Mashed potatoes in the crock pot

Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
I prepare about four cups of instant mashed potatoes (I heat four cups of water until boiling in the microwave, pour the hot water into the crock pot and stir in enough potato flakes to reach desired consistency - OR read the package and add the amount listed there.)
Then add 1 cup sour cream, 4 oz cream cheese, 4 tsp powdered chicken bouillon, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tbls parsley flakes, using my electric hand beater, beat until smooth as desired (we like a few lumps if using potatoes from the garden.)
If my mixture is a little thin I add more potatoe flakes (1 tbls at a time and mix) and if it's too thick a tbls or so of butter.
These can be kept on low in the crock pot to keep warm until ready to serve dinner (I use my small crock pot or they get too crusty and dried out a bit.) If we are already to eat the crock pot simply becomes the serving bowl and never actually gets used or warmed up (I usually use a large serving bowl to prepare the potatoes in if we need the potatoes quickly not later!)