Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes |Cooking With Amanda

As long as I can remember, my mom always made mashed potatoes from scratch. Never ever from a box or package. Each Thanksgiving, we have family from all over the United States gather at our home for the feast of the year. A large group equals pounds and pounds of mashed potatoes!

We make anywhere from five to 10 pounds for dinner. Do we eat all 10 pounds at Thanksgiving dinner? No! We make a bunch so that we have enough for leftovers. I turn a few cups into mashed potato soup or even my potato and turkey corn chowder.

This year, my parents are hosting Thanksgiving dinner. My husband and I have hosted the past few years. My mom is already stressing on how she will not only cook, but house all this food.

That's when I started brainstorming and thought to myself... Why can't we cook the mashed potatoes in the slow cooker? That would free up one valuable burner. So I've been testing over the past few months. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I've been trying out different versions like every other week making five pounds of mashed potatoes in my slow cooker. This is when meal planning is key, so you can work the potatoes into multiple meals a week.

I found that using regular old water worked best. You might feel like there is too much water in the potatoes and be tempted to drain them before mashing. Don't… or if you do, drain it into a bowl that you can then add it back in. The potatoes turned out great.

I found that they were too thick and starchy when cooking with milk—and it's hard to monitor the salt amount when you use chicken stock. So water is the way to go—the winner hands down.

The sky is the limit as to toppings. You'll use the same cooking method each time, just change up the toppings once you're ready to mash. And don't forget to reserve a little bit of the fresh add-ins to top your potatoes.

Here are a few ideas of toppings: crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, feta, fresh herbs like parsley, dill, and green onions. I typically stick with lots of butter and fresh herbs. And if you don't want the pungent garlic flavor you can remove the cloves before mashing or omit them completely.

You can mash these potatoes right in the slow cooker. Making this the ideal side dish since it's only one thing to wash. I also serve the potatoes right in the slow cooker! Why dirty additional dishes? So if you're feeding a big crowd or simply looking to help simplify dinner, this recipe for slow cooker mashed potatoes is the recipe for you!

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Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe

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Ingredients

5 pounds yukon gold potatoes
cooking spray
1 cup water
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 stick salted butter, divided
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 green onion, diced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Directions

Rinse and cut potatoes. Spray a 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add in the potatoes, water, garlic, 1/2 stick of butter, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook on high for 4 hours.
Once the potatoes are cooked, add the green onions and parsley. There will be water in the pot--no need to drain it.
Carefully begin to mash the potatoes. Once they are just about smooth, taste the potatoes and decide if you need to season them with additional salt and pepper. Then, add in the remaining butter.
Serve immediately or place lid on the mashed potatoes until ready to serve.