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Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are the holiday-saving side that cooks completely hands-off, freeing up your stovetop and your time for everything else. I started making them every Thanksgiving so I could stop babysitting a pot of boiling water, and now they are a year-round Sunday-dinner staple. They are the perfect creamy companion to a whole roasted turkey.
No boiling, no draining, just buttery, creamy mashed potatoes that practically make themselves in the crockpot.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 7 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 10 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 480kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, buttery, and creamy with a savory hint of garlic
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy and hands-off, like our cheeseburger tater tot casserole
Quick Answer
Add peeled, cubed russet potatoes, garlic cloves, chicken stock, salt, and pepper to a slow cooker, then top with sliced butter. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours until the potatoes are fork-tender. Pour in warmed half and half and mash right in the crockpot, adding more half and half until creamy. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve.
Jump to:
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes FAQs
- Other Recommended Holiday Side Dish Recipes
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- No boiling or draining. The potatoes cook gently in stock and butter right in the slow cooker, so there is no pot of water to watch or drain.
- It frees up your stovetop. On a busy holiday, having the potatoes cook hands-off leaves your burners open for everything else.
- Cooking in stock adds flavor. The potatoes absorb savory chicken stock as they cook, so they are seasoned all the way through.
- Butter melts right in. Sliced butter sitting on top melts down through the potatoes for rich flavor in every bite.
- Warm half and half keeps them fluffy. Adding warmed dairy instead of cold keeps the potatoes hot, creamy, and never gluey.
- They stay warm for serving. Just switch the slow cooker to warm, and your mashed potatoes are ready whenever dinner is.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They cook completely hands-off, freeing up your stovetop and your time on busy days.
- They are rich, buttery, and creamy, with savory flavor cooked right into every bite.
- They are the perfect make-ahead side for any holiday feast or Sunday dinner, like our savory mashed sweet potatoes.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes these mashed potatoes so rich and creamy. Just a handful of simple ingredients and your slow cooker.
- Russet Potatoes: the starchy classic that mashes up light and fluffy; peel and cut them into even pieces.
- Butter: a generous amount sliced on top melts down for that rich, classic mashed potato flavor.
- Half and Half: warmed before adding so the potatoes stay hot and turn out creamy, not gluey.
- Chicken Stock: the potatoes cook in it, seasoning them from the inside out; use vegetable stock to keep it meatless.
- Garlic and Salt: a couple of whole garlic cloves cook right in for subtle savory depth, like the seasoning in our mashed sweet potatoes.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These mashed potatoes are easy to customize for your table.
- Make them loaded: stir in shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, and chopped chives.
- Go extra garlicky: add more garlic cloves or a spoonful of roasted garlic.
- Use a different potato: Yukon gold potatoes make a naturally buttery, creamy mash.
- Keep it vegetarian: swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
- Add cream cheese or sour cream: a few ounces makes them extra rich and tangy, perfect next to our roasted turkey.
How to Make Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Place the peeled, cubed russet potatoes, garlic cloves, chicken stock, salt, and pepper into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Lay the sliced butter on top of the potatoes, cover, and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Just before mashing, warm the half and half in a saucepan over medium-low heat without boiling, then pour about half of it into the slow cooker and begin mashing the potatoes with a potato masher.
- Mash and add more warm half and half a little at a time until the potatoes are your desired creamy consistency, then taste, adjust the salt and pepper, and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cut the potatoes evenly so they cook at the same rate and mash up smooth.
- Warm the half and half first; cold dairy can make the potatoes gluey and cools them down.
- Do not over-mash; stop as soon as they are creamy to keep them light and fluffy, not pasty.
- Use the warm setting to hold them for hours, which is a lifesaver when juggling a big holiday turkey dinner.
- Add dairy gradually so you can stop at the exact consistency your family loves.
- Save some butter to melt over the top right before serving for that classic look.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are the ultimate comfort-food side, perfect with a ladle of gravy and a sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives on top.
They are a holiday must, so serve them alongside a whole roasted turkey and our savory mashed sweet potatoes for a Thanksgiving spread that covers all the classics.
Beyond the holidays, they are a cozy any-night side next to Italian lemon chicken foil packets, crispy hot honey chicken, or a comforting bowl of chicken pot pie soup.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes FAQs
Yes, they are perfect for making ahead. Keep them in the slow cooker on the warm setting for up to two hours, stirring in a splash more warm half and half if they thicken. You can also refrigerate and reheat them gently.
For classic smooth mashed potatoes, yes. If you love a more rustic mash, you can leave some or all of the skins on, especially with thin-skinned potatoes.
Gluey potatoes usually come from over-mashing or adding cold dairy. Mash just until creamy and always warm the half and half before stirring it in.
Absolutely, that is one of the best parts. Switch the slow cooker to the warm setting and they will hold beautifully for a couple of hours, freeing up your stovetop.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring in a little warm milk or butter to bring back the creamy texture.
Yes. Mashed potatoes made with plenty of butter and dairy freeze well for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly, adding a splash of warm half and half.
Building your holiday menu? Pair these potatoes with our creamy savory mashed sweet potatoes so everyone at the table gets their favorite.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter sliced into tablespoons
- 1 ½ cups half & half warmed
Instructions
- Place the potatoes, garlic cloves, chicken stock, salt, and pepper into a slow cooker, stir to combine.
- Place the sliced butter on top of the potatoes and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until the potatoes are soft and mashable. The potatoes may brown around the edges, that’s okay.
- Place the half and half into a small saucepan and warm it over medium-low heat, do not simmer.
- Pour half of the half and half into the slow cooker and mash the potatoes with a potato masher right in the cooker.
- Add more half & half until you reach your desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, serve immediately.
Notes
- Any of your favorite potatoes will work with this recipe, but we like to use Russet.
- Double this recipe easily by using an 8qt slow cooker or two slow cookers.
- You can add other herbs or ingredients to this to make the flavor to your preference.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
- These can be cooked on low for 6-7 hour or high for 3-4 hours.
- You do not have to peel your potatoes if you do not want to, we do but it is not necessary if you do not want to.
Nutrition
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