Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes Recipe

Potatoes cooked to tender, pillowy perfection are great but slow-cook them cloaked in a rich and savory cheese sauce, and you've officially upgraded to spectacular. In fact, you can use fresh Russets, ready-made hash browns, or even frozen diced potatoes for making Cheesy Crock Pot Potatoes -- as long as you stick with this particular sauce, you're golden!

Below you'll find instructions for making cheesy slow cooker potatoes any which way. It's the perfect starchy side dish for feeding a crowd or rounding out any comfort food dinner!

Need more cheesy potatoes in your life? Who doesn't? Add Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, Cheesy Potato Casserole, and Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole to your side dish repertoire!

CROCK POT CHEESY POTATOES INGREDIENTS

This slow cooker side dish comes down to two basic parts: The potatoes and that creamy, cheesy sauce. As for type of spuds to sue, you'll have plenty of options, but as far as the sauce goes, stick with just the one. This sauce is too good (and too easy) to meddle with.

THE POTATOES -- FRESH OR FROZEN?

With an overall "fresh is best" mentality, fresh Russets are our potato of choice for this recipe. However, this does extend the cooking time quite a bit. Fresh spuds will take a total of 8 hours to cook through in the slow cooker.

Because of this, we've also included cooking options for using both refrigerated hash browns and frozen diced potatoes! Both of these options will cook through in significantly less time than fresh potatoes.

CAN I USE HASH BROWNS?

Yes! If you'd like to cut back on the prep time and simultaneously speed up the cooking process by almost 2 hours, you can omit the Russets and sub in 2 (20-ounce) bags of refrigerated shredded hash browns.

Serve Crock Pot Cheesy Hash Browns as a breakfast, brunch, or dinnertime side dish!

CAN I USE FROZEN POTATOES?

It might surprise you to learn that frozen potatoes will cook faster in the slow cooker than fresh ones. But, why? Before they're frozen, they are steamed and tumbled to get the skin off, which means they've got a bit of a headstart in the cooking process.

So, if you'd like to speed up the cook time for this recipe, make Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes with frozen potatoes! One (32-ounce) bag of frozen diced hash brown potatoes will do the trick.

THE SAUCE

The sauce for Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes is addictively delicious and comes together easily on the stovetop. It consists of the following ingredients:

• Diced Onion
• Butter
• Flour
• Chicken Broth
• Cheddar Cheese
• Sour Cream

Diced onion cooks in butter on the stovetop and serves as our building block for flavor. Then, in goes the flour (this is the sauce's thickening agent), followed by chicken broth, which makes up the body of the sauce. Be sure to use unsalted or low-sodium chicken broth or your Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes will end up far too salty!

Once the sauce comes together, you'll add sour cream and, of course, the Cheddar cheese. We prefer both the texture and flavor of freshly grated Cheddar, however, if time won't allow, feel free to sub in good quality pre-shredded cheese.

HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT CHEESY POTATOES

1. Prep the Potatoes - Scrub, peel, and cut them into ½" cubes and add them to the crock pot. If preferred, omit the prep altogether and use refrigerated hash browns or frozen diced potatoes instead.
2. Cook the Onion - Add the butter to a medium-sized pan, and as soon as it has melted, add the diced onion and cook until softened and cooked through.
3. Make the Sauce - Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until evenly coated. Then, add the chicken broth one big splash at a time, stirring until it is fully incorporated after each addition. Simmer briefly to thicken. Then, remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream, salt, and pepper. Add ⅔'s of the Cheddar cheese and stir once more.
4. Add to Slow Cooker and Cook - Stir the cheese into the slow cooker and cook on the low heat setting until the potatoes are soft and tender. The cook time will vary depending on which tater you choose to work with.
5. Top With Cheese - Then, top with the remaining cheese,  allow it to melt, and serve!

If you love crockpot meals, we have a page dedicated to Slow Cooker Recipes, but our Crock-Pot beans deserve a special call-out! They're that good!

HOW TO STORE CROCK POT CHEESY POTATOES

Store refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Do not attempt to freeze them. Because of the amount of dairy, there would be a great deal of separation when reheated.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHEESY POTATOES

You can serve Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes with any number of main courses. Because the sauce is really the star of the show, you should steer clear of casseroles or other proteins with built-in gravies and such, but you can serve as a side with slow cooker green beans for a dynamic side duo! Simple recipes like pan-seared pork chops and fried chicken breasts are perfect for serving with this cheesy side!

If you need more delicious sides, check out these Side Dish Recipes!

CAN I MAKE THIS IN THE OVEN?

Yes! If you'd like to skip the slow cooking altogether and get straight to business, you can transform Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes into a potato casserole that cooks in the oven. It will be very reminiscent of the potluck classic, Funeral Potatoes!

You'll first have to parboil the potatoes to give them a head start in the cooking process.

1. Add the diced potatoes to a large pot of water and bring it to a boil.
2. Boil for about 5-6 minutes (just until al dente) and drain well.
3. Make the sauce as directed in the recipe card below.
4. Combine the potatoes and the sauce and pour into a greased 9x13" casserole dish, add the remaining cheese over the top, and cover with aluminum foil.
5. Bake at 350°F covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

5 MORE POTATO RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• The BEST Mashed Potatoes
• Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes
• Loaded Potato Salad
• Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes