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Our Loaded Mashed Potatoes are made in the crockpot, keeping things extra simple and making for ultra smooth and creamy mashed potatoes! We stir in cheddar, bacon, and green onions for the ultimate loaded mashed potato recipe!
Loaded mashed potatoes are a THING in this house.
A big ol’ thing, to be honest.
You see, when I’m going to the trouble of peeling potatoes (my least favorite kitchen task – anyone else agree?), I’m going to make them as absolutely amazing as possible.
Some days that just means extra butter (like in these baked mashed potatoes), other days it means fully loaded mashed potatoes with things like bacon, cheddar, sour cream, cream cheese, butter, and green onions mixed in. <— We don’t skimp on the cheeses either.
These are the ultimate holiday side dish and guests will ask for the recipe 100% of the time! Plus, the potatoes stay nice and warm in the crockpot, so you don’t have to time things completely perfect.
The crockpot makes things pretty simple to set and forget, so these are great for a weeknight too!
Love loaded potatoes? Try our baked potato salad or twice baked potato casserole next!
❔ Why Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes?
I like boiled and mashed potatoes just fine, but I always struggle to get them cooked just right. The crockpot takes the guesswork out of boiling potatoes.
Plus, these potatoes are slow cooked for hours in a savory chicken broth (that doesn’t get drained away!!) so you know they’re going to have flavor before you even add all the bacon, sour cream, butter, and cheese!
The crockpot just makes it all so easy, especially if you’re going to a holiday gathering and bringing a side dish like creamy loaded mashed potatoes!
What Readers are Saying!
“I made these and added chives. Family favorite now. I will make these for a work potluck too. So good!” – Sara
???? Ingredients for Loaded Mashed Potatoes:
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Yukon Gold Potatoes – These are my preferred potatoes for mashing. See the FAQs below for more on why these potatoes work so well!
Chicken Broth – Using broth adds flavor to the potatoes and really makes for a tasty finished product.
Cheese – We’re going to load these potatoes up with both cheddar and cream cheese!
Dairy – You’ll need milk, sour cream, and butter. We like rich mashed potatoes in this house!
Bacon – Fry it, crumble it, and get ready to mix it into those taters.
Green Onion – These are optional, if you have onion haters in your house. Serve them on the side, swap them for chives, or leave them out altogether.
Crockpot Recommendation!
In the market for a new slow cooker? We love this 7 quart Crockpot. It’s simple to use, cooks evenly, and is very budget friendly. Plus, it has a 4 1/2 star rating with over 5,000 reviews on Amazon!
???????? How To Make Crockpot Mashed Potatoes:
Prep the Potatoes: To get started, peel and dice 5 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes. We love a good quality potato peeler.
Slow Cook: Add those diced potatoes to your slow cooker, pour in some chicken broth, cover, and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours, depending on your needs.
Mash: When the potatoes are fork tender, grab your potato masher and get ready to mash those taters! Add in your softened butter, cream cheese, and some milk while mashing. If you feel like the potatoes are too thick or you want to change the consistency, just add more milk! You’ll have perfectly creamy mashed potatoes.
Load ‘Em Up: You’ve got your crockpot mashed potatoes cooked to perfection and ready to mash! Stir in the sour cream, freshly grated cheddar cheese, crispy fried bacon, diced green onions, salt, and cracked black pepper.
Helpful Tip!
Mashed Potatoes Are All About Texture!
Want your potatoes to be thick and chunky? Mash for less time.
Like your mashed potatoes to be smooth and silky? Add milk and mash away until they’re as smooth and creamy as you’d like. The more milk you add, the thinner your potatoes will be.
What to Serve with Loaded Mashed Potatoes:
Slow Cooker Ribs: For ribs that are tender and fall right off the bone, you can’t beat this recipe!
Turkey Meatloaf: No one even misses the beef in this lightened up turkey meatloaf!
Asparagus Stuffed Chicken: Simple, cheesy, and full of asparagus.
Flank Steak with Chimichurri: Big bold flavors on the steak plus major flavor from the potatoes!
Crockpot BBQ Chicken: Serve up these BBQ chicken sandwiches with a side of loaded mashed potatoes and you’ve got a tasty dinner!
Want a baked version? Try this twice baked potato casserole!
Leftover Mashed Potatoes Hack!
Turn any leftovers into potato pancakes! Add 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of flour for every cup of mashed potatoes. Stir to combine and drop spoonfuls in a hot, buttered skillet and fry on each side!
FAQs:
Yukon Gold potatoes are my preferred potatoes for mashing. They are a good mix of starchy and waxy, which means they mash easily, soak up the butter perfectly, and they come out very creamy.
Nope! Leave all that flavor in there, it’ll get soaked up in the potatoes as you mash them.
Yes, they can be stored in the refrigerator for at least a couple of days. When reheating try adding a little milk to keep them from drying out.
MORE CROCKPOT Favorites!
- Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole
- Cream Cheese Corn
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
- Crockpot Lil Smokies
- Crockpot Potato Soup
- Mississippi Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
Crockpot Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup milk more as needed
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 cups grated cheddar
- 1 cup fried and crumbled bacon
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Add to a slow cooker with the chicken broth.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and easily mashed.
- Add the milk, butter, and cream cheese to the slow cooker and mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy.
- Stir the sour cream, grated cheddar, fried bacon, green onions, salt, and pepper into the potatoes. Continue stirring until cheese has melted and potatoes are well mixed. Add more milk as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve immediately or use the ‘warm’ function on your slow cooker to keep the potatoes warm until ready to eat.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
CT says
I need more than 12 servings and only have a 6qt crock-pot. Will a double batch fit in a 6qt ?
Karly Campbell says
I’m really not sure as I haven’t tried.
Kecia says
What can you substitute for sour cream and what size crockpot is needed?
Karly Campbell says
You could use Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. Just make sure it’s 0% fat and plain – not flavored. We use a 6 quart crockpot.
Brittany says
Loved these!! Followed the recipe exactly and turned out perfect. Used leftovers for potato pancakes the next morning! These will be my go-to recipe for family gatherings! So easy to make in the crockpot.
Karly says
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! Thanks, Brittany!
Lorraine says
Can you freeze the leftover load mashed potatoes?
Karly says
I’ve never froze mashed potatoes before. I’m not sure how well they’d do.
Marli says
I am in the middle of making this right now. I have about 2 hours until they are ready to be mashed. I am worried about reheating tomorrow for Thanksgiving because of the dairy in the recipe that the edges will get crispy and brown. If I reheat on low do you think this will be a problem or should I just put the cooked potatoes in the fridge tonight and reheat them and mash them with all the ingredients tomorrow?
Karly says
Hi Marli! I don’t think these will reheat well in the crockpot. I’d probably put them in the fridge, microwave until hot, and then pop them in the slow cooker to keep warm. You’ll probably want to add a bit more liquid after reheating to thin them out a bit.
Judy says
Yes you can reheat in the crock pot. The one thing I use is a crock pot liner but I spray it first to help with sticking.
Beth says
Can you make these the day ahead? Looking to make for Thanksgiving Dinner
Karly says
Hi Beth! I think these would be great made ahead. Add a bit of milk, if needed,when reheating.
Bobbie says
Don’t know what was wrong. Potatoes stuck to crock pot. Recipe was so thick I had to add milk. I followed directions to a t. Not sure what happened.
Karly says
Hmm, I’m not sure what would have went wrong either. Did you add all of the ingredients right at the start or did you wait to add everything else after the potatoes were cooked and mashed?
Erica says
Should I drain the chicken broth before mashing??
Karly says
Nope! You’ll mash them with the liquid. 🙂