Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes and Slow Cooker Brown-Sugared Baby Carrots
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Thanksgiving week continues with two side dish recipes made in the slow cooker. I am also the host today of the Virtual Thanksgiving Progressive 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 ultimate slow cooker 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 ultimate slow cooker mashed potatoes 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 complete 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 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.
Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Real Mom Kitchen
Ingredients
- 5 lb baking potatoes peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup butter cut into chunks
- 1 cup sour cream I used light sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper if desired (I left this out)
- ½ to 1 cup milk warmed
Instructions
- 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.
Slow Cooker Brown-Sugared Baby Carrots
Real Mom Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 bag 32 oz ready-to-eat baby carrots
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. butter chopped into small pieces
- 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- 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.
