Fact: Cooking time is very limited on Thanksgiving. You have to somehow put a turkey in your oven, puree potatoes and sauce, pour a cake and put the other amazing sides on the table. How will you do it?!
Don’t worry, I have a solution: amazing slow-cooker mashed potatoes! It’s a game-changer and, frankly, I was surprised when they came out exactly the way I wanted: creamy, smooth, delicious and full of flavor.
This recipe was inspired by my mother-in-law, who is known for making the creamiest delicious mashed potatoes during Thanksgiving. She always does something a little different, but my favorite is when she adds just a little butter and sour cream and then crushes them perfectly.
I
tried my best to replicate their recipe on the blog, but I kept it lightened, and I think it’s worth a try. So creamy, so delicious!
FREE Thanksgiving Guide (+ printable checklist!)
Whether you’re organizing or just attending, this series of emails from the Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide is for everyone. Enter your email below to get all my best recipes, tips, and a FREE printable checklist for all your Thanksgiving needs.
Ingredients for mashed potatoes in slow cooker
These easy-to-crock mashed potatoes use minimal ingredients, but they are just as creamy and delicious. You’ll need
:
- Yukon Golden Potatoes: I think golden potatoes give the best texture and buttery flavor, but you can also use reddish potatoes. Looking for a sweet potato option? Try my sweet potato puree with brown butter.
- Garlic: Get all that tasty and delicious flavor of 6 garlic cloves. Yes, six!
- Butter: What are mashed potatoes without a lot of butter? Feel free to use salted or unsalted butter, and even vegan butter.
- Broth or water: Add the perfect amount of moisture with chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water.
- Milk: I also like to add creaminess with unsweetened almond milk, but feel free to use any milk you want. If you find your mashed potatoes too thick after cooking or sitting down a bit, feel free to add more!
- The secret ingredient for silky clay potato puree is sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Condiments: don’t forget to add a lot of salt and pepper to taste. I also like to decorate with sprigs of fresh thyme or even chives!
Sour cream or Greek yogurt:
.
<img src="https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Best-Creamy-Garlic-Slow-Cooker-Mashed-Potatoes-1.jpg" alt=
“potatoes and garlic in a clay pot” /> How to puree potatoes in the slow cooker To simplify the process and save a little time on Thanksgiving, I decided to take my mother-in-law’s mashed potatoes recipe and make it
in the slow cooker.
for ease. They came out superbly tasty and silky smooth in just a few easy steps and with a few simple tips:
- combine potatoes, garlic and broth. You’ll start by adding your diced raw potatoes to your slow cooker with the chopped garlic and some broth. No need to boil potatoes beforehand! Turn on your slow to high cooker to cook the potatoes. The broth will prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bowl of the slow cooker and allows the potatoes to steam while cooking.
- Add creamy elements. After the potatoes have been cooking in your clay pot and are very tender (4 hours high was perfect for mine!) add the sour cream or Greek yogurt, butter, some milk to start, salt and pepper.
- Mash ’em up. Then you’ll want to crush everything together with a potato crusher. I do not recommend using an electric mixture because there are many potatoes and they can go everywhere.
- Adjust flavors and textures. Everyone enjoys their potatoes a little differently, so you can really fit here as you see fit. Add extra milk to make the potatoes creamier or feel free to add more butter and use whole milk for richer, ultra-creamy mashed potatoes.
- Remember to have fun and enjoy! This recipe is easy and quite impossible to spoil. Don’t stress too much about it. When everything is ready and your potatoes are creamy and taste delicious, simply place them in a hot bowl just before serving, then garnish with some butter and freshly ground black pepper on top. Yum.
<img src="https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Best-Creamy-Garlic-Slow-Cooker-Mashed-Potatoes-2.jpg" alt="mashed potatoes in clay pot in
the bowl of a clay pot with a wooden spoon” />
Lighten them perfectly
To make healthy clay potato puree, I recommend using unsweetened almond milk and whole-milk Greek yogurt in this recipe. You can also use vegan butter! Trust me, they’re still going to be incredibly tasty, silky and delicious. If you can also feel free to use skim milk or 2%!
In
this recipe, you can decide to peel your potatoes or leave the skins. It just depends on how you like the texture of your mashed potatoes. I also like to keep the skin of potatoes as I think it adds a nice texture, but feel free to peel them if you want an even smoother, creamier version.
Tips for Making the BEST
mashed potatoes
- Be sure to generously season your mashed potatoes with salt and pepper and then mix again and taste a bite or two before serving.
- Add extra milk to make the potatoes creamier or feel free to add more butter and use whole milk for richer, ultra-creamy mashed potatoes.
- It’s important to test as you go, adding more of this and that when needed. Experimenting is what cooking is all about, learning to trust yourself and adjust flavors.
- If you like thicker mashed potatoes, just refrain from crushing them too much and leave a few more pieces!
- Want to use sweet potatoes? Try my sweet potato puree recipe with brown butter here!
Once your
mashed potatoes
have finished cooking in the slow cooker and crushed them, you can heat the slow cooker and keep it warm for up to 3 hours. Before serving, I recommend retesting them and stirring a little more milk to keep them creamy, if necessary.
Make them in advance
Yes, you can even make this easy mashed potatoes with clay pot ahead of time! You can:
Cover your potatoes a day ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator in a bowl of
- cold water until you are ready to cook
- Or thoroughly cook the slow-cooker mashed potatoes 1-2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then, simply add them back to the slow cooker to reheat them, adding more milk as needed.
.
More Thanksgiving recipes to
try
Feel free to check out our Thanksgiving recipes here. Here are some of my other personal favorites:
Best
- Healthy Homemade Green Bean
- Crostini and Brie with Hot Honey Herb Butter
- Roasted
- Best Cornbread Filling Ever
- Lightened Healthy Potato Casserole with Pecan Oat Stick Streusel
- Maple Glazed Carrots with Goat Cheese and Pistachios
- Roasted winter pumpkin Black lentil salad with grapes + arugula
Casserole Apple
Maple
Maple Turkey
I hope you like these creamy slow cook mashed potatoes. They are easy, so GOOD, and a wonderful way to save time and space during Thanksgiving. Let me know if you make this recipe by rating the recipe and leaving a comment below — xo!
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious cuisine | Photo by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on November 23,
2020 and republished on November 23, 2021.
