Rich and Creamy Slow-Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 pounds potatoes such as Yukon Gold or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 cups milk such as whole milk, heavy cream, or full-fat coconut milk (see Notes), plus more as needed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Bundle of aromatic herbs such as sage, thyme, and rosemary
- 6 large peeled garlic cloves (optional)
- 1 cup grated cheese such as Parmesan, Pecorino, blue, or cheddar (optional)
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (you can use dairy-free butter)
- Crispy sage leaves, for garnish (optional)
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- In the insert of a 5 to 7-quart slow cooker, add the potatoes, milk, herb bundle, and garlic, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Stir occasionally, if possible.
- Discard the herb bundle, if using. Mash the potatoes in the slow-cooker insert until smooth. Fold in the cheese and butter, if using. Add more milk or cream, if needed, until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the mashed potatoes right from the slow cooker or scrape into a serving bowl. Top with a knob of butter and garnish with crispy sage leaves, if desired. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and more black pepper.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD The mashed potatoes can sit covered on warm for up to 4 hours.
NOTE Using full-fat milk, be it cow’s milk or coconut milk, is essential to this recipe. A lower-fat milk incorporates more water into your potatoes, which can make them grainy. Try a combination of 2 cups of heavy cream with 2 cups of whole milk; 4 cups of full-fat coconut milk is roughly equivalent to two 14-ounce cans.
This recipe can be cooked on HIGH in your slow cooker for 4 to 5 hours, but we found that slow-cooker temperatures can vary greatly, so we had the most consistent results on the low setting.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!