Crockpot Cheesey Potatoes
These crockpot cheesey potatoes are tender sliced potatoes in a creamy cheddar sauce, finished with a thick layer of melted cheese. The slow cooker keeps them hot for hours, so they are easy to bring to a potluck or serve beside a roast.
10
servings20
minutes5
hoursSliced gold potatoes cook slowly in a cheddar and cream soup sauce until soft. Extra cheese goes on at the end so the top melts into a golden blanket.
Ingredients
3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray, or line it with a liner. Slice the potatoes evenly so they cook at the same speed.
- Stir the soup, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder together in a large bowl until smooth.
- Fold in the onion, garlic and 2 cups of the cheddar. Add the sliced potatoes and toss until every slice is coated.
- Pour everything into the slow cooker and spread it flat. Dot the butter over the top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 3.5 hours. The potatoes are done when a knife slides through the thickest slice with no resistance.
- Stir gently once around the 2 hour mark on HIGH or the 3 hour mark on LOW. This keeps the top slices from drying out.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar over the potatoes. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes on HIGH until the cheese is fully melted.
- Turn the cooker to WARM. Let the potatoes rest 10 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly.
- Top with crumbled bacon and chives just before serving. Scoop from the bottom so each plate gets sauce.
Notes
- Shredded cheese from a bag works, but cheese you shred yourself melts smoother. Swap the cream of chicken soup for cream of celery or cream of mushroom if you like. You can slice the potatoes the night before if you keep them in cold water, then drain and dry them well. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and reheat well in the microwave with a splash of milk.
Why this version works
Potatoes cooked low and slow in a covered pot steam in their own sauce. They turn soft all the way through without breaking apart, which is hard to manage in an oven where the edges dry out before the middle softens. The long, covered cook also lets the starch in the potatoes thicken the sauce naturally. By the end the liquid clings to each slice instead of pooling at the bottom, which is the texture you want from a cheesy side.
The cheese goes in twice. Half melts into the sauce so the potatoes taste cheesy in every bite, and the rest goes on at the end so you get a real melted top. That second addition also keeps the cheese from turning greasy over a long cook. Because the cooker holds a low, even temperature, nothing scorches on the bottom the way it can in a casserole dish, and you never have to watch the clock closely.
Ingredient notes for cheesey potatoes
Yukon Gold potatoes: They hold their shape and have a buttery texture. Russets work but get softer and can fall apart, so cut them a little thicker if you use them.
Sharp cheddar: Buy a block and shred it. Sharp cheddar has more flavor that stands up to the sour cream and soup. Mild cheddar tastes flat after hours of cooking.
Sour cream: Use full fat. Low fat versions can look grainy once they have heated for hours. Stir it in cold with the other sauce ingredients.
Condensed soup: It acts as the thickener and keeps the sauce from splitting. Check that the can is condensed, not ready-to-eat soup.
Butter: Cut it into small cubes and scatter it on top. It melts down through the layers and adds a rich, glossy finish. Salted butter is fine here, just taste before adding extra salt.
Bacon and chives: Both are for the top only. Cook the bacon crisp ahead of time so it stays crunchy when you add it, and use chives for a mild onion flavor that does not compete with the cheese.
Tips for slow cooker cheese potatoes that turn out creamy
Slice evenly: A mandoline or a steady knife makes slices of the same thickness. Mixed thick and thin slices give you mush in one corner and hard spots in another. If your slices vary a little, put the thicker ones on the bottom, where the heat is strongest, and the thinner ones on top.
Resist peeking: Every time you lift the lid you lose heat and add 15 to 20 minutes. Stir once at the halfway point and then leave it alone.
Do not overfill: The most common mistake is stacking potatoes past three quarters of the crock. The top layer never softens. A 6-quart cooker handles 3 pounds well, so use a larger one for more. If you want more potatoes, cook a double batch in two cookers instead of one overloaded one.
Swaps and variations
For a lighter dish, use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream and a reduced fat cheddar, and add the cheese in the last 30 minutes. For heat, stir in a diced jalapeno and a pinch of cayenne. A cup of diced ham turns it into a main dish. Cooked, crumbled sausage or diced chicken can be stirred in at the start to make this a full meal. A handful of frozen peas in the last 20 minutes adds color.
One swap that does not work is frozen shredded hash browns with raw sliced potatoes in the same batch. They cook at different speeds and the sauce turns watery.
What to serve with it
These potatoes belong next to baked ham, roast chicken, pulled pork or a simple meatloaf. Add green beans or a crisp salad to cut the richness, and put out dinner rolls for the leftover sauce. For a holiday spread, this dish fits beside turkey or prime rib, and it frees up your oven because it needs no space there. Put it on the buffet in the crock set to WARM and it stays at serving temperature for up to 2 hours.
Storing and reheating
Cool the potatoes and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days. You can freeze them for up to 2 months, though the texture of the potatoes softens a little after thawing. If the sauce looks tight after chilling, that is normal. It loosens as it heats.
Reheat in the microwave in 90 second bursts, stirring in a splash of milk each time, or in a 350 degree oven covered with foil for about 20 minutes.
Crockpot Cheesey Potatoes at a glance
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 5 hours
- Servings: 10 servings
- Ingredients: 14, led by Yukon Gold potatoes, yellow onion, garlic, (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
Tips for Crockpot Cheesey Potatoes
Shredded cheese from a bag works, but cheese you shred yourself melts smoother. Swap the cream of chicken soup for cream of celery or cream of mushroom if you like. You can slice the potatoes the night before if you keep them in cold water, then drain and dry them well. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and reheat well in the microwave with a splash of milk.
Crockpot Cheesey Potatoes FAQ
How long does Crockpot Cheesey Potatoes take?
Crockpot Cheesey Potatoes takes 5 hours of cooking after 20 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot Cheesey Potatoes serve?
This recipe makes 10 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot Cheesey Potatoes?
14 ingredients, led by Yukon Gold potatoes, yellow onion, garlic, (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
