Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes Recipe

Are you looking for a side dish that is over the top delicious and easy to make? This Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes Recipe is calling your name! This comforting potato side dish is creamy, cheesy and a cinch to make. 

Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes

Let’s face it. Side dishes are not always the easiest things to put together. Not only do they often require the most prep for such a small part of the meal, they usually involve vegetables. Now, vegetables are important for certain nutrients and they are pretty tasty under the right conditions. However, they are usually neglected by pickier eaters and therefore kind of depressing to make. While adding lots of butter can make them yummier, they aren’t exciting to make. Often, they are even less exciting to eat.

I’m certainly not here to beat up on vegetables. However, there is a better option out there that we all love. Cheesy potatoes. Cheesy potatoes in any form are almost always bound to please any dinner guest. There are tons of tried and true ways to combine these two tasty ingredients. My newest version of the side is a casserole made in a slow cooker. I call it: slow cooker cheesy potatoes. It fits, right?

Slow cooker cheesy potatoes are the way to go if you:

• need a starchy component to add to your dinner and you love cheese
• want to make a convenient set it and forget it side dish for dinner
• love baked, mashed, or french-fried potatoes but want to try a new approach to an old fave
• have a pulse.

Seriously, slow cooker cheesy potatoes are the best side option for meal planners who love the autonomy and convenience of a slow cooker. Cheesy potatoes are a massive hit no matter what form they come in, so this version of a time-honored favorite is a nice twist. I think of it as midway between baked and mashed potatoes and the sour cream and cheese smothers every serving in a slathering coat of golden cheesy goodness.

Ingredients

Everything about this recipe is easy. And of course super delicious! It starts with kitchen staples that you probably already have in your pantry and fridge. So let’s get cooking!

• russet potatoes
• Velveeta cheese
• milk
• sour cream
• butter
• salt
• pepper

**See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities and cooking times.

Directions

Making this side delicious dish is about as easy as it can get. Nothing fancy to do here. A little bit of chopping, dump and go into the slow cooker and you have yourself one of the best side dishes ever! It’s a great bowl of comfort food.

Step 1:

Grease the bowl of the slow cooker and add the peeled and diced potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2:

Add the cubed Velveeta cheese and toss to combine. Combine the milk and sour cream and pour the mixture over the potatoes.

Step 3:

Place the sliced butter on top of the potatoes. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours, stirring the casserole halfway through the cooking time.

Step 4:

When the potatoes are cooked through, turn off the slow cooker and allow the potatoes to sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken the cheese sauce before serving.

Potatoes and Cheese

Cheese and starch are a combination that has stood out in comfort foods for centuries. At least as early as the 13th century when the first known macaroni and cheese recipe was published in an Italian cookbook. While we don’t know for sure, we can guess that cheese has been poured over potatoes for at least that long. It’s believed that the Incas had potatoes as far back as 800 BC. They had cheese, too, so you can bet they put them together. It may even be where the legend of El Dorado came from if they got enough of that golden delicious goodness together all in one place.

Potatoes and cheese taste incredible however you eat them. And there are seemingly endless ways to do just that. Not only are there bunches of ways to prepare potatoes, but there are also so many kinds of cheese and cheese blends that you would tire yourself out just trying to think of all the different matches you could make. You don’t have to work that hard though because every combination is always going to be amazing!

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How to Serve Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes

Slow cooker cheesy potatoes are a little bit different from your standard potato casserole. Where a casserole of cheesy potatoes may typically have more form this version of the dish is a lot looser. It has all the same components, but the slow cooker has a different effect on the overall presentation. It comes out in a nice heap if you portion it out in ramekins, or you can spread it in a baking dish for that traditional casserole look. Slow cooker cheesy potatoes make an excellent side dish for just about any entree.

This cheesy potato dish goes best with a hearty beef or chicken entree. It’s a terrific alternative to mac and cheese, and baked or mashed potatoes. you can serve them separately from the rest of the dinner plate, or pile them on with the other foods. It all depends on how casual or fancy you want to be.

How to Store Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes

You can store cheesy potatoes in the refrigerator or in the freezer. Just a word of warning though: While many leftovers will typically make it until the end of the week if properly stored, cheesy potatoes have a maximum lifespan of about three days. If you make too much of it, you should plan to have it for dinner the following day as well or warm it up with breakfast. Slow cooker cheesy potatoes can be refrigerated in the crock pot you cook them in, or you can transfer them to a storage container that seals tight. You can also use aluminum foil if you don’t have a large enough container, but you need to really make sure that it’s secure.

You can freeze cheesy potatoes, too. While I usually wouldn’t recommend it as long as you have plans to finish your leftovers soon, it is an option if you can’t get to it that early for some reason. Freezing instructions are the same as refrigeration, but reheating will take more effort. If refrigerated, you should serve the portion you want to eat onto a room temperature or warm dish and microwave 30 seconds at a time until you have reached the desired temperature. When reheating from frozen, you will need to microwave the whole container of leftovers. reheat time will depend on how much cheesy potato casserole remains.

Load ’em Up

Slow cooker cheesy potatoes are highly customizable. They will take whatever you like to top them with. However you enjoy your baked potatoes, this cheesy casserole can duplicate that mix of toppings. add broccoli, or bacon, or make it an entree by topping it with boneless skinless barbecued chicken breast. Add herbs, add spice, duplicate your favorite loaded potato skins recipe.

If you just like to keep it simple and cheesy, there is nothing wrong with that either.  There are a huge variety of optional cheese blends to choose from. The blend you choose may not only make the potatoes tastier, but they could also help you add more of an international flair to your dish. A change in cheese, herbs, or spice could give the casserole a more Mediterranean feel, or a taste of Mexico. Use your favorite world cuisines for inspiration on how to jazz up this delicious dish!

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