Slow Cooker Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Continuing with our Thanksgiving recipes, I am going to be making slow cooker mashed potatoes this year, and this recipe I found from @halfbakedharvest as well. I am excited to be making our mashed potatoes dish this way so that I can just put the slow cooker on in the morning and have it cooking and doing its thing all day without having to worry about it.

Honestly, anything I can do to make my life easier on Thanksgiving day, anything I can make ahead of time, anything that will allow me time to be with my family and friends and play games and enjoy my day and not be slaving away in the kitchen the whole time…. I’m ALL for!

Slow Cooker Cheesy Mashed Potatoes:

• 4 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

  • Honestly, I couldn’t find yukon gold potatoes in the store when I went shopping this past weekend, so I purchased “Idaho gold potatoes” instead…. fingers crossed they are the same thing and taste just as good! Would we even be able to tell the difference?? I’m not sure. Haha.

• 3 cups heavy cream

• 1 cup whole milk

• 8 fresh sage leaves, plus more for serving (I am STRUGGLING to find this! All of the stores around me are out of stock. I am determined to find this before Thursday morning. Wish me luck!)

• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for serving

• 4 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 parmesan rind (optional - but I’m doing this!)

• 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature

• kosher salt and black pepper

• 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese (or more!)

Slow Cooker:

1) In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the potatoes, parmesan rind (if using), heavy cream, milk, garlic, and sage. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours (I’m definitely going to be doing LOW and SLOW), until the potatoes are fork tender. Switch the slow cooker to warm.

2) Drain the potatoes, reserving all of the cream. Discard the thyme, sage, and parmesan rind (if used). Press the potatoes through a potato ricer, adding them back to the slow cooker. Alternately, you can add the potatoes back to the slow cooker and mash with a potato masher.

3) Add 1.5 cups of the reserved cream and the butter. Continue to add more of the cream until your desired consistency is reached. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese, cover, and cook another 15 minutes, or until melted and creamy. Keep the potatoes covered, on warm, for up to 4 hours.

4) Serve the potatoes topped with additional fresh herbs and butter.