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Meet your low-stress, extra-creamy mashers. These cook right in the crockpot—no boiling—and stay warm until dinner. Three cheeses and a swirl of browned sage butter make them holiday-worthy with weeknight ease.
Say hello to your new favorite way to make everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Yes, the crockpot!! You guys, in all honesty, if there was ever a crockpot recipe to know how to make, it has got to be these mashed potatoes. If you think about it, it’s kind of brilliant. Let me put it this way, not only does it free up space on the stove, but it there’s NO BOILING the potatoes and so much less clean up, AND the crockpot will keep your mashers warm until ready to eat, meaning no reheating necessary. YESSS.
It’s like our Thanksgiving prayers of have been answered. Slightly dramatic, but kind of true, seeing that everyone has mashed potatoes on their Thanksgiving table…I mean, they are everyone’s favorite turkey day side, right?!
Every year on Turkey Day, Mom and I bake pies in the morning and then my family will typically go to cut down our Christmas tree, while I cook away in the kitchen. Some years I’ll hike up the hill with them, but in recent years I have had so many dishes that I MUST make (I mean there are so many great dishes I want to get on the table!) that I end up staying back in the kitchen. This is totally fine by me because I blast Christmas music and have a “no pressure” cooking day. I know for a lot of you Thanksgiving day is stressful, but for me, it’s one of my favorite days to cook because for once I am not cooking to test a recipe and then photograph it, so the pressure is off. I cook recipes I know my family is going to love and it’s great!
Watch the How-To Video Here:
Crockpot Three Cheese Mashed Potatoes from Half Baked Harvest on Vimeo.
The one problem I run into every single year is stove top and oven space. I’m sure all of you who do a lot of cooking know exactly what I am talking about.
Well this crockpot three cheese mashed potatoes recipe solves A LOT of problems, and is now the only way I will make mashers. <–truth.
Not only does this method save space on the stove, but it also creates way less mess. You can start the potatoes in the morning and then literally not think about them again until just before dinner. And even then, all you have to do is mash them, add cheese, butter and DONE.
It’s really just a magical thing, which I’m clearly pretty excited about it, plus, did I mention the cheeses!?!
I know, I know, as if mashed potatoes weren’t already amazing, I had to go and add not one, but THREE cheeses. Clearly my Thanksgiving motto is go big or go home. ?
So, what cheeses did I choose?
Umm, cheddar, Parmesan, and Gruyere. I mean, obviously. Some of my favorite cheeses right there, they’re what take these mashed potatoes from ordinary to all kinds of incredible.
OK, and the browned butter helps too.
I was talking with my brother Malachi the other day and I asked him the question, cheese or no cheese in your mashed potatoes? His response was one that made me just so proud. He said, “I mean, is that even a legit question, always cheese”. So then I asked cheddar, Parmesan or Gruyere? Again, his response was so on point, “all three, cheese is great, the more cheese the better”.
Smart kid right? He is 100% a Gerard and I could not agree with his statements more, so all three cheeses it is!
When making mashed potatoes, I like to use whole milk. Actually, I use whole goat milk. I of course prefer goat milk seeing as we have gallons and gallons on hand at all times, now that we are milking all three mama goats, plus I really do love it!
In all seriousness though, these mashed potatoes are life changing in both the way that they are cooked, and in the way that they taste. I am SO excited to make them again for Thanksgiving and am crossing my fingers that these are going to be on all of your Thanksgiving menus too! Or maybe even sooner for an easy weeknight dinner side dish…hint, hint…great recipe to serve them with coming Wednesday! Until then, here are my current favorite blog recipes to serve these mashed potatoes with, pot roast, short ribs and Coq au Vin.
FAQ:
Can I leave the potato skins on?
Yes—skins add texture and nutrients. Yukon Gold skins are thinner and blend in more smoothly than russet.
How do I keep these creamy on Warm without drying out?
Stir every so often and fold in small splashes of warm milk or a pat of butter as needed to keep the texture lush.
Can I double this for a crowd?
If your slow cooker can handle the volume without exceeding about two-thirds full, yes. Plan for a bit more time until potatoes are uniformly fork-tender.
