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Crockpot Mashed Potatoes are easy, creamy, and delicious. With just 5 ingredients and no boiling required, these slow cooker mashed potatoes will free up your stovetop and oven this Thanksgiving.
For more simple Thanksgiving sides, try my Homemade Stuffing and Frozen Mixed Vegetables.
Why We Love This Recipe
My no boil Crockpot Mashed Potatoes recipe is super easy and the results are so creamy, flavorful and completely customizable.
While these potatoes are perfect next to your Thanksgiving Turkey, they aren’t just for the holidays – Make them anytime you need an easy side dish that can free up your oven for the main course. They pair perfectly with Creamy Tuscan Chicken, Classic Meatloaf, or Garlic Butter Steak Bites.
What you need
Ingredient Notes
- Russet Potatoes – Starchier potatoes, like russet and Yukon gold, are best for crockpot mashed potatoes. I prefer russet potatoes for slow cooking because they are a little firmer and will hold up to the slow cooking. In testing, they held up the best.
- Butter – Who wants potatoes without butter? Slice a stick of butter and top the potatoes before cooking. I also like to add a few pats of butter just before serving. Be sure to use real butter and not margarine.
- Vegetable Broth – You can also use chicken broth, but this liquid is necessary to create steam that will cook the potatoes in the slow cooker.
- Milk/Cream – The higher the fat content of the milk, the creamier and richer the potatoes. Add this to the finished potatoes.
How To Make Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Peel and dice potatoes. Chop the potatoes into evenly sized 2-inch pieces.
Add to the crock pot. Toss the potato chunks into your slow cooker with butter and broth, season with salt and pepper, and stir.
Cook. Cover the slow cooker and set to high for about 4 hours. Depending on the heat settings of your particular appliance, the time could vary. Leave the lid on during the cooking time, testing at about 3 ½ hours. After about 4 hours, the potatoes should be fall apart tender when pierced with a fork.
Mash. Once the potatoes are tender, mash the potatoes until you are satisfied with the consistency, then stir in ½ cup of warm heavy cream. Taste the potatoes, and add any additional cream, butter, or seasonings like salt and pepper.
Serving. You can leave the potatoes on the warm setting for up to 4 hours, making this the perfect recipe to round out your Thanksgiving feast. Save that oven time for the stuffing!
Crockpot Mashed Potato Variations
- Cream Cheese: Add 4-8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese to the potatoes after mashing. Reduce the amount of heavy cream and only add if needed for thinning out the mixture.
- Garlic: Add whole peeled cloves of garlic to the pot so the potatoes absorb the flavor while they cook.
- Sour Cream: Try adding sour cream instead of heavy cream for a nice tang and richness.
- Cheese: Add some shredded cheese to your potatoes. Cheddar, parmesan, goat cheese, and feta are my favorites.
- Loaded Mashed Potatoes: For loaded style, all bets are off! Add it all – shredded cheese, sour cream, garlic, bacon, and sliced green onions.
Storage Tips
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Mashed potatoes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Freezing: Let the potatoes cool completely, them place them into a freezer bag or airtight container. Mashed Potatoes will last up to 3 months in the freezer or 3-4 days in the fridge. Keep in mind that when mashed potatoes are frozen, the texture can change a bit upon thawing.
Reheating: To reheat, microwave fully thawed potatoes on high for one minute, then stir and continue heating in 30-second increments, adding a little cream or butter to make them creamy again.
Recipe Tips
- How To Mash: You can use a potato masher, ricer, or a hand mixer to mash your potatoes.
- Seasoning Your Potatoes: Feel free to add any seasoning, like fresh minced garlic, garlic powder, or fresh herbs.
- Creamier Potatoes: To make your potatoes extra rich and creamy, add some cream cheese or sour cream.
- Warm or Room Temp Butter and Cream: Warm the cream for 30 seconds in the microwave before adding to the potatoes. The butter should also be at least room temp but can even be melted.
- How many potatoes do you need per person? The general rule of thumb is about half a pound of potatoes per person. So if you are serving 4 people, you’ll need about 2 pounds of potatoes. For 10 people, you’ll need 5 pounds. However, if you want leftovers, I suggest doubling the recommended amount.
More Potato Recipes To Try
- Easy Breakfast Potatoes
- Boiled Baby Potatoes
- Southern Potato Salad
- Roasted Lemon Potatoes
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Wedges
Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Russet Potatoes
- ½ cup Butter plus more to taste
- 3/4 cup Low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream warmed, plus more if desired
- Fresh minced parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut into small chunks (1-2 inches; the smaller the pieces the faster they will cook).
- Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place the potatoes into the slow cooker. Sprinkle with in 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper; stir to coat. Slice stick of butter Into 8 tablespoons and arrange on top of the potatoes. Pour In broth, careful not to disturb the potatoes.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender. Switch the slow cooker to the warm setting.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, or for a very smooth consistency, use a hand mixer.
- Slowly stir in the warmed heavy cream, salt and pepper. Potatoes will be thick and creamy. Add more butter or cream until desired consistency and flavor is reached. Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Keep mashed potatoes in the slow cooker on the warm setting until ready to serve; up to 4 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Hi! Just wondering, in step 2, where it says to “pour in the broth being careful not to disturb the potatoes”, what does that even mean? I’m not trying to be snarky, just honestly wondering. I do love your recipes!
Thank You!
Hi Traci, Basically, you want to just do a slow pour/drizzle rather than splashing it all in at once. And pour around the potatoes if you can. Hope that helps!
Hello! I am planning to make this for Thanksgiving this year, but I was confused about the amount of heavy cream used. The ingredients list says 1/2 cup, and then add as needed, but the instructions don’t mention it until step 6. Could you please verify for me? Many thanks!
Hi Laureen, We just recently updated several recipes and it seems this one only got half an update. I’m so sorry. I’ve made sure it is written correctly. Please check back, and enjoy!
How much does 5 lbs feed and how big of a crockpot do I need to double it?
Hi Jill, 5 pounds of potatoes should feed at least 8-10 people. If you want to double the recipe, I’d recommend using a second slow cooker. This one is a 6 quart and it’s about 2/3 full with one batch.
If I double the recipe do I double all the ingredients?
Yes you would need to double all of the ingredients if you are double a recipe.
Is recipe calling for 1 1/2 cups total cream/milk since directions doesn’t say how much to put into pot when cooking for the 3/4 hrs tks
That was a typo – sorry! You put all of the milk/cream into the slow cooker.
Well, thanks a LOT! Looks like you had lots of ‘typo’s’! I just made this & it said nothing of putting cream in WITH the potatoes in the crockpot! They tasted nothing like mashed potatoes should, although they were good. I added the cream as I was mashing them, like always. I’m trying this out before springing a new recipe on my family at Christmas. I may try again Wednesday, but looks like it’s stove top boiling for now. Also…I WILL be adding water in place of broth. Not a fan of the flavor.
I’m not sure how you missed it, it’s in step 5. “Slowly stir in the warmed heavy cream.” It doesn’t say to add it into the crockpot because you don’t add it into the crockpot. I’ll give you not liking the broth flavor, that can be a personal taste. But you simply missed the instruction about adding the cream. I’m not quite sure how they didn’t taste anything like mashed potatoes when they literally are mashed potatoes, with butter, cream, salt, and pepper.
This looks delicious, I am going to make this for Thanksgiving! Thank you for your recipe!
Enjoy, Patricia!