alright, so I have to tell you about these crockpot potatoes I’ve been making nonstop since my sister-in-law brought them to Thanksgiving and refused to share the recipe until I literally begged her for like three weeks.
she’s from Kentucky and apparently this is some family thing they’ve been making forever. I kept texting her like “please I need that potato recipe” and she kept saying “I’ll send it later” and then finally sent me a photo of a stained index card with measurements that made zero sense.
first time I made them I used way too much butter and they were basically swimming in grease. my husband still ate them but he was like “these are kinda oily” which is his polite way of saying I messed up. second attempt I forgot to turn the crockpot on and came home six hours later to raw potatoes just sitting there in cream lol.
third time though? absolutely perfect. now I make them for every single potluck and people literally ask me to bring “those potatoes” instead of whatever the actual assigned dish is.
Contents
Why these are genius
the crockpot does everything so you can literally just walk away and forget about them for hours
uses frozen hash browns so there’s zero peeling or chopping involved
comes out creamy and cheesy without being too heavy like scalloped potatoes can get
you can prep it the night before and just turn it on in the morning which is perfect for holidays
tastes expensive and fancy but costs maybe like eight dollars to make the whole thing
What you need
here’s what I throw in but honestly I never measure exactly:
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen hash browns | 30 oz bag | the shredded kind not the cubed ones |
| Cream of chicken soup | 2 cans | or mushroom if that’s what you have |
| Sour cream | maybe 2 cups | I use light sometimes and can’t tell difference |
| Butter | 1 stick melted | that’s half a cup I think |
| Cheddar cheese | a lot | like 3 cups shredded probably |
| Onion | 1 small one | diced tiny or use dried onion flakes |
| Garlic powder | some | maybe a teaspoon |
| Salt | to taste | the soup is salty so don’t go crazy |
| Pepper | bunch of twists | however much looks right |
| Corn flakes | 2 cups crushed | for topping, this is the Kentucky part |
How to make them
Spray your crockpot with cooking spray or rub some butter around the inside. I forgot this once and the potatoes stuck so bad I had to soak the crockpot overnight.
Mix the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, melted butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a big bowl. stir it until it’s all combined and looks like thick creamy soup.
Add most of your shredded cheese to the soup mixture. save maybe a cup for later. I usually eyeball this and just dump in whatever feels right.
Throw in your diced onion if you’re using fresh. if you’re using dried onion flakes just sprinkle in like a tablespoon or two.
okay so here’s the easy part—dump the entire bag of frozen hash browns into your crockpot. don’t thaw them first, just use them frozen straight from the bag.
Pour all that creamy soup mixture over the hash browns and stir everything around until the potatoes are coated. might seem like there’s too much liquid but trust me it absorbs.
Cover with the lid and cook on low for like 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. I usually do low because I’m gone all day at work and it’s just easier.
Check them after the time is up. they should be tender and bubbly and smell amazing. if they look dry add a splash of milk and stir.
Crush up your corn flakes in a bag or whatever. I just put them in a ziploc and smash them with my hand until they’re in chunks.
Mix the crushed corn flakes with the rest of your shredded cheese and sprinkle it all over the top of the potatoes.
Turn the crockpot to high if it’s not already and leave the lid off for like 15-20 minutes until the cheese melts and the corn flakes get a little toasty.
Serve straight from the crockpot because why dirty another dish. I just put a big spoon in there and let people help themselves.
tips and stuff
- If you don’t have cream of chicken soup you can use cream of mushroom or even make your own white sauce thing with flour and milk. I’ve never done that because I’m lazy but my mom says it works.
- Add cooked bacon crumbled on top with the corn flakes for extra flavor. my brother-in-law does this and honestly it’s incredible but also adds like an hour to the prep time if you’re cooking the bacon yourself.
- Use different cheeses like pepper jack or a Mexican blend. I did pepper jack once and it was really good but my kids complained it was too spicy so now I stick with regular cheddar.
- Make it vegetarian by using cream of mushroom soup and vegetable broth instead of cream of chicken. my neighbor does this and says you can’t even tell the difference.
storage and leftover situation
these keep in the fridge for maybe 4-5 days in a container with a lid. they get even thicker and creamier when they sit which some people love and some people think is weird.
reheat in the microwave with a splash of milk to thin them out a little. I usually do like 2 minutes per serving and stir halfway through.
you can freeze them for a couple months but the texture gets a little grainy when you thaw them. I’ve done it when I accidentally made a double batch and it was fine just not quite as smooth.
last week I found a container in the back of my fridge that I thought was these potatoes but it turned out to be some kind of failed cauliflower mash experiment from like three weeks ago. smelled terrible and went straight in the trash. this is why I bought cute labels but do I use them? absolutely not.
nutrition per serving
this is for about 10 servings which is what the recipe makes:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | around 320 |
| Protein | 11g |
| Carbs | 28g |
| Fat | 19g |
| Fiber | 2g |
| Sugar | 3g |
ugh these numbers are from some calculator online and probably not super accurate because I never measure the cheese exactly. also depends on what kind of sour cream and soup you use because the fat content varies.
questions everyone asks
Can I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns?
I mean probably but why would you make more work for yourself? you’d have to peel and shred like five pounds of potatoes which sounds horrible. if you really want to use fresh then yeah just shred them and squeeze out the water first so they’re not soggy.
What if I don’t have a crockpot?
you can make this in the oven in a 9×13 pan covered with foil at like 350 degrees for an hour or so. I’ve never done it that way because the whole point for me is using the crockpot but my aunt makes them in the oven and says they’re just as good.
Why do the corn flakes matter?
honestly I don’t know but it’s like a Kentucky thing apparently and it adds this crunchy texture on top that’s really good. you could skip them or use crushed crackers or potato chips instead. I tried French fried onions once and my husband loved it but it felt like cheating.
Mine turned out watery what happened?
you either didn’t cook them long enough for the liquid to absorb or you added too much soup mixture. next time use less liquid or cook them longer. also make sure you’re using shredded hash browns not the diced kind because those don’t absorb as well.
