Slow Cooking Mashed Potatoes

With Thanksgiving almost here, I thought that this would be a perfect recipe to try. Thank you FirstADream.blogspot.com!  When I saw their recipe for Mashed Potatoes in a Crockpot, I had to try it!  Anything to make Thanksgiving dinner less hectic.

I hate making mashed potatoes the traditional way.  You have to boil your potatoes in a big pot with a lot of water, make sure it doesn't boil over, and then drain off the water (and the nutrients that seeped out during cooking) without burning yourself.  If you overcook them in all that water, you might end up with a whole lot of glue.  Call me lazy, but it's just too much work for such a simple side dish.

Their recipe calls for very little water and you don't drain it off! Mash it, whip it and serve it all from the crock, if you wish. So easy!  You could use the Reynold's liners to make clean up super easy (if only cooking in the crockpot). Dump the food in the crock and cook without having to babysit it.  It's practically foolproof! 

The Recipe

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup water or broth
1 cup butter, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/3 cups milk

Place the potatoes, water, and butter into a slow cooker.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover, and cook on High for 2-3 hours, or until tender. (Large potato pieces may need more cooking time.)  Do not drain.  Mash potatoes with a masher or electric beater, adding milk and seasonings for desired texture.