Crockpot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are an essential part of Thanksgiving, but they sure do require a lot of babysitting. You’ve got to bring water to a boil, then make sure the potatoes don’t overcook in the water, drain them, then go back to the pot to put it all together. Plus, if you've got multiple dishes cooking on your stove at once, the kitchen can start to get pretty chaotic. This is where the magic of the slow cooker comes in. With these mashed potatoes, everything happens right in the pot, making this staple side almost completely hands off (and stress free).

While our slow-cooker mashed potatoes are a holiday staple, this garlic-studded recipe gives a flavorful upgrade to one of our favorite recipes. Keep reading on for how to make them the best they can be:

What People Are Saying:
“I’ve made them twice and they are so yummy. I’m hosting Thanksgiving again this year and I will be serving them again” - BluePalmtree

How To Make Crockpot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

• Potatoes: For this recipe, I opted to use quartered baby potatoes. They'll result in creamy mashed potatoes, and will also cook faster than throwing in entire Russets. You can use baby red potatoes or baby gold potatoes here.
• Garlic: 3 cloves of minced garlic develops even more flavor in these mashed potatoes. If you're crazy for garlic, feel free to adjust the amount.
• Sour Cream & Milk: Throwing in sour cream and milk to the slow cooker once the potatoes are tender will ensure that your mashed potatoes are creamy, rich, and fluffy.
• Herbs: Dried oregano and dried rosemary are my favorite dried herbs to toss in here, but you can really get creative here. Some fresh parsley on top would also be welcome if chives aren't your thing.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

My favorite thing about this slow-cooker recipe? Everything goes into it—no dirtying up any other pans or pots! After spraying the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray, add the quartered potatoes along with butter and minced garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper, then give everything a good stir to coat every potato well. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.

Once the potatoes are tender (try piercing one with a knife to see how easily it slides in), then add in the sour cream, milk, and spices. Grab your favorite potato masher, then mash them well. Give it a taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed.

Once they are perfectly mixed and seasoned, garnish with chives before serving right out of the slow cooker.

Full list of ingredients & instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Do I need to peel my potatoes? It’s up to you if you’d rather peel your potatoes or not, but I chose to leave the skins on here. The result gives an added texture (and presentation) I can’t get enough of, but if you’re not a skins fan, feel free to peel them.
• How do I cook potatoes in the slow cooker? Instead of boiling potatoes in a pot of water on the stove, for this recipe, you’ll slowly steam potatoes in a slow-cooker. Toss in the quartered potatoes, add a bit of water to the Crockpot along with some butter, garlic, and plenty of salt, and hit start! Make sure you do this early though, as the potatoes do need 3 hours to cook. The best part? No draining necessary.
• How do I keep my mashed potatoes warm? This is a great Thanksgiving side to start at the beginning of the day, then let sit until the rest of your meal is ready to go. Once your potatoes are done, keep them in your slow-cooker on warm until you're ready to dig in.

What To Serve With Crockpot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• Turkey Tenderloin: If you're serving these mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, then they will go along perfectly with this turkey tenderloin.
• Tomato Butter Roast Chicken: Roast chicken gets an upgrade with the addition of tomato butter in this recipe, which pairs perfectly with these garlic mashed potatoes.
• Pot Roast: Our pot roast recipe comes complete with potatoes, but spooning it over these garlic mashed potatoes makes for a very welcome upgrade.

Storage

If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.