# Crockpot Mashed Potatoes That Do Not Turn to Glue

Three pounds of quartered russets cooked 4 hours on LOW with half a cup of stock, then mashed by hand in the pot. Warm butter and milk go in after mashing.

 

 

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## Crockpot Mashed Potatoes That Do Not Turn to Glue

Recipe by Iren Pavlenko

 

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0.0 from 0 votes ** 

Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

4

hours 

Three pounds of quartered russets cooked 4 hours on LOW with half a cup of stock, then mashed by hand in the pot. Warm butter and milk go in after mashing.

### Ingredients

- 3 lb russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ¾ cup whole milk, warmed
- ¼ cup sour cream or cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- Pinch of nutmeg, optional

### Directions

- Cut the potatoes into even quarters so they cook at the same rate and add them to a 6-quart crockpot.
- Add the stock, salt, whole garlic and bay leaf. Stir once. The pot should be filled a little over halfway.
- Cover and cook 4 hours on LOW, or 2 hours on HIGH, until a fork slides into the largest piece with no resistance.
- Remove the bay leaf. Turn the cooker off and drain off any liquid beyond a few spoonfuls.
- Warm the milk and butter in the microwave for 45 seconds, until the butter just starts to melt.
- Mash the potatoes and garlic by hand with a stiff masher, right in the insert, until mostly smooth.
- Fold in the warm milk and butter a little at a time, then stir in the sour cream and white pepper.
- Taste and add salt; the potatoes take more than you expect. Top with chives and a pinch of nutmeg.

 

### Notes

 

Russets and other floury potatoes mash smoothest, while waxy potatoes stay lumpy. Keep the mash on warm for up to 2 hours, adding a splash of warm milk before serving. Do not use a mixer or stick blender.

 

  

## Why Crockpot Mashed Potatoes That Do Not Turn to Glue stay light

 

Cooking in only half a cup of stock steams the potatoes instead of boiling them, so they do not turn waterlogged. Mashing by hand keeps the starch intact. The warm milk and butter go in after, so everything absorbs evenly.

 

Warm the milk and butter before adding them. Cold liquid makes potatoes seize and turn pasty. Whole garlic cloves and a bay leaf cook in the pot and flavor the mash quietly. Fish out the bay leaf, and mash the garlic right in with the potatoes.

 

## Swaps and a no

 

Cream cheese or sour cream both add tang. Yukon Golds give a denser, buttery mash. Never use a mixer or blender. It breaks the starch and the mash turns gummy.

 

## Holiday use

 

This is made for Thanksgiving, since it frees the stove. Keep it on warm up to 2 hours and loosen with a splash of warm milk before serving.

 

## Storing it

 

Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days. Reheat with a little milk and stir gently. Cold milk or butter is the usual error, since it cools the mash and makes it pasty.