These Crockpot Mashed Potatoes are 100% made in the crockpot. They are light and fluffy, full of flavor and make for the ultimate hands-free side dish.
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Your New Favorite Mashed Potatoes
This slow cooker recipe for homemade mashed potatoes is a lifesaver when you are trying to get a big meal on the table. You can even peel your potatoes the night before as long as you store them covered in cool water!
We make them this way for most major holidays because you can set it, forget it and keep it out of the way in your kitchen. You can even keep them on the “warm” setting in the crockpot for at least an hour, until it’s time to serve.
Crockpot Mashed Red Potatoes
Our favorite potatoes to use for mashed potatoes are red potatoes. They have a smooth and hearty texture are are a little higher in sugar content than some of the starchier varieties. A good rule of thumb when you use red potatoes is to plan on about 1.5 potatoes per person.
Yukon gold potatoes are another great option. They are super creamy and buttery, and are really delicious if you leave some of the peel on. Keep in mind that they do take slightly longer to cook.
If a super starchy potato is your jam, then try going with a russet or Idaho potato. Or do a combination of the two! You can figure about half a pound per person for these varieties.
How to Make Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
- Place the potatoes and salt in the crockpot and cover with hot water. Add half of the salt. Cover and cook on high for 2.5-3 hours.
- Once your potatoes are cooked through, pour the potatoes and water through a strainer in the sink to drain the cooking water. Make sure to use towels because it will be hot!
- Return the potatoes to the crockpot and add the sour cream, half of the milk, butter, onion powder, garlic powder, and the other half of the salt. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Do not over mash or the potatoes will develop a gluey texture.
- Taste the potatoes, and add the remaining milk and more salt if desired.
- Serve with gravy, or load them up with ranch dressing, bacon and green onions. Enjoy!
Mashed potato ingredients
- Potatoes - we like to use red potatoes for this recipe, but Yukon gold and Idaho work well too.
- Salt
- Sour Cream - lite or full fat will work.
- Milk - any type of milk will work. You can also use heavy whipping cream in mashed potatoes, and mashed potatoes with evaporated milk are delicious, too. You could even substitute chicken broth if you wanted. So many options!
- Butter - you’ll want this to be cold or room temperature. Melted butter can separate, making it hard to mix in evenly.
- Onion Powder and Garlic Powder - we love these flavors, but you can feel free to use your favorite mashed potato seasoning. Dried herbs would taste great, or even just simple salt and pepper.
Mashed potatoes freeze really well, as long as the fat content is high enough. So make sure to add plenty of butter and sour cream! How to freeze mashed potatoes? Just cool them to room temperature and transfer to freezer bags. Press them so that they lay flat and freeze for up to 3 months. That’s all there is to it!
You have a couple of options to reheat mashed potatoes.
To reheat on the stovetop: transfer to a small saucepan and reheat over low-medium, stirring occasionally and adding extra butter or a touch of milk if needed.
To reheat in the microwave: transfer to a microwave-safe dish and reheat based on your microwave’s settings (either half-power, defrost… whatever works best). Make sure to stop and stir occasionally and add butter as needed.
To reheat in the oven: Reheating mashed potatoes in the oven is simple if you already have it set at 350 degrees for something else. Just preheat the oven and put the frozen potatoes in a covered baking dish. Heat for about 30 minutes, or until warm, and then mix in any additional butter or milk that you would like.
The amount of potatoes you'll need per person for mashed potatoes will depend on the size of your potatoes. Plan on ⅓-1/2 pounds of potatoes per person o roughly the size of your fist per person.
If you would rather make these mashed potatoes on the stovetop, you can boil them in a large pot of salted water instead. The time it takes when boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes depends on a few different factors:
What kind of potatoes (some are waxier, some are starchier)
What size you cut them (the smaller the pieces, the faster they will cook)
How many you are boiling at once (more will take more time)
The ratio of potatoes to water in your pot
If you are boiling peeled red potatoes, cut into 1” pieces, they will take roughly 15-25 minutes to cook.
fork. If the potato doesn’t stick to the fork when you lift it, they’re done!
Tips and Tricks
- You can also boil, mash, and season your potatoes a couple hours ahead of time and simply keep them warm in the slow cooker.
- Add a handful of cheese such as gruyere, parmesan, or white cheddar to your potatoes for a fun flavor variation.
- Add a pat of butter and some fresh parsley to the potatoes for garnish.
- You can also use this same cooking method for making red potatoes in the crockpot.
- If you’re looking for a breakfast potato dish with plenty of meat, check out this other recipe for cheesy breakfast potatoes.
Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 10 medium Red Potatoes peeled and cut into 1" cubes
- 2 teaspoon Salt divided in half
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- ½ Cup Milk
- ¼ Cup Butter
- 2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Place the potatoes and salt in the crockpot and cover with hot water. Add half of the salt. Cover and cook on high for 2.5-3 hours.
- Once your potatoes are cooked through, pour the potatoes and water through a strainer in the sink to drain the cooking water. Make sure to use towels because it will be hot!
- Return the potatoes to the crockpot and add the sour cream, half of the milk, butter, onion powder, garlic powder, and the other half of the salt. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Do not over mash or the potatoes will develop a gluey texture.
- Taste the potatoes, and add the remaining milk and more salt if desired.
- Serve with gravy, or load them up with ranch dressing, bacon and green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
We love Potato Recipes! Here are a few recipes using potatoes:
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Potato Skins
- Smashed Potatoes
- Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
- Cheesy Breakfast Hash Browns
- More Potato Recipes
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These Crockpot Mashed Potatoes are 100% made in the crockpot. They are light and fluffy, full of flavor and make for the ultimate hands-free side dish for holidays, or any night of the week.
Kim Beaulieu
I love slow cooker mashed potatoes. They always turn out perfect when cooked this way.
Natalie
Oh wow, this potato looks amazing. Creamy and buttery. Perfect! I will give your recipe a try.
Jenn
Hello easiest mashed potatoes ever! Love this recipe - thank you!