Slow Cooker Loaded Mashed Potatoes are the easiest side dish you’ll ever make! This recipe is great for every meal, from weeknight dinners to feeding your holiday crowd!
Since the holidays are coming up in just a few short months, I thought it was time to bring out my old timesaver recipe… the slow cooker loaded mashed potatoes. Everyone’s had regular mashed potatoes, in all their fluffy, starchy goodness. They’re a staple at our Thanksgiving, as well as several meals throughout the week. But like a lot of people, I’m not a fan of MAKING mashed potatoes. All the peeling, waiting for the water to boil, continually testing to see if the potatoes are finished, dealing with multiple hot pots and colanders, etc. Ughhhhh, it’s just not for me!
SLOW COOKER LOADED MASHED POTATOES
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Once I tried slow cooker mashed potatoes, my life was SO much better! Each week I ask my family what meals, including sides, they’d like to eat the following week, and whenever someone would mention mashed potatoes, I’d cringe. Literally cringe. Sure, there’s instant or ready-made potatoes you can microwave, but they just don’t come close to the flavor of home-cooked mashed potatoes. Now that I have this slow cooker trick up my sleeve, there’s no more cringing! In fact, I’m usually the one suggesting we do mashed potatoes as a side dish, cause it’s just SO easy! This is one of my all-time best crock pot recipes!
I’ve made these slow cooker mashed potatoes with just about every kind of potato you can imagine, and my personal favorite is either red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. Russets are a really economical option (especially around the holidays!), and they do taste amazing… but you have to be a little extra careful not to over-mash them, as they can potentially get a weird glue-like texture. I’ve found the Yukon golds and red potatoes don’t have that issue.
When I’m making these for just my family, I leave most, or sometimes, all of the skins on (we love the texture and look), but when making for a big group of people, I go ahead and peel them. So you can make the decision as far as the skins go. These are loaded potatoes, so they have cream cheese and sour cream in the potatoes, as well as bacon, cheddar cheese, and chives… but if you prefer a different flavor combo, go for it!
This may seem like not very much chicken broth for a whole 5 pounds of potatoes, but essentially, the broth is on the bottom and steams the potatoes in the slow cooker. No need to even drain before mashing!
The next time you’re making mashed potatoes, give this slow cooker version a try… I know you’ll LOVE them!!
Want more of the best crock pot side dishes?
- Crock Pot Ranch Mashed Potatoes
- Crock Pot Creamed Corn
- Slow Cooker Mushroom & Wild Rice Pilaf
- Slow Cooker Garlic Mushrooms
- Slow Cooker Spicy Taco Potatoes
- More side dish recipes…
Tools used to make this Slow Cooker Loaded Mashed Potatoes recipe
Slow Cooker: I love this crock pot! The lid is very secure and I can pack it up and take it on the go if I’m heading to a potluck. This slow cooker is a workhorse in my kitchen and has worked great for years!
Vegetable Peeler: Prepping fruits & veggies for your favorite recipe is a breeze with this classic kitchen tool!
Slow Cooker Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 lbs potatoes I prefer Yukon gold or red potatoes
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder or dried minced onion
- 4 Tbsp butter salted or unsalted
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2-3 Tbsp cream cheese
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 lb bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup chives or green onions chopped
Instructions
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Peel potatoes (optional), and slice into about 1-inch pieces. Place potatoes in slow cooker and top with broth, garlic powder, and onion powder.
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Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW 6-7 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours).
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Remove cover, add butter and mash until they reach your desired smooth consistency.
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Stir in sour cream, cream cheese, most of the bacon, most of the cheese, and most of the chives/green onions. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
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When serving, top with remaining bacon, cheese, and chives/green onions.
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Brian says
Great recipe used it in our office party!
Aubrey Cota says
Oh man, those co-workers were spoiled! Thank you, Brian.