These Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are creamy, flavorful, and a snap to whip together, giving you one less thing to think about while putting together your holiday meal. Drizzle some rich turkey gravy on top of this classic holiday side dish and be prepared to melt into your seat.
Simple & Creamy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
There’s no such thing as a holiday meal without beloved mashed potatoes. Their creamy texture and rich, savory flavor are definitely a must-have whether you’re planning your Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or Sunday dinner menus. We know that your time is precious, so we created the best slow cooker mashed potatoes recipe to save you time without skimping on flavor, so you can focus on the main course or simply enjoying time with friends and family.
Love mashed potatoes – try our Cheesy Mashed Potatoes recipe!
What You Will Need
- Yukon potatoes – These versatile potatoes can be grilled, sautéd, or even smoked. We love them in mashed potatoes for their naturally buttery flavor and creamy texture.
- chicken broth – Grab your favorite grocery store variety or whip up the homemade version. And feel free to substitute with turkey stock if that’s more convenient.
- garlic & onion powder – These peppery and subtly sweet flavors permeate throughout your mashed potatoes, giving you full flavor in every bite.
- kosher salt & ground pepper – A little bit goes a long way here.
- milk – A quick way to add moisture and smooth texture.
- butter – Smooth, creamy, and savory. Need we say more?
- plain greek yogurt – This secret ingredient adds a subtle tang and brings the creaminess factor to the next level.
- sour cream – A no-brainer ingredient to have on hand for topping options and to add a bit of freshness to each bite.
- ranch dressing – The prominent flavors of dill, garlic, and onion can’t be missed.
What Potatoes Should I Use For Mashed Potatoes
Yukon gold potatoes are our favorite, as they already have a subtle buttery flavor, which is only enhanced with seasonings and additional butter and cream. They also absorb less water than other potato varieties, which keep your mashed potatoes from getting gummy. If Yukon gold potatoes aren’t an option, feel free to use russet potatoes. These will yield a bit fluffier mashed potato than the rich scoops that you’ll experience with Yukon gold potatoes.
How To Make Mashed Potatoes In A Slow Cooker
Use a large cutting board and sharp, kitchen knife to cut your potatoes into large chunks and place in your slow cooker.
Next, add the chicken broth.
Then add your garlic powder and onion powder.
Cover and let cook on HIGH heat for 3-4 hours or on LOW heat for 6-7 hours.
Remove cover and add salt, pepper, milk, butter, Greek yogurt, sour cream and ranch dressing.
Use a potato masher (affiliate link) to mash everything together until the consistency is smooth (alternatively you can use a stand mixer or hand mixer). Taste and adjust the salt level or any other ingredients, per your own preferences.
How To Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm In A Slow Cooker
If you’re making your mashed potatoes ahead of time, here are some fool-proof ways to keep your mashed potatoes warm without getting gluey or stiff.
- Butter the insert of your slow cooker before adding your ingredients. There’s no such thing as too much butter. You can even add a little bit of cream on the bottom for extra insurance.
- Keep your mashed potatoes warm by setting your slow cooker to the low or warm setting for up to 4 hours.
- Give your mashed potatoes a quick stir every hour leading up to serving time.
- Stir thoroughly before serving and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
- dairy free – To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute milk for almond milk, butter for vegan butter, greek yogurt for unsweetened almond milk yogurt, sour cream for dairy-free sour cream, and ranch for dairy-free ranch.
- when to make day-of mashed potatoes – Make your mashed potatoes first, set your slow cooker on low, and let sit for 6-7 hours while the rest of your meal comes together.
- how to make mashed potatoes a day in advanced – Cream and butter are your best friends here. Make your mashed potatoes and add a healthy amount of cream and butter so that your mashed potatoes are on the verge of becoming soupy. Stir in additional butter and cream, transfer them to a dutch oven or a casserole dish, cover, and place in your fridge overnight. The next day, add a bit more butter on the top and reheat in your oven or on a stove top, making sure to stir intermittently.
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Thanksgiving Recipes You Might Like
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes – the ULTIMATE slow cooker mashed potatoes recipe that, packed with flavor, couldn’t be easier!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds yukon gold potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup milk (regular or unsweetened almond milk)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Add potatoes to slow cooker along with broth, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Cover and let cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or on LOW 6-7 hours.
- Remove cover and add salt, pepper, milk, butter, Greek yogurt, sour cream and ranch dressing.
- Use a potato masher to mash everything together until the consistency is smooth (alternatively you can use a hand mixer).
- Taste and adjust the salt level or any other ingredient, per your own preferences.
Notes
- Dairy-Free: you can make this dairy-free by using almond milk, vegan butter, plain unsweetened almond milk yogurt, dairy free sour cream and dairy-free ranch.
- Storage: Store in an air-tight container for up to 3-5 days in your refrigerator.
- Make-Ahead + Reviving: Make these mashed potatoes the day before and place in a casserole dish or dutch oven. Add additional cream and butter, stir, and place in the fridge over night. Revive them the next day by adding additional butter on the top and warming them in the oven or over the stovetop.
- Gravy Options: want a good gravy to go with these – try our Homemade Turkey Gravy, Make Ahead Turkey Gravy, Pork Gravy or Chicken Gravy!
Lisa says
Another hit at Thanksgiving! The flavor was amazing!
Erin says
Thank you so much, Lisa!!
Kevin Glason says
Made this recipe for Thanksgiving dinner. Grand daughters said “best mashed potatoes ever grandpa”. Thanks for the great recipe.
Rachel says
Great, easy recipe!
Erin says
Thanks, Rachel! And thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review – I really appreciate it!
Cortney says
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are a game changer! This set-it and forget-it recipe makes holiday dinner preparations much easier. Yummy every time!
Erin says
So happy you enjoyed these, Cortney!!!
Mike says
Used your recipe for Thanksgiving and it made life so much easier as it took up no oven space and could just sit the entire morning. Thank you so much!
Erin says
So glad you love this one! And thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review – I really appreciate it!
Linda says
Extremely easy, yummy, creamy and so nice to have them in the slow cooker!
Erin says
Yay!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review – I really appreciate it!
Bridget Montag says
These were perfect for Thanksgiving – so easy!
Jen says
Excellent and so easy!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Jen!!
Susan says
These potatoes are beyond easy and delicious! Made them for Thanksgiving and was a crowd favorite. Definitely will be making these again!
Erin says
Yay! So happy to hear that, Susan! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review – I really appreciate it!
EJ says
Oooh we loved this!
Penny says
Am I missing something? When the number of servings is changed from 12 to 24 to 36, all the ingredient amounts change except the potatoes stays 4 pounds for all 3 serving amounts. Please advise.
Thank you.
Erin says
Hi Penny – I took out the word “approximate” before “4 pounds” and now it works just fine!