Bring it, Thanksgiving! (Slow cooker mashed potatoes)

This is week 2 of Emily’s Rookie Thanksgiving, mashed potatoes.

I was totally game for this one, because I’ve been wanting to try to make potatoes in the crock pot. I’m not sure if I’m cheating at Emily’s challenge, because I’m not going all the way to homemade with these recipes. Last week, I made the rolls in the bread maker and this week, I put the potatoes in the crock pot. Hopefully she forgives me.

Here’s the schedule:
Oct. 3: Rolls and pumpkin butter
Oct. 10: Mashed potatoes
Oct. 17: Turkey and gravy
Oct. 24: Sweet potatoes
Oct. 31: Stuffing
Nov. 7: Pies

This week’s mashed potatoes recipe was so simple, and very delicious. We were able to use our potatoes from the garden, so they were Yukon golds – but I think you can try any type. I’d also like to mention that I keep skins on the potatoes. We prefer them that way. But, you can skin them if you like them naked.

Slow cooker mashed potatoes
(via Busy Cooks)
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes

5 lbs. potatoes, cut into chunks (peeled if you like)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 cubes chicken bouillon
8 oz. container sour cream
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, garlic and chicken bouillon cubes. Cook potatoes until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved cooking water to reach desired consistency. Transfer to a 4 quart crock pot, cover, and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. (You can also leave them in longer. Just watch them, because sometimes slow cookers pump out enough heat to make the edges crunchy.) Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8-10.

Time saving tip:
You can put the mashed potatoes in the fridge overnight and then pop into the crock pot in the morning. I think this would be a great way to make a holiday a little less stressful.

If you are like me, you will have TONS leftover. Just spoon the potatoes into freezable Ziplocs and freeze on a cookie sheet so they are flat. We’ll have a ready-made side whenever we’re craving mashed potatoes.

Review:
Delicious. Simple. Good flavor. I really liked that the garlic and bouillon cubes were added right to the cooking water. And don’t even GET me started on cream cheese and sour cream. Seriously, I could live on these two ingredients for weeks.

I would definitely recommend these to you and will certainly make them again. They would be ideal for the holidays, when you can do the mashing ahead of time and then have them at the ready. However, I’m not sure how much it matters to put it in the slow cooker. It seems that it’s just a way to make it ahead, more than an actual necessity. I do think the flavors melded together more, but they tasted just fine when I first put them into the crock.