Name: Best Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes + 4 Add In Ideas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 315 min
Ingredients: 2 kgs Potatoes (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (see note 1)); 1 cup Water (or Stock); 4 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped); 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder; 1 1/4 teaspoon Salt; 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground Pepper; 1/2 cup Butter (divided); 1 cup Full Fat Milk; 1/2 cup Cream

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Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are a lifesaver when you want stellar mashed potatoes for the table but with fewer dishes. This recipe makes creamy, buttery, garlic mashed potatoes that are totally hands off! Only 15 minutes of active prep!

Mashed potatoes cooked and served in the slow cooker with blobs of butter on top

I'm here to tell you that there is an easier way to make mashed potatoes with the SAME results and you can be totally hands off. Enter your slow cooker or crockpot.

If you have a slow cooker and you aren't using it, these mashed potatoes are the first thing you should try. It's one of the easiest things to put together, the family will love you for it and you can have a dish on the table without spending more than a few minutes on it.

Why the Slow Cooker?

Because it doesn't need any baby sitting. Mashed potatoes essentially start with boiling potatoes which the slow cooker does really easily. If you are cooking for the holidays or have a big menu, you save yourself some space on the burner too.

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes taste exactly the same as regular mashed potatoes
The whole dish is done entirely in the slow cooker including the cooking and mashing so you don't use multiple vessels
While cooking a big meal, you can just set these aside in the morning and forget about them
You can use the gas burner for cooking other things
The slow cooker keeps mashed potatoes warm till you are ready to serve

Ingredients You'll Need

The list of ingredients is short and fairly simple. Let the potatoes do the talking, you only don't need much for a good mash.

Ingredients for slow cooker mashed potatoes pictured together with text to identify each ingredient

Potatoes: Crowd favourites are Yukon Gold if you live outside India. Russet potatoes also work well. If you live in India, avoid using new potatoes as they leave more water and don't cook evenly. Older potatoes are your best friend if you are making mashed potatoes. Cut the potatoes into ½ inch cubes for faster cooking

Water: This is my preferred choice of liquid while cooking mashed potatoes because I want to have control over the flavours which is not always possible if using broth or stock

Garlic: Optional but I highly recommend this. A little garlic in mashed potatoes really elevates them and keeps them from being boring

Onion Powder: You won't even notice it, but it's my secret ingredient to great tasting mash

Dairy: Butter, cream and milk - yes, use all three. Mashed potatoes should always be luxurious and creamy and buttery and these are responsible for that texture

Step by Step Recipe

Here's a detailed step by step recipe for these slow cooker mashed potatoes. It's a very quick and simple process that needs literally no work!

Step by step picture collage showing how to cook and mash potatoes in the slow cooker

1. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, minced garlic, onion powder, half the butter and water to the slow cooker

2. Slow cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. You might see some oxidizing on the top layer of potatoes. To avoid that, give them a stir once or twice while they cook. This helps rotate the potatoes so one layer isn't exposed to air for too long. The browning does not change the taste, only makes them a little 'less pretty'

3. Once potatoes are fork tender, mash them well using a potato masher

4. Alternatively, you can also use a hand blender to mash potatoes. This is my favourite method because it helps aerate the potatoes and keeps them light and fluffy.

Step by step picture collage showing how to season mashed potatoes cooked in the slow cooker

5-6. Now comes the good part. Add cream and milk to the mashed potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are still hot when you do this or they won't combine well

7. Mix them well with a spatula. In the beginning, the potatoes may feel like they are too runny but keep mixing and you'll see the liquid start to get absorbed.

8. Finally, add more butter. Check and taste for seasoning. At this stage, I also sometimes like to add cream cheese or sour cream but those are completely optional. Light, fluffy, creamy mashed potatoes are ready!

And that's how simple making glorious mashed potatoes in the slow cooker is!

Top Tips for amazing Mashed Potatoes

Here are a few important tips and tricks + some FAQ's I've received about this recipe:

Cut the potatoes into ½ inch pieces to help them cook faster. The larger the size of each potatoes, the longer they'll take to cook
Don't skimp on the butter and cream. These are carb loaded, so treat them as a novelty but don't skimp
Most people will recommend using a potato masher, but to get the best creamy, fluffy texture, I like using a hand blender instead. The blades of the hand blender cut through the cooked potatoes and make them fluffy without overworking them
A few cloves of garlic just add that extra oomph to mashed potatoes that nothing else can beat, so don't forget those little things

Can you put raw potatoes in the slow cooker?

Yes you can. Potatoes cook well in the slow cooker with the longer cooking time and break down easily. The time taken to cook them will vary slightly based on the potatoes you are using

Do slow cooker potatoes need to be covered in water?

No they don't. You actually need less liquid in the slow cooker vs cooking potatoes on the stovetop or pressure cooker. That's because while slow cooking you are essentially steaming potatoes. The only drawback I've seen is that because they are not covered in water, the top layer of potatoes sometimes starts to oxidize. You can avoid this by tossing them once or twice. The browning of potatoes doesn't affect the taste

Why are my potatoes not getting soft?

Based on the age and variety of potatoes you use, the time taken to cook and soften potatoes can vary by 30-60 minutes sometimes. So be patient and cook them slightly longer but eventually they will become fork tender. In my experience 4-5 hours on high and 7-8 hours on low is how long it takes to cook potatoes in the slow cooker

How to keep mashed potatoes warm in the slow cooker?

Easy! Once the mashed potatoes are ready, turn the setting to keep warm or low and they'll stay nice and warm for 2-3 hours

How to reheat mashed potatoes?

You can easily reheat mashed potatoes in the slow cooker or the stovetop. Mashed potatoes will feel ready dense if they've been refrigerated and may feel a bit dry. While reheating, add more butter and milk/cream to loosen them up. The potatoes will soak up the liquid - don't worry. You can also give them a quick whisk with the hand blender to make them light and fluffy again.

Tips to make Really Smooth Mashed Potatoes

Homemade mashed potatoes can sometimes be slightly chunky. While I don't mind it, for a really smooth mash, pass the mashed potatoes through a sieve and use a spatula to push them through.

How to make the best slow cooker mashed potatoes + 4 add ins (broccoli and cheddar, bacon, brown butter and garlic and rosemary and lemon) for thanksgiving and christmas sides.

Mashed Potatoes Add Ins

Also, here are your four simple add in ideas. The ingredients for the add ins are based on this batch of mashed potatoes, but if you are using them for a smaller quantity, you can easily halve them.

Broccoli and Cheddar Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes: To the batch of hot mashed potatoes, add 1 ½ cups blanched broccoli (cut into small florets) and 1 cup Cheddar. Mix well for broccoli and cheddar mashed potatoes.
Brown Butter and Garlic Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes: In a saucepan, add ¼ cup butter. As you heat the butter, it will start bubbling up. Reduce the flame and keep heating till the butter starts turning a golden brown and has a nutty fragrance to it. Switch off the flame when the sputtering has slowed down and the better is a deep golden brown. Add half a spoon of minced garlic to the butter and let it steep for a minute or two. Pour this over the mashed potatoes and mix slightly.
Rosemary and Lemon Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes: While the potatoes are cooking, mix in 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary to it. Once you've mashed the potatoes, stir in the zest of two lemons for rosemary and lemon slow cooker mashed potatoes.
Bacon Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes: Dice six to eight strips of bacon and cook till crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the mashed potatoes once they are ready for bacon slow cooker mashed potatoes.