Looking for the tastiest and most simple side for Thanksgiving or the holidays? This crockpot mashed potatoes recipe can be made in advance and is one of the best you’ll ever find!
With Thanksgiving upon us this week, I wanted to share one of our favorite recipes of all time! Since 2006, my Kurtis and I have made theseworld’s best crockpot mashed potatoes recipe for Thanksgiving, after it was passed along to us from a friend I worked with. They are super easy, even for a non-chef like me. Plus you can make them up to two weeks in advance,store them in your fridge, and then just reheat in a crockpot! Such a helpful quality for the holidays when it’s such a busy time! We usually make these potatoes a day or two in advance and then just re-heat them in the crockpot. Very convenient!
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World’s Best Crockpot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Following is the recipe for the world’s best crockpot mashed potatoes. Following that, I’m sharing some helpful tips to go along with this recipe!
World's Best Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
Print RecipeIngredients
- 9 large potatoes {or 5 lbs} cooked, peeled and drained
- 6 oz package of cream cheese (I typically use the full 8 oz block) softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp onion salt
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- Boil potatoes in a large pot until soft.
- Mash potatoes until smooth; combine with remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat until light and fluffy.
- Cool, cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.
- Use within 2 weeks.
- To serve, place desired amount in a greased casserole pan, dot with butter and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. OR Use crockpot to reheat (our preferred method). You can also microwave small batches until warm prior to placing in crockpot if you are short on time.
Crockpot Mashed Potatoes Recipe: Helpful Tips
When making the mashed potatoes, I recommend a good potato peeler that doesn’t slide out of your hands. Ours is like this one and it is a dream to work with. It will make the job SO much easier and is worth the minor investment since you’ll be making these year after year once you try them!
Additionally, if your crockpot or slow cooker doesn’t heat evenly, be sure to stir often so that the edges don’t burn when you go to reheat them.
I’ve also been asked if these are good with gravy. Honestly, they are SO good on their own but they are amazing with gravy too! There probably isn’t much these incredible potatoes aren’t good with! We’ve tried them with homemade gravy, as well as gravy straight out of the jar, and it all tastes great!
Now, the recipe claims to serve 12. But, we all know how it goes on Thanksgiving. Some years we’ve made 4 batches of this recipe (20 lbs. of potatoes). Other years, we cut it back to doubling the recipe (10 lbs. of potatoes) and had about 12 people. I made them in two separate batches and then combined them in the crockpot in the end. We have always gone the crockpot route because oven space is limited on Thanksgiving. We always believe more is more when it comes to the potatoes, and these reheat so well, nobody minds if there are leftovers!
Looking at the ratio of fattening ingredients to potatoes, it is no wonder they taste so good! Give them a try if you want to help take some of the prep work out of Thanksgiving. The only downside is that you’ll be asked to make the potatoes for years to come!
Other Thanksgiving Recipes & Ideas You May Like
Following are additional Thanksgiving recipes or idea you may enjoy! Tap any of the article names below to see the full post.
- The Best Turkey Corn Chowder Recipe (perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers!)
- My Mom’s Famous Praline-Topped Sweet Potato Recipe
- How To Make A Fall Charcuterie Board
- 20 Boozy Fall Drinks
- 20 Fall Soup Recipes to Try
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So how long do you heat them in the crock pot before they are hot?
We typically double the recipe now and on average it takes 2 hours if they have been refrigerated. You’ll want to ensure you stir them frequently so the outer edges don’t dry out and that the center gets heated. It will really vary by crockpot, so I prefer to start them earlier than I might need them and then just turn down the heat to low if they finish up early.
this sounds fabulous! need to whip up something new for this Thanksgiving and this I can try! Thanks Sarah and have a wonderful thanksgiving!
how are they with gravy?
REALLY good! I actually love them plain too, but I definitely think potatoes are always better with gravy 🙂
Do you put water in the crockpot when you cook the potatoes? If you do, do you need to drain it?
Nope! Once you had the potatoes to the crockpot you just add the mixture as described – you don’t need any water at all. Basically your just reheating at that point, and you’ll find there is a lot of moisture in the batch and it steams the pot on its own.
