Thanksgiving week continues with two side dish recipes made in the slow cooker. I am also the host today of the Vitual Thanksgiving Progessive Dinner and want to welcome all of you for dropping by today for the dinner.
A slow cooker can make life easier on Thanksgiving. I decided to try out two new recipes from Pillsbury that utilize a slow cooker to make two side dishes for Thanksgiving. The first is the mashed potatoes. This recipe allows you to get the potatoes going well before the meal. You cook them for 4 to 4 1/2 hours in the slow cooker. Then you mash them and then can return them to your slow cooker to keep warm for up to 2 hours. The original recipe called for garlic and onion powder which I left out. I like the gravy to add the flavor to the potatoes.
Next is a recipe your brown sugared carrots. The brown sugar just gives those yummy baby carrots an extra boost of sweetness. This recipe said to cook the carrots for 4 to 5 hours, but mine were done in 3 hours. So, I recommend not starting the carrots too early. Then check on them at the 3 hour mark and if needed set on the warm setting.
Today is also another day of the 8 weeks of Christmas Goodies that I am participating in along with some other bloggers. This week’s goodie recipe is Cranberry-Macadamia Bars. I made them when I went to Baking with Betty and am absolutely making them this holiday season. They were my favorite. There is also a recipe for Citrus-Kissed Fig Thumprints included with that link that would also be an excellent goodie. I wasn’t big on the fig part, but you could easily substitute a different flavored preserve.
Also, if you are in the Salt Lake Area, I have a friend who has a great deal on mini pumpkins and gourds to decorate for Thanksgiving. Check out my events page for more info.
Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- 5 lb baking potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks
- 1 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, if desired (I left this out)
- 1/2 to 1 cup milk, warmed
- In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, place potatoes, chicken broth and butter.
- Cover; cook on High heat setting 4 hours to 4 hours 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Add remaining ingredients except milk. Mash, crush or smash potatoes using potato masher, or beat with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Do not overmix. Stir in enough milk for desired creamy consistency.
- Cover and keep warm on Low or Warm heat setting until serving time, up to 2 hours. Stir before serving and you may need to mix in additional milk if potatoes have stiffened while on the warm or low setting.
- 1 bag (32 oz) ready-to-eat baby carrots
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. butter, chopped into small pieces
- 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
- Spray a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Put carrot in slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt, brown sugar, and butter.
- Cover and cook on high (stirring every hour) for 3-4 hours until tender.
- Spoon into serving bowl and spoon any sauce remaining over the carrots. Season with addition butter, salt, or pepper if desired. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.
My boyfriend won’t eat anything with sour cream or cream cheese in it. Is there something I could use in place of the sour cream? Or would it still be good if I completely omit the sour cream?
Thanks!
Hmmm what about Greek yogurt? My husband is the same way and I use plain Greek yogurt a lot and he never says anything =)
How much does this make?
THIS is a GREAT idea!! LOVE that it will free up my stove for other dishes
About how many people will this feed?? Thanks again for a GREAT idea!!
I made and featured your mashed potatoes for the Crazy Cooking Challenge. You can read the post here: http://megseverydayindulgence.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/slow-cooker-mashed-potatoes-crazy-cooking-challenge/
They were wonderful and will for sure be gracing our Thanksgiving table. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
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When does the sour cream go in? This looks wonderful.
Sandy
I love anything involving the crock pot! I will have to try out these recipes=)
I have been having Thanksgiving for 25 + people and have always put the mashed potatoes in the crock pot on warm AFTER I have made them on the stove, but never thought to cook and mash them in my crock pot! Silly me! Wonder how they would turn out if I cooked them with some whole cloves of garlic for some garlic mashed potatoes? Hmmmm…might have to try that? Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I love the idea of doing mashed potatoes in the crockpot! I never would have thought of that! Thanks!
Thanks for the mashed potato recipe! That will definitely make things easier on Thanksgiving.
These look so yummy! I can’t wait to try the baby carrots, they are my favorite! And, cooking something in the crock-pot on Thanksgiving Day would sure be helpful. It’s so hard to juggle oven time between so many dishes and a turkey!
Try doing your turkey in your slow cooker/roaster. It is requested every year that I make the turkey as everyone loves it from the slow cooker. It is so tender that you don’t even have to carve it.
What a great idea! I never thought to do mashed potatoes in the slow cooker!
Love that these can be made in the crock pot! We’re always running out of room in the oven when I’m making holiday dinners.
I love these ideas. It will take some out of the stress out of Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks
Yum! Thanks for linking up! Love your tasty post! Susie
Yum! They both look delish! Thanks for joining us for the Thanksgiving Dinner Laura!
~Liz
I’m going to have to try those baby carrots. Yum!