okay so… you guys, i’m obsessed with these potatoes and i need to talk about them.
seriously.
listen, i was just thinking about how i’ve spent actual money at restaurants ordering “roasted potatoes” and they come out dry and sad and i’m like. why did i pay for this. why.
these are the opposite of that.
so my sister made these at Christmas and i genuinely thought she had done something complicated. like i was watching her in the kitchen waiting to see some big technique or whatever. she literally just threw potatoes in a slow cooker with butter and an onion soup packet. that was it. i stood there for a second and then just laughed.
i went home and made them the next week. then the week after. then the week after that. my husband now requests them. my neighbor asked me what i was making because she could smell them through the wall.
mine aren’t as pretty as my sister’s. i always cut the potatoes unevenly so some pieces get super soft and some are still a little firm in the middle. ugh. but honestly even those ones taste unreal.
trust me.
done.
why these work
the butter just… melts into everything
the onion soup packet does all the seasoning for you
you don’t have to stir or check or do anything
potatoes absorb flavor way better in a slow cooker than an oven
they go with literally every single thing
what you need
i keep this very simple on purpose. here’s roughly what i use.
| stuff | how much |
|---|---|
| baby potatoes | a whole bag. maybe 2 pounds? |
| butter | half a stick. or a full stick if i’m feeling it. |
| onion soup mix packet | one packet. the classic dry kind. |
| garlic powder | optional but i always add it anyway |
| salt & pepper | just a bit. the packet already has salt. |
| fresh parsley at the end | if you want to feel fancy for five seconds |
how to make it
first thing. wash the potatoes. i leave the skins on because peeling baby potatoes is genuinely one of the most tedious activities i can imagine and life is short. if they’re on the bigger side, cut them in half.
throw them all into the slow cooker. just pile them in there.
cut the butter into chunks and scatter them on top. i never measure this. i just cut pieces until it looks “buttery enough” which is a completely personal judgment call.
tear open the soup packet and pour it over everything. try not to breathe in when you do this because it goes everywhere. i inhaled it once. not pleasant.
put the lid on. do not touch it. walk away. go scroll tiktok for a few hours. that’s it. seriously that is the whole active cooking portion of this recipe.
cook it on low for maybe 5 or 6 hours. or high for about 3. i always start mine on low in the morning and forget about them completely until i smell them around lunch and remember they exist.
toss everything gently right at the end so the buttery sauce coats every piece. throw some parsley on top if you want to pretend you’re a food blogger. i do this every time.
done.
tips & variations
- add cheese: throw shredded cheddar on top in the last 20 minutes with the lid off. it gets kind of melty and slightly crispy on top. game over.
- add cream cheese: sounds weird. is not weird. drop a few spoonfuls in at the end and stir. incredibly creamy and rich.
- don’t overcook: if you go too long they get mushy and fall apart. still taste fine but you lose the texture entirely.
- leftovers in a pan: reheat them in a skillet with a little oil and they get crispy edges. possibly better than the first time.
storage (the labeling problem)
okay so i always make a bunch extra because the recipe makes a lot and i’m an optimist about leftovers.
i put them in containers and fully intend to label them. i have a sharpie right there on the counter. i never use it. never. three days later i’m opening containers in the fridge trying to figure out what’s in them like some kind of kitchen detective.
they keep for maybe 4 days in the fridge.
do not freeze them. or do, i can’t stop you, but they get weirdly grainy after freezing. texture is just off. just eat them within a few days.
the numbers
| thing | roughly |
|---|---|
| calories | ~220 |
| carbs | 28g |
| fat | 10g |
| protein | 3g |
(depends a lot on how much butter you actually used. i always use more than i write down.)
questions
what kind of potatoes work best? baby yellows are my go-to. reds work great too. russets get a little too fluffy and start to fall apart. avoid those.
can i add other vegetables? i’ve thrown in green beans before and they got kind of limp. carrots work better if you want something extra in there. they hold up.
the soup packet has a lot of sodium, can i use less? use half a packet and season the rest yourself. totally works. i’ve done it.
my potatoes were still a little hard? make sure the lid is actually sealing. and cut bigger pieces in half. the heat circulates weirdly if there’s too much air space in the pot.
