Crock-Pot Mashed Potatoes
Without a doubt, the tastiest & healthiest way to cook mashed potatoes. Give this a try & you may never go back to cooking mashed potatoes any other way! For a real treat, make my Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (see recipe in the Potatoes category) which brings a whole new level of flavor & even more nutrients to mashed potatoes.
Yield: Approximately 10 – 1 cup servings
Ingredients
5 lbs organic russet potatoes peeled & rinsed in cold water. Cut in half lengthwise, cut in half lengthwise again, then cut into fairly evenly sized cubes
2 cups organic chicken or vegetable broth
5 Tblsp butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup organic milk or plain, unsweetened almond milk (may need more for thinning)
1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (or 1/2 cup of each)
1/8 cup roasted Roasted Garlic cloves, mashed with a fork or 2 to 3 tsp finely minced fresh garlic (see Roasted Garlic recipe in the Herbs, Spices & Seasonings category)
1 to 2 tsp kosher or sea salt (see Tip# 1)
Fresh ground black pepper, 12 pepper mill turns or to taste
Optional for garnish: chopped fresh chives or parsley or substitute dried of either one
Directions
1. Peel & rinse potatoes in cold water. Cut in half lengthwise, cut in half lengthwise again, then cut into fairly evenly sized cubes.
2. Arrange potatoes in a 7 quart crock-pot. Pour broth all over potatoes & top with pieces of butter.
3. Cook on high for 4 hours or until potatoes are tender & most of the liquid is absorbed. Give potatoes a quick stir during cooking, after 2 & 3 hrs.
4. When potatoes are done; turn off crock-pot, uncover, stir & let sit 10 – 20 minutes allowing any remaining liquid to fully absorb into the potatoes.
5. Add milk, sour cream, garlic, salt & pepper.
6. Mash until the consistency is to your liking & give it a good stirring to make sure all the ingredients are well combined. If too thick, add more milk sparingly. If not thick enough, set crock-pot to warm & heat uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it’s the thickness you desire.
7. Cover & set crock-pot to warm to serve later or serve now & if using, garnish individual servings.
Tips & Suggestions
1. Regarding salt; keep in mind that the chicken broth & roasted garlic add a salty taste… therefore be sure to taste the finished potatoes before adding more salt.
2. If you’re cooking this ahead of time to freeze or if you have leftovers:
a. Let potatoes cool in crock-pot to room temperature.
b. Freeze in airtight containers, 1 cup per person is a general rule of thumb for serving size.
c. If you’re planning to use within 1 to 2 days, store container(s) in the refrigerator.