What if I don’t have Gruyère?
Use fontina or more cheddar for melt; flavor will be a touch less nutty. Parmesan adds saltiness, so taste before adding extra salt.
Crockpot Three Cheese Mashed Potatoes.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 515 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russets or yukon gold potatoes peel (if you like) and cube
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper plus more to taste
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon sage
Instructions
- Add the potatoes, garlic, chicken broth, salt and pepper to the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours hours or on low for 6-8 hours. When the potatoes are fork tender, add 1 1/2 cups milks and mash them using a potato masher or a hand held mixer until completely creamy, adding the remaining 1/2 cup milk if needed to thin. Stir in the cheese, cover and cook another 15 minutes or until melted and creamy.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet melt the butter over medium heat until just browned, whisking the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Stir in the sage and let cook 30 seconds. Pour the browned butter into the warm mashed potatoes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. SERVE!
Ahh, I for sure would be ok with that kind of Monday night dinner! Gimme please!
This post was originally published on November 7, 2016
So excited to try this. If I double the recipe will the cooking time change at all? Thank you!!!
Yes, I would also double the amount of time to cook the potatoes. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I made these potatoes for Thanksgiving and followed the recipe since it was the first time I’d made them (otherwise I generally ad lib after the first time). I thought there was quite a bit of liquid but went with it. They turned out very soupy, but sure tasted good. I almost decided not to serve them, though, due to the texture, but my son suggested warm potato soup – so he sauteed some leeks and added them which made the potatoes even better. I served them as potatoes, not soup, and everyone loved them so much there were no leftovers. Will make them again, however reduce the liquid accordingly. Having the extra space in my small kitchen was great. Thank you yet again for your always unique and fabulous recipes.
The leeks sound delicious! Thanks so much for the great feedback, so glad the potatoes where delish!
Made these for Thanksgiving this year and everyone loved them! I definitely should have cut the recipe in half or even down to a third because it was WAY too much for 6 people. We will definitely make them again!
My Experience With This Recipe:
Cooked it today pretty much per instructions, turned out fantastic. Was pleased with extra oven space & stove space…so simple, yet never thought to do it in a crock pot 🙂 – Thank you!!
– Chopped potatoes, pretty close to your picture size and had no issue with them being done or tender.
– No water, just 1 cup chicken broth & 1 cup 2% milk (didn’t have whole milk on hand)
– cooked on low for 5 hours
– didn’t seem to notice if milk curdled, didn’t really care as it all got mashed up any way.
– Didn’t drain any liquid before mashing and didn’t add any additional milk
– Might be first time in my life i didn’t put gravy on mash potatoes, was awesome. (i did put some gravy on my 2nd round, still awesome)
Thank you very much, was impressed on the success for first attempt! 🙂
Cheers,
J in Vancouver
Hi J!! So happy to hear everything went well!!
Everything you used sounds delicious!! Thank you so much!!
I had high hopes for this. I followed the directions to the letter and it is now Saturday and they did not cook and were not tender. The milk curdled. ??? I am going to do a smaller batch. My son is not thrilled since he was the one peeling potatoes! We couldn’t have them for Thanksgiving…. ???
HI, I am so sorry these did not turn out the way you excepted. I have no idea why the potatoes never softened. What kind did you use? Again, I am so sorry for the trouble. Let me know if have any questions.
I used Russet.
Second attempt:
I peeled and cubed the postatoes amd rinsed mostnof the starch out. I boiled themnwith salt and chicken broth.
It took a long time for them to get tender. I added melted cheeses with some milk, garlic and black pepper. I used a ricer. Very cheesy and delicious!
Awesome!! Sounds delicious!! Thanks for trying them again!!
The cook times in the “bad” say 15 min. prep, 4 hour cook…4:15 total. The instructions give a time as long as 8 hours. Clean this up. Confused me
Hey Gene! So sorry about that, all is fixed now. Hope you love these! 🙂
The milk broke down when I made it, too. I’m waiting now to see if it is curdled or just if the solids separated. It’s very watery right now. I’m nervous.
