Slow cooker full of creamy mashed potatoes with melting butter and chives

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes (Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Side)

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Mashed potatoes are the one Thanksgiving side nobody will let you skip, and they’re also the one that hogs the stove right when the gravy needs it. My fix is the slow cooker. Peeled potato chunks cook low and slow in a little chicken broth with whole garlic cloves, and then you mash them right in the crock with butter, cream cheese and sour cream. There’s no big pot of boiling water and nothing to drain.

The broth soaks into the potatoes as they cook, so they taste seasoned all the way through, and the cream cheese keeps them silky even after they sit on WARM for a couple of hours. Make them in the morning and forget about them until dinner.

Why You’ll Love It

  • Frees up the stove. Your burners stay open for gravy and green beans.
  • No draining. The broth gets absorbed, which means more flavor and no heavy pot of hot water.
  • Holds for hours. Keep them on WARM so they’re hot whenever dinner is ready.
  • Crowd size. Five pounds of potatoes feeds about 10 people.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients for crockpot mashed potatoes in open bowls: peeled Yukon Gold potatoes, chicken broth, garlic, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper and chives PIN IT OR SAVE IT

Full amounts are in the recipe card below.

  • Yukon Gold potatoes (5 pounds): Naturally buttery and creamy. Russets work too but are fluffier and can turn gluey if overmashed.
  • Chicken broth (1½ cups): Cooks the potatoes and seasons them. Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
  • Garlic (4 cloves): It goes soft and mellow and mashes right in.
  • Butter, cream cheese and sour cream: The trio that makes these rich and creamy. Use full-fat for the best texture.
  • Whole milk (¾ cup), warmed: Add it gradually until the potatoes are as smooth as you like. Half-and-half makes them richer.
  • Salt, pepper and chives: Season to taste at the end.

How to Make Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

  1. Load the slow cooker. Grease a 6-quart slow cooker and add the potatoes, broth, garlic and salt.
  2. Cook. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the potatoes are completely fork-tender.
  3. Add butter and cream cheese. Don’t drain. Drop them on top and let them soften for a minute.
Cooked potato chunks in a slow cooker with butter and cream cheese being mashed with a potato masher PIN IT OR SAVE IT
  1. Mash. Use a hand masher, then stir in the sour cream, pepper and warm milk a little at a time.
  2. Serve or hold. Top with chives and butter, or keep on WARM up to 2 hours.
Wooden spoon lifting creamy mashed potatoes with melted butter and chives from a slow cooker PIN IT OR SAVE IT

Tips for Success

Cut even chunks

Pieces about 1½ inches cook at the same rate, so there are no hard lumps.

Mash by hand

Electric mixers overwork the starch and make potatoes gluey. A simple masher keeps them fluffy.

Check the bottom

Slow cookers vary. If the edges start browning, switch to LOW or stir in a splash of broth.

Storage and Make-Ahead

  • Fridge: Up to 4 days, covered.
  • Reheat: In the slow cooker on LOW for 2 hours, or in the microwave, with a splash of milk.
  • Freezer: Freeze in bags up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to drain the potatoes?

No. Most of the broth is absorbed. If there’s a lot of liquid left, spoon a little out before mashing.

Can I double it?

Only in a 7- or 8-quart slow cooker, and keep it no more than two-thirds full. Add about an hour of cooking time.

Can I keep the skins on?

Yes. Scrub the Yukon Golds well and cook as written for rustic smashed potatoes.

Slow cooker full of creamy mashed potatoes with melting butter and chives PIN IT OR SAVE IT

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

Yukon Gold potatoes slow-cooked in broth with garlic, then mashed with butter, cream cheese, sour cream and warm milk. No boiling, stays warm for hours. Serves 10.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes peeled, cut in 1½-inch chunks
  • 1½ cups chicken broth low-sodium
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled, smashed
  • 1½ tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, cubed
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¾ cup whole milk warmed, plus more as needed
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives for garnish

Method
 

  1. Grease a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the potatoes, broth, garlic and 1½ teaspoons salt and stir.
  2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until a fork slides easily through the largest chunk.
  3. Add the butter and cream cheese and let them melt for a minute or two. Do not drain the potatoes; most of the broth will be absorbed.
  4. Mash with a potato masher, then stir in the sour cream, pepper and enough warm milk to reach a creamy consistency. Taste and add salt.
  5. Serve topped with chives and a pat of butter, or keep on WARM for up to 2 hours, stirring in a splash of milk if they thicken.

Notes

Use a hand masher, not a mixer or food processor, to avoid gluey potatoes. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.

Save this recipe: Pin these crockpot mashed potatoes to your Thanksgiving board so the stove stays free on the big day.

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes (Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Side) Pinterest graphic PIN IT OR SAVE IT

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