Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

I've got two out of three kids with new orthodontic work --- my eldest got braces a week ago, and her younger sister had a palate expander inserted yesterday (that expander thing kind of creeps me out).

This means we are eating an awful lot of soft food.

Garlic mashed potatoes were requested, and I was on a mission to see if I could make the whole dish directly in the slow cooker, without having to boil water or pull out a colander.

It worked! You're going to love these potatoes ---- the garlic roasts along with the potatoes in the cooker in a bit of chicken broth, then gets mashed right on in with both cream and Parmesan cheeses.

The Ingredients.

serves 8-10

5 pounds red potatoes, mostly skinned and quartered

20 cloves of garlic, peeled (about 2 heads)

1 cup chicken broth (you can use vegetable)

1/2 block (4 ounces) of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

(salt to taste if needed at the table)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the peeled and quartered potatoes into an empty slow cooker. I left the skin on a few of the potatoes for added color and texture; it's completely up to you. Toss in the garlic cloves. Pour in chicken or vegetable broth. Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Check the potato doneness with a fork. The potato piece should slide right off, and the garlic should be a golden brown and pretty shiny. If you have a LOT of liquid in the bottom of the crock, you might want to drain a bit of it out. I only ended up with what looked like a 1/4 cup or so accumulated (I used the Ninja Cooking System).

Add the cream cheese to the pot, and use an immersible hand blender to mash the potatoes, or you can use a whisk or potato masher if you'd like a chunkier finished product. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Salt to taste, if necessary, at the table.

The Verdict.

Delicious, creamy, and garlicky. The garlic is roasted, so the flavor is mellow and slightly nutty. There isn't any heat or bite from the garlic whatsoever, it's incredibly smooth. We brought this to a friend's house for dinner and it paired beautifully with oven roasted tri-tip and asparagus.

enjoy!