HI! I hope it came out okay!
They did not come out with the correct texture or consistency.
When they wre fork tender, I drained off about 2.5 c. of liquid before I mashed them with a hand masher (two different kinds of mashers). The potatoes were a glutinous glob (I used gold potatoes) even before I added the cheese. I reserved the liquid in case I needed to add more back in (there were little curds of milk solids throughout the liquid) and didn’t need it at all. The potatoes got downright elastic after I added the cheese.
Fortunately, our guests liked it despite the texture. I may try to add the liquid to the leftovers and run them through the vitamix to see if I can make a smooth bisque type soup. Fingers crossed.
Hey Patricia, I am so sorry for any trouble. I have not experienced these issues and I mad them yesterday as well. How long did you end up cooking them? Again, so very sorry for the trouble, but happy your guest enjoyed them!
I cooked them at low at first for several hours, then upped it to high once it was thoroughly warmed. The milk was fresh, and I peeled most of the skins off, leaving just a bit for texture and nutrition. The milk separated after the heat was increased. I did not rinse off the potatoes once they were cubed before putting them in the crockpot. I used a crockpot liner for easy clean-up. The total cooking time was way under the time for cooking them on low.
The potatoes were very tender, and fell apart with just a little pierceing with a fork. I used two kinds of hand mashers and then finally a stick blender, but they were glutinous long before I used the stick blender, and of course before adding the cheeses. I’m so glad I drained off the liquid as it was going to turn into soup had I not removed 2.5 cups (at least). I have about 1/3 of them leftover, so I will add the liquid and make a soup for tonight’s dinner (we were out of town Friday-Sunday). I think it will be a successful soup.
It tasted good, not like the milk had actually curdled in a bad way. The guests did not object to the gloppy, gooey texture but devoured them.
I will try this recipe again, and monitor it closely and not switch the heat level part way through. That may have triggered the separation, but then, I’m not a food chemist.
They were still delish.
Hi Patricia! Thanks so much for this great feedback! I am so happy that the did turn out for you and your guest enjoyed them! Hope they turn out even better the next time around. Thank you again and happy Holidays’s! 🙂
Have you ever had any issues with the milk curdling?
Hey Jessica, I have not had any issues with that. Hope you love the potatoes! Thanks! 🙂
Hi! Could I let the potatoes cook through the night on low and then mix in the milk and cheese right before serving around lunchtime?
Yes! I think that will work great. Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love these!
Ha! My husband had a similar reaction:
ME: Three cheese mashed potatoes?
HIM: Is this a serious question?
ME: Yes. Am I going to far?
HIM: THREE.CHEESE.MASHED.POTATOES.
I’m not sure if my ancient crockpot has the “proper” heating element but I’ll give it a go.
HAHA!! YES! Seriously word for word my conversation with my brother when asking him what he thought!!
So funny!
Hope you guys love it!!
Is the serving size correct? Five pounds of potatoes for 6-8 servings seems like a lot of potatoes?
HI Dana, yes the serving is right. These could possibly serve 10, but I am not sure. Let me know if you have questions Thanks!
This looks amazing I am wondering if goat cheese you be a good one to use or would it be too much? If so would 3\4 cup be enough?
Hey brent! I think that would be great. 3//4 cup sounds perfect! Hope you love these!
Hi! Sounds delish and definitely want to make it for Thanksgiving! When browning the butter, do you put a whole sage leaf in and then remove it before adding the butter to the mashed?
Thanks in advance for your help and as always for the delicious recipe!
Hey Juila! I chop the sage and add it to the butter and then all of the butter + sage gets mixed into the mashed potatoes. Let me know if you have questions. Thank you and I hope you love these!
If I wanted to make these the night before, how would you recommend reheating them for lunch the next day?
HI! I would just add them back to the crockpot and cook on low for and hour or high for 30 minutes. Or the microwave works too! Let me know if you have questions. Thank you!
Hi!
What size crockpot did you use? Just curious as I want to try this out for Thanksgiving!
Thank you.
HI! Mine is 6 1/2 quarts. Please let me know if you have other questions. Thank you!