What type of potatoes do you typically use (i.e. red, Russet, etc.)?
I typically always use red potatoes. The larger I can find, the better, for peeling purposes 🙂
Thank you! Can’t wait to try these! Headed to the store right now 🙂
I make these mashed potatoes every Thanksgiving. They are rich and creamy, good with or without gravy. Having them made ahead of time is great for a busy morning and they are the only mashed potatoes still truly delicious as leftovers!
OMG! I made these for my sons thanksgiving feast at school ahead of time. I accidentally used garlic salt instead of onion salt. So i added onion powder also. AMAZING!!!! My husband said they’re like crack! I had to swat his hand away…they’re for the kids at school. He said “why don’t you ever cook like that for us???” Will he making another batch for the family tomorrow night!
Hi I can’t find 3oz packages of cream cheese?? Just wanted to make sure that’s the correct measurement? Looks delicious!!!
I never could either so I’ve always just used one of the 8 oz version I could find and threw it all in. Adds extra calories but probably tastes even better 😉
Sarah-eating these tomorrow, but making tonight!!! Thanks for helping me plan ahead!! 😉
So do you mix them all up first and then just put them in the crockpot to keep warm? gonna do these for Christmas dinner 🙂
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you – I was out of town this past week. Yes, you make them all first and then warm a few hours before you are ready to serve them in the crockpot!
Do you cook the potatoes in the crockpot or on the stove first?
How long do they take?
You boil them on the stove first until they are cooked all the way through. It really varies how long it takes based on how many you have, but I have found that if you cut the potatoes into quarters, it goes a lot faster. I hope that helps!
I would re-heat these by 1. turning on the crock pot 2. heating in the microwave, in batches. As each batch get hot, dump it in the crock pot. That way they get hot quicker, and you can start the meal earlier.
Question for you – So you cook the potatoes on the stove first then mash and add the remaining ingredients in the crockpot? Or are you making the entire recipe on the stove top and just heating in the crockpot?
Yes – cook them first on the stove. I then mix all the mashed potatoes and ingredients in a bowl before adding to the crockpot.
Is the 2 tbsp. of butter correct for all those potatoes? It seems like not enough! 😋
Yes – that amount is correct! I just made this exact proportion at Thanksgiving. I think the sour cream and cream cheese help make up for it. I will say in the past, there have been times I’ve add 3-4 tbsp if I was at the end of the stick. You could always add more to taste once you mix it all!
These are the best mashed potatoes. I can’t have them any other way now, and at Thanksgiving making them ahead & putting in the crock pot, is a life saver! Thank you for sharing.
I bought the ingredients yesterday to make this recipe. Hope my family loves it as much. On what setting and for how long do you reheat them in your crockpot? Thanks and happy Thanksgiving!
I think they’ll love them! And honestly it really depends on your crockpot. I’ve had some that nearly scorch them after 2 hours on low and others that take quite a bit longer and need to go to a higher setting. If they’re coming from the fridge instead of fresh, I’d plan on low setting for a few hours (stirring every 15-20 minutes or so) for most. You can also start on high for 30 minutes or so and then drop to low. If you feel like they aren’t getting hot enough, we’ve also thrown them in the microwave in batches quickly to jumpstart it and that seems to help! Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
Loving this as much at Christmas as we did at Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing.
So happy to hear that! Merry Christmas!
I haven’t had any mashed potatoes in a long time, for no particular reason, so I though I’ll give this a try! Such an easy recipe, but with the cream cheese I must admit this might be the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. If you’re reading this and wondering whether you want to give them a try yourself, please do!
So happy to hear this!
Hi, do you know where you found this recipe that says it can last 2 weeks in the fridge?? Everything I’ve read on,one says cooked potatoes last 3-4 days in the fridge. My mom has already made them and I’m concerned we may be giving our guests a food born ll Ed’s for Thanksgiving. Especially the 2 guests with compromised immune systems. Appreciate any peace of mind you can provide!
Thanks!
It was in an old (30+ years) church recipe book. I’ve eaten them 7+ days after making them without issue, but definitely only do what makes you comfortable!
Thanks!