I just could not do Thanksgiving without perfect mashed potatoes. After all, they’re everyone’s favorite side dish, right? My brothers are mashed potato fanatics. They say the only reason they love turkey and gravy is thanks to the forkful of mashers they add with each bite. And while I definitely have other mashed potato recipes on the site, this is the family favorite. The crew really loves a cheesy, buttery potato with just the right amounts of onions. Not overpowering, but just right. These are their perfect potatoes. I think I got the ratios just right! They’re now labeled as “fire” mashed potatoes. Clearly, we love these potatoes. After many years of trying all the ways to cook my mashed potatoes, I’ve decided that using the slow cooker is my favorite. When in a time crunch, I use the instant pot or stove top, but the crockpot is my ideal cooker. I do mine a little differently than most.
Here are details
Most recipes for potatoes in the crockpot don’t have you cook the potatoes in water, then drain. They’ll tell you to cook in milk or broth. But I just don’t find that to work as well. Peel the russet potatoes. I then add the potatoes to the crockpot, add water, add garlic, and salt, then cover and let them slow cook for a few hours or up to all day. Once the potatoes are fork-tender, I drain them and add them back to the dry, but still hot crockpot bowl. I set the crockpot to low, then cook onions. The key is to allow the potatoes to sit in the hot crockpot to dry off. Reducing the moisture gives you a creamier texture to these tasty potatoes! While the potatoes sit, I make the onions. A lot of mashed potato recipes call for onion powder. But I wanted to add a little more of a fresh onion flavor that wasn’t overpowering, but just right. I love using caramelized onions for an onion flavor that’s more mellow. I first caramelize them down in a bit of butter. Then I like to add some wine to help them caramelize a little faster. Next, just a little fresh thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Plus lots of butter, which is key for any good potato dish. When it comes to mashing the potatoes, I don’t do anything fancy, just mash them with a potato masher and call it a day. But you do you, if you love a super smooth, whipped potato, try using a potato ricer or hand-mixer instead. Once I have the potatoes mashed, I add cream, sour cream, the caramelized onions, butter and melty gruyere cheese. Continue letting the potatoes cook until the cheese is melted. And that’s it, you’ll have the most perfect, flavorful, and creamiest mashed potatoes. Classic, but with amazing flavor and cheesiness. Serve these up warm with a little added sage for color. I’m excited to not only share this recipe with you guys but also with family and friends. My brothers have all agreed, these are one of their favorite potato dishes. When you win over the brothers, all is good! The next question is, what will you be pairing these crock pot mashed potatoes with? The obvious answer for Thanksgiving is turkey. But come December, over here it will be my roasted beef tenderloin. Great with steak, pork, or any weeknight dinner. Looking for other easy Thanksgiving sides?? Here are my favorites: Crispy Parmesan Thyme Sweet Potato Stacks Crispy Cheesy Potato Stacks Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans Easiest No-Boil Brie Mac and Cheese Lastly, if you make these Crockpot Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
