V's Do-Ahead Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Vseward (Chef~V)'s Note:

After several failed recipe attempts, I finally did it. I came up with a way to make mashed potatoes in the slow cooker. I'm so excited. This will definitely help on time during the last minute craze to get dinner on the table and have the potatoes still warm.

• Total Time: 4 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

• 5 lbs sierra gold potatoes or 5 lbs red potatoes, diced with peel
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup butter, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (more salt? looks like an error)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder (optional)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/3 cups milk, warmed

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes, water, and butter into a slow cooker.
2. Season with salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
3. Cover, and cook High for 4 hours.
4. Do not remove the excess water from slow cooker. This adds to the creamy texture.
5. Mash potatoes with a masher or electric beater, adding the desired amount of warm milk to achieve a creamy consistency.
6. Keep warm on low until serving.
7. My slow cooker has a warm setting which it automatically goes to once cooking time has been reached. Potatoes keep consistency for a couple of hours after mashing. Just keep the lid on the slow cooker and serve directly from there.

Reviews

[ohgal]

I used russet potatoes as that's what I had on hand. I liked the large quantity the rec. made. They were delicious, and so easy not having to boil and drain a big pot of steaming potatoes. This is a keeper for my holliday meals from now on. Thanks for posting it.

[catmaniacs]

We enjoyed these. I didn't let mine go quite long enough, they could've stood another 1/2 hour to hour but I was in a time crunch, so mine weren't as smooth as we would have liked. We will make them again when we have more time. Served them with Creamy Pork Tenderloin from this website. I believe they will become a regular at our house. Thanks! UPDATE: Just made these again cooking full 4 hrs and they are so delicious and creamy!

[HokiesMom]

Phenominal recipe! Loved that it totally freed up my stove top on a busy Thanksgiving Day. I used 7 lbs of potatoes since I have an extra large slow cooker and these were perfectly cooked in 4 1/2 hours and mashed up and came together in the end in no time at all. Bonus is since the crock is already hot, just putting the lid back on top it allowed me time to finish putting things in serving dishes and it was still nice and hot. Thanks V for a keeper for doing mashed potatoes from now on!