What I love about potatoes is you can make them alongside any meat dish you have. They go great with meatloaf, chicken, steak, and pork chops. If you want a side of potatoes that everyone will love, you have to try these Crockpot mashed potatoes!

I had this genius idea one day that I was going to try and make a whole Thanksgiving dinner in the crock pot.  As awesome as that would be, I quickly figured out that I would need at least 5 crockpots and how the heck was I going to stuff a turkey into one? 

Yea, I don’t think a 15 plus pound turkey was going to fit into a 5 quart crockpot.  But I would be able to use a crockpot for some of sides dishes.  So I’ve started to experiment with my crockpot and some of my favorite Thanksgiving sides.  My first recipe that I tried was crockpot mashed potatoes.  And they were awesome! 

What are Crockpot Mashed Potatoes?

Crockpot loaded mashed potatoes are your ordinary mashed potatoes beefed up with cheese, bacon, and spices of your choice. I also tend to add sour cream to mine as well. Basically, whatever you would put on a baked potato, is exactly what you put in these loaded mashed potatoes. And, they are so so so good!

Crockpot Loaded Mashed Potatoes Ingredients

This recipe made enough potatoes for about 4 adults. You may want to double the recipe for a large gathering of people. Here’s what you need:

• 9 Russet Potatoes
• 1.5 Cups of Milk
• 1 Cup of Water
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1 Teaspoon Onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 Cup Cheese
• 4-5 Strips of Bacon

How to Make Crockpot Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Using your crockpot, making these mashed potatoes is super easy to do. Simply follow the steps below!

Step 1 Prep

Peel and chop your potatoes before adding them to the crockpot.

Step 2 Add Ingredients to Crock Pot

Pour the milk and water into the crockpot over the potatoes. Add your spices as well. Set to high for 4 hours.

Step 3 Let them Cool

Let them cool for about 30 minutes. While cooling, fry your bacon.

Step 4 Mash and Serve

Mash the potatoes right in the crockpot.Garnish with cheese and bacon.

Do I Need to Boil My Potatoes First?

You absolutely do not need to boil your potatoes first. You will want to rinse them off before placing them in the crockpot, but the crockpot will do all the cooking for you

Can I Make Them Ahead of Time?

The great thing about making mashed potatoes in the crockpot is that you can begin them 4-hours before you are ready to eat.

If you want to cook it a day ahead of time, I would recommend cooking the mashed potatoes and keeping the cheese and bacon out until the next day when you are ready to eat it. This will help make it more fresh when you heat it up.

How to Make Loaded Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot

You can easily make loaded mashed potatoes in your Instant Pot, too. Simply follow my delicious Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes recipe. While you are cooking your potatoes in the Instant Pot, you can start cooking up your bacon. After you follow the Instant Pot recipe, add your bacon, cheese and any other spices you would like.

How To Make Loaded Mashed Potatoes on the Stove

Of course, you can make this on the stove as well. If you aren’t sure how long to cook potatoes on the stovetop, follow this Basic Mashed Potatoes Recipe. Then, add your cheese, bacon and seasonings.

How to Store Leftover Mashed Potatoes

In my opinion, I think mashed potatoes are better fresh than they are the next day. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t end up with leftovers.

To store your leftover mashed potatoes, put them in a Tupperware bowl with a lid. Make sure there is a little bit of room at the top of the bowl so you can add more milk and butter when you heat them up.

Can I Freeze Them?

Mashed potatoes can actually last 10 to 12 months in the freezer. To make it easier when you reheat them, store your mashed potatoes in a freezer ziplock bag. Press the mashed potatoes down in an even layer.

Thaw the mashed potatoes overnight in the refrigerator for best results when reheating. Be sure to add more milk and butter while reheating them.

Other Crockpot Dishes to Try

I love how easy it is to use the crockpot. You just throw it in and come back a few hours later. If you are kind of a lazy cook like me, here are some other crockpot recipes to try:

• Crockpot Mississippi Chicken
• Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken
• Best Turkey Chili
• Crockpot Corned Beef Recipe
• Easy Crockpot Chicken Tacos
• Crockpot Pulled Pork Sliders

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