be the same, but I’m sure it’ll still be delicious!
- Low-carb: If you’re looking to lighten things up, check out my healthy mashed cauliflower recipe. It’s just as creamy and comforting, but with fewer carbs.
- Use sweet potatoes: Looking for a sweet potato option? Try my mashed sweet potatoes instead.
- Add more garlic: If you’re a garlic lover, add some fresh minced garlic to the slow cooker with the potatoes for an extra boost of flavor. Roasted garlic also works beautifully here for a sweet, mellow garlic taste.
- Cheesy: Stir in a handful of shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese after mashing for an irresistibly cheesy version. You could also sprinkle some cheese on top and let it melt before serving!
How to Make Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Making mashed potatoes in the slow cooker couldn’t be easier! Just toss in your ingredients, let the slow cooker do its thing, and you’ll end up with perfectly creamy mashed potatoes that are ready to serve when you are. Here’s how to make this recipe:
Step 1: Add the chopped potatoes and water to the slow cooker. Cover and cook 5-6 hours on high or about 8 hours on low.
Step 2: Use a potato masher or hand mixer to mash the potatoes until smooth.
Step 3: Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to fully combine.
Step 4: Taste and adjust seasonings or add more milk as needed, then enjoy!
Brittany’s Tips!
For easy cleanup, you can mash the potatoes directly in the slow cooker. Just switch to the “keep warm” setting afterward so they stay hot and ready until you’re ready to serve.
How to Serve
I love serving these mashed potatoes as a side for Thanksgiving, but there are so many great pairing options. Here are some delicious ideas:
- For Thanksgiving – These potatoes are a holiday staple and pair perfectly with dishes like turkey (try my air fryer turkey breast), sourdough stuffing, healthy green bean casserole, creamed corn and healthy cranberry sauce for a complete spread.
- Meatloaf or meatballs – For a cozy weeknight dinner, try these potatoes with lentil meatloaf or baked turkey meatballs. It’s a wholesome combo that everyone will love!
- With BBQ – Mashed potatoes are an awesome side for BBQ-style dishes. Pair them with slow cooker BBQ shredded chicken or grilled BBQ chicken.
Storing Leftovers
Transfer any leftover mashed potatoes to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
When you’re ready to reheat, warm them gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk to bring back that creamy texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily! If you love a rustic mash, leave the skins on for extra fiber and nutrients. But if you’re aiming for super smooth and creamy, peeling is the way to go. It’s totally up to you!
Easy fix! Swap in plant-based butter, dairy-free yogurt, and your favorite unsweetened almond, oat, or cashew milk. You’ll still get that creamy, dreamy texture without the dairy.
Just add a splash of milk or an extra pat of butter when you reheat them on the stovetop or in the microwave. This keeps them soft and creamy, like they’re fresh from the slow cooker.
More Holiday Sides to Try
- Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
- Thanksgiving Salad
- Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Roasted Acorn Squash
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Wild Rice Stuffing
Be sure to check out all of the side dishes as well as the full collection of Thanksgiving recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 lbs gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups water
- 6 Tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks
- 1 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- 1 cup milk of choice, plus more as needed (I used whole milk)
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Add chopped potatoes and water to the slow cooker. Cover and cook 5-6 hours on high or about 8 hours on low, stirring every hour or so or until the potatoes are very tender and easily mash.
- Once the potatoes are tender, use a potato masher or hand mixer to mash the potatoes until smooth.
- Stir in the butter, sour cream or yogurt, milk, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Taste and add any additional seasonings or milk if needed to reach desired flavor and consistency.
- Serve immediately or keep the potatoes in the slow-cooker on the warm setting until serving.
Notes
- Storing: Transfer any leftover mashed potatoes to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If I could give it no stars I would. I am not sure what happened but these came out horrible. Gummy, weird tasting, no amount of anything I did could save them. Luckily I tried it after thanksgiving. I love all your recipes, this is truly the only one I will never make again! Family was very disappointed. Regular mashed potatoes from now on.
Hi Patti! I wonder what happened because this recipe has been tested multiple times. Did you change anything about the recipe?
Was there still supposed to be water in the crock pot when done, there was, but just asking. I feel like I didn’t need to let it cook as long, the potatoes were probably way done before it. I did use an immersion blender could have affected the consistency but the taste was kind of bland.
Yes, mine had water in the bottom after cooking, but I just mashed everything together and it was totally fine!
I’m curious if this recipe would work with sweet potatoes as well?
Hi Juli, I don’t see why not! The cook time might vary, so I’d check them at around 4 hours on high to see how soft they are. I recommend also checking out my mashed sweet potatoes recipe for mixing ideas! I don’t think the greek yogurt/sour cream would be needed in a sweet potato version. Let me know if you end up trying it and how the recipe turns out!