Mashed potatoes can be the side dish that brings a meal together, but the time and effort that goes into making them (peeling, boiling, cooling, chopping, mashing, stirring…interminably) can be more than a little off-putting. As the fates would have it though, mashed potatoes are still an integral part of any good meal, so we came up with a way to make them with a fraction of the effort…we know you’ll love it!

Slow cookers really never cease to amaze us, so it comes as no surprise that we turned to ours and put it to the test, modifying (and simplifying) this classic recipe. It’s amazing to be able to throw all our ingredients in and then let them do all the work for us; 5 minutes of prep, later followed by a few minutes of whipping, and you’re done! What you’ve got at the end of the process are the smoothest, creamiest mashed potatoes you could imagine. Top those bad boys with sour cream and cheese and chives (and of course, more buttah) and you’re good to go!

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

6

10 minutes active; 2+ hours inactive

Ingredients
  • 3 pounds red potatoes, cleaned (peeled or unpeeled) and cubed
  • 3/4 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • chives, garnish, optional
  • non-stick spray
Preparation
  1. Lightly grease a slow cooker with non-stick spray.
  2. Place potatoes and garlic in the bottom of slow cooker, then pour chicken broth (or water) over them.
  3. Season generously with salt and pepper, then pour melted butter over them. Toss everything together, then cover slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or until potatoes are fork tender.
  4. Using a potato masher or hand mixer, mash potatoes completely and mix in half-and-half and sour cream, along with more butter, if desired.
  5. Serve hot, garnished with freshly chopped chives and butter. Enjoy!