Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes is an incredibly simple side dish that is perfect for a holiday meal but it’s easy enough to serve for a simple weeknight family dinner.
Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
Since gooey cheese makes almost everything better, this cheesy potato side will probably be the most popular thing on the dinner table! The diced potatoes are smothered in a creamy cheese sauce made with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cream of onion soup.
Since it uses pre-made ingredients, you can make it even if you’re distracted or super busy, which is most likely the case around holiday dinners or even busy weeknights.
I have a baked cheesy potato casserole (aka funeral potatoes) but this crockpot version leaves plenty of oven space for other things, or it’s helpful to prep before leaving for awhile.
This, my friends, is why I love the slow cooker. You just add everything to it, and then let it cook the food for you. It’s your kitchen’s best friend!
And that’s why my slow cooker recipes are some of my favorite ones!
Why you’ll love Cheesy Slow Cooker Potatoes
Easy Side Dish – All of the ingredients are easy to find at the grocery store, and you can often find store-brand options that will save you money.
Great Option – It’s the perfect side dish for any and every occasion! Potlucks, BBQs, game days, holiday dinner, Sunday dinners, you name it!
Minimal Effort – You add everything to the slow cooker, stir it, and let it cook! Again, what’s not to love about a crock pot?!
Equipment you’ll need
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
- Potatoes – Save yourself time and use a 2 lb bag of frozen diced potatoes. You do need to thaw them first so move them to the fridge the night before you need them, if you remember.
- Onion – I used white onion, but any variety will work.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter so you can control how salty it is. Don’t forget cheese, and creamed soups usually contain a fair amount of salt as is.
- Cream of Onion Soup – The condensed soup adds to the creaminess of this cheesy potato recipe and great flavor, but you can use cream of mushroom soup, celery, or cream of chicken.
- Sour Cream – Use full-fat sour cream so that the sauce is extra tasty and robust.
- Garlic Powder – This rounds out all the flavors.
- Salt and Pepper – Can be adjusted as needed.
- Cheese – Cheddar cheese is sharp and melts easily. I always recommend shredding your own cheese off a block to prevent anti-caking agents
How to make Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Step One: Pour the diced potatoes into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Step Two: Add the diced onion, melted butter, cream of onion soup, sour cream, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 1.5 cups of shredded cheddar. Stir until evenly distributed.
- Step Three: Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until the potatoes are tender.
- Step Four: When the cooking time is up, sprinkle in the remaining ½ cup of cheese and replace the cover until fully melted (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Every slow cooker runs differently. Times given are a general recommendation and should be tested in your own slow cooker and adjusted as needed.
What to serve with Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes
These crock pot cheesy potatoes are like the mac and cheese of the potato world and have flavors that pair with any main dish!
What meat goes with cheesy potatoes?
We pair them with a ham steak but it also fits perfectly with dishes like garlic butter baked chicken and homemade meatloaf.
Side Dishes
You can also add more side dishes to dinner, by making some extra veggies. Sweet potato casserole is popular, and so is my copycat Cracker Barrel coleslaw.
Holiday Dinners
Of course, if you’re serving it for the holidays, you’re going to want to enjoy it with slow cooker turkey breast or an orange honey spiraled ham.
Tips & Suggestions 🧀
- Use either diced or shredded potatoes. They can be fresh or thawed from frozen.
- Swap the cream of onion for cream of mushroom, cream of chicken soup, or cream of celery.
- Use your favorite type of cheese. For some extra bite, shred some pepper jack cheese. Sharp or mild cheddar can be used.
- Plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup crushed potato chips or Panko breadcrumbs on top of the potatoes instead of shredded cheese for a crispy topping.
How to reheat and store Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes
How to store leftovers
Store the leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How long will cheesy potatoes last in the fridge?
This easy potato recipe will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about four days.
Can I freeze crockpot cheesy potatoes?
Yes, you can freeze cheesy potatoes. Freeze it in a freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe container. You might want to wrap it in foil first to avoid any freezer burn.
How to reheat leftovers
They heat up beautifully right in the microwave the next day!
FAQs
Cheesy potatoes are made with just 9 simple ingredients – potatoes, cheese, sour cream, “cream of” soup, onion, butter, and seasonings.
Use cauliflower instead of potatoes, like in my loaded cauliflower casserole. Cauliflower cooks faster than potatoes, so only cook them for about an hour or two.
It will take about four hours for potatoes to get soft in a crock pot that is on HIGH. If they are diced into small pieces, it might only take 2-3 hours.
This is probably because you either used frozen hashbrowns before thawing them or you didn’t pat them dry with a paper towel after thawing them. When frozen potatoes thaw, they contain a lot of moisture, which would make the cheese sauce runnier.
I personally prefer diced potatoes for the texture, but you can use hashbrowns if you prefer.
If starting with raw potatoes, starchy Russet potatoes would be my pick.
Need more easy potato recipes? Try these:
Crispy Roasted Baked Potato Wedges
Click here for my entire collection of side dish recipes.
Easy Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen diced potatoes thawed
- ½ cup white onion diced
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 10.5 ounce cream of onion soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Lightly spray the basin of a 6-8 quart slow cooker with non-stick spray.
- Pour the diced potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add the diced onion, melted butter, cream of onion soup, sour cream, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 1.5 cups of the shredded cheddar. Stir until evenly distributed.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until the potatoes are tender.
- When the cook time is up, sprinkle in the remaining ½ cup of cheese and replace the cover until fully melted (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Video
Notes
- Diced or shredded potatoes can be used.
- If you can’t find or don’t care for Cream of Onion soup, Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery can be used.
- Sharp or mild cheddar can be used.
- Plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream.
- To add more texture, sprinkle 1/2 cup crushed potato chips on top of the potatoes instead of shredded cheese.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Cooled potatoes can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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