No holiday dinner table is complete without a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes to pass around, but this year, keep the stock pot in the cabinet and pull out the slow cooker instead. Family dinners are stressful enough without worrying about losing precious burner space on the stove, so turn to your slow cooker to make room for the other dishes on the stove. Start the potatoes early and let them cook until they're tender and creamy. And, because it's the season of indulgence, add some tangy blue cheese and crispy bacon to the mix before serving. These decadent blue cheese and bacon mashed potatoes may just be the star of your holiday table.
Prepare and Cook the Potatoes
Clean, peel and cut the potatoes into 2-inch pieces.
Pour the vegetable stock into a slow cooker. Place the potatoes into the slow cooker, and then sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top of them. Cover the slow cooker and cook the potatoes on high for 4 hours.
Cook the Bacon
Lay the bacon strips out on a baking sheet. Bake the bacon in an oven set at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy. Transfer the bacon from the baking sheet to a plate lined with paper towels. Once cooled, crumble the bacon into small pieces.
Mash the Potatoes
Once the potatoes are cooked, add the cream, butter, parsley and all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese to the slow cooker. Reserve the remaining cheese for serving.
Mash the potatoes with the cheese, cream, parsley and butter until they're smooth and creamy.
Garnish and Serve
Transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving bowl. Garnish with the crumbled bacon, cheese and additional chopped parsley. Then, serve and enjoy.