Step 1

Place the potatoes and salt in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Add enough cool water until the potatoes are just covered. Cover and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 4 hours on the HIGH setting or 7 to 8 hours on the LOW setting. Meanwhile, make the garlic butter.

Step 2

Place the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on HIGH until melted, about 45 seconds. Stir in the garlic, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to infuse for 4 hours (the butter will solidify). If you're cooking on LOW, refrigerate the garlic butter.

Step 3

Carefully remove the crock from the slow cooker and drain the potatoes. Return the drained potatoes to the slow cooker and turn to the WARM setting if it has one (otherwise, use LOW). Add the cream and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes to your desired consistency. Taste and season with more salt as needed. At this point, you can keep the potatoes warm for several hours in the slow cooker on the WARM setting.

Step 4

Right before serving, reheat the butter in the microwave to melt again. Remove the garlic, then pour the melted butter over the potatoes. Garnish with chives, if desired.