Classic Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

If you're often the one hosting the big Thanksgiving feast, then you know how challenging it is to cook several dishes in a limited amount of time using four stove-top burners and an oven. Add multiple people in the kitchen area who've prepped their dishes but need to warm them up before serving and you have a recipe for a stress-filled gathering. Today I have a great and easy recipe for using a slow cooker to make mashed potatoes ahead of time. Not only does preparing this dish take up one less burner, but it allows you to prepare the potatoes in advance (at least 4 hours before needing to serve them) and transport them in the pot while staying warm.

I personally love this recipe because it frees me up to prepare other dishes that not only require my constant attention it also gives me the option to plug my slow cooker in somewhere else besides the kitchen so I have more counter space to prep food on. Once the actual dinner starts, I bring the cooker back into the kitchen and transfer the mashed potatoes to a nice serving bowl. When the bowl needs refilling I can easily refill the bowl from the slow cooker knowing the potatoes are still warm. This is one of those recipes that is great to bring to a gathering. With the mashed potatoes prepared in the slow cooker it is not only transportable, the food is insulated and stays warm longer. When you arrive just find an outlet and the warming resumes immediately. It doesn't get much easier than that!