Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes & DEAD POETS SOCIETY
When I watched the classic film Dead Poets Society a couple of months ago, I couldn’t help but notice the scene where Mr. Keating, the character played by Robin Williams, helps himself to a mountain of freshly whipped mashed potatoes.
Instead of making mashed potatoes in boiling water as I usually do, I tried making them in my slow cooker. This Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes recipe allows for a lot of freedom with ingredients and for trying new flavors. Garlic, sour cream, butter, whipped milk, cheese, green onions, bacon, ham – any and all of these tasty ingredients can be tossed in for added flavor.
While eating these mashed potatoes, enjoy Dead Poets Society, a movie about an English teacher who inspires his students to seize the day and helps them discover their love of poetry. It’s a beautiful and moving film, and Robin Williams – as always – is inspiring and energetic in his performance.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Serves: 2-4 people | Cooking time: 3.5-5 hours
Ingredients
4 pounds of red or russet potatoes (I used about 4 potatoes because I wasn’t making a large batch, but when cooking for a large group, the more the merrier. Add 4-6 more potatoes if there are more mouths to feed.)
½ cup water
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1½ teaspoons salt
½ cup unsalted butterPepper, to taste2½ cups of cream
¼ cup sour cream (optional if you don’t want cream)
Method
Wash and cube the potatoes. Peeling is optional (I left the skins on.) Cube the potatoes into small sizes – I did larger sizes but left the slow cooker on for a longer amount of time.
Add the potatoes to the slow cooker, add ½ cup of water, and set on low for 4-5 hours. Or, you can set on high for 2-3 hours.
When the potatoes are done and are soft, add the garlic, salt, butter, pepper, and cream/sour cream.
Use a handheld mixer to whip the potatoes and ingredients together. You can also use a fork to smash the potatoes, if that’s what you prefer.
Top with chives, gravy, sour cream, bacon bits, or anything else you enjoy with mashed potatoes.
© A Dash of Cinema
Did you Eat & Watch?
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Food Images by Lauren Jessen; Film Stills of Dead Poets Society by Touchstone Pictures