Name: Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 255 min
Ingredients: 5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes); 4 tbsp unsalted butter (cut into pieces); 3/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium); 3/4 cup heavy cream (warmed before adding); 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste); 1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground); 2 tbsp fresh chives (chopped, optional for serving)

From the roundup: 12 Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes Everyone Will Ask About

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Slow cooker mashed potatoes are the one Thanksgiving side I refuse to give up, because they buy back two hours of stove space I desperately need. Yukon Golds go in raw with butter and a little chicken broth, the lid goes on, and four hours later I have a full crock of tender potatoes ready to mash right where they cooked. No boiling, no draining, no lugging a heavy pot to the sink.

The active work is about 15 minutes of peeling and cubing at the start, and then maybe five minutes of mashing at the end. Everything in between is genuinely hands-off. If you are coordinating a big meal and need one less thing to babysit, this is the slot to fill with the slow cooker.

Once they are mashed, the slow cooker switches to warm and holds them for up to two hours without drying out. That window has saved me more than once when the turkey ran long and dinner got pushed back.

How this one became a holiday staple

The first time I made these, it was because all four burners were taken and I still had potatoes sitting on the counter at noon on Thanksgiving. I figured the slow cooker was worth a try. I was a little nervous about the texture since there is no draining step and I had always boiled potatoes before. But they came out thick and smooth, and my husband asked if I had added something different because they tasted richer than usual. I had not. It is just what happens when the potatoes steam in butter and broth instead of sitting in a pot of water.

I have made them every holiday since. My oldest likes them plain, my youngest wants extra butter stirred in at the table, and I appreciate that I am not watching a pot at the worst possible moment of the cooking day.

Why you will love this

Frees up all four burners so you can focus on gravy, green beans, or whatever else is fighting for stove space
No draining a heavy pot of boiling water, which matters when the kitchen is crowded and everyone is underfoot
Yukon Golds mash up thick and creamy without turning gluey, as long as you do not overwork them
The warm setting holds them for up to 2 hours, so you are not racing to get everything on the table at the same second
Leftovers reheat well the next day with just a splash of warm cream stirred in

Tips for success

Cut the potatoes into pieces that are close to the same size, roughly 1 1/2 inches. Uneven chunks mean some will be overcooked and falling apart while others still have resistance in the center.
Warm the cream before adding it. Cold cream poured onto hot potatoes makes them seize up and go stiff in patches. I heat it in a small saucepan until it is just steaming, about 3 minutes over low heat, and then pour it straight in.
Stop mashing as soon as the potatoes come together. Yukon Golds are forgiving, but if you keep working them with a hand mixer past the smooth point, the starch breaks down and they turn gluey. Low speed, short bursts.
Start checking at the 3-hour mark rather than waiting the full 4 hours. Press a cube with a fork. If it collapses with almost no pressure, they are ready. Slow cookers vary, and an extra 30 to 45 minutes of overcooking will not ruin them, but there is no reason to guess.

If your potatoes turn out too thick or too loose

Too thick after mashing: stir in a splash of warm cream or broth, one tablespoon at a time, until you hit the texture you want. Do not add cold liquid.
Too loose or soupy: this usually means the lid was not sealed well and steam escaped. Keep mashing without adding anything else and let them sit uncovered on warm for 10 minutes to tighten up.
Gluey or sticky texture: almost always from overmixing. Switch to a hand masher and fold gently rather than beating. You can sometimes recover them by stirring in a little more warm butter.
Bland even after salting: the broth carries a lot of the flavor here. If yours still tastes flat, add salt in small amounts and let it sit on warm for a few minutes before tasting again. The flavor settles.

Substitutions

Russet potatoes work if that is what you have, but they absorb liquid differently and can turn pasty fast if you overmix them. Keep a close eye on texture and stop mashing the moment they come together. Vegetable broth swaps in for chicken broth with no other changes needed, which makes the dish vegetarian. Half-and-half in place of heavy cream gives you a slightly lighter result that still tastes good, just a little less rich.

For a dairy-free version, full-fat coconut milk and a good vegan butter both work. The flavor is a little different but the texture holds up. My kids with dairy sensitivity have eaten this version without complaints, which is about the best endorsement I can give it.

Make-ahead and storage

You can peel and cube the potatoes the night before and store them submerged in cold water in the fridge. Drain them well before loading into the slow cooker the next morning. That saves about 15 minutes of prep at the busiest part of the day, and the potatoes will not brown overnight. Once cooked and mashed, leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To reheat, warm them gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of cream or broth, stirring often so the bottom does not scorch. The microwave works too: heat in 60-second intervals and stir between each one. I do not recommend freezing these. Mashed potatoes with cream tend to separate and turn grainy after thawing, and Yukons do not recover the way you would hope.

Brittany Stage