Okay. I’m gonna be honest with you.
This ain’t a glamorous dish. You won’t see it on a cooking show with someone zesting a lemon while saying “elevated comfort food.” What it is… is dang good. Like, second-helping, scrape-the-bowl, everyone-asks-who-brought-it good.
And the best part? You basically dump everything in the slow cooker and walk away. No peeling. No chopping. No complicated steps or weird ingredients. You toss it all in, give it a stir, and a few hours later your kitchen smells like somebody’s Southern grandma came to town and made dinner herself.
I’ve made this for potlucks, Christmas, football Sundays, and those random Tuesdays where everyone’s too tired to chew anything crunchy. Never once have I had leftovers that lasted more than a day.
Why You’ll Want to Make This Over and Over
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Takes maybe 5 minutes to throw together
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The slow cooker does all the work (bless it)
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Creamy, cheesy, garlic-y heaven in every bite
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Goes with everything — BBQ, burgers, baked ham, or just a fork
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Makes you feel like you did something… without actually doing much
What You’ll Need
(and nothing weird, I promise)
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2 (26 oz) bags frozen O’Brien potatoes – the kind with onions and peppers already mixed in
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1 (10.5 oz) can cream of potato soup – I use Campbell’s, but anything works
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8 oz sour cream – full-fat, because life’s too short
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2 tsp garlic powder – you could add more, I won’t stop you
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2 tsp black pepper – gives it a little kick
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2 tsp salt – taste before you add more, because that soup already brings some
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1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese – sharp cheddar melts best and has the most flavor
Let’s Make It
Step 1: Dump it all in
Grab your slow cooker. Toss in the frozen potatoes, the soup, sour cream, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Stir it all together until those potatoes are nice and coated. It’s gonna look a little weird. That’s fine. You’re not done yet.
Step 2: Let it ride
Cover the crockpot and set it to high for about 2–3 hours. Walk away. Do laundry. Take a nap. Watch two episodes of your favorite comfort show. When you come back, it’s creamy and soft and starting to bubble around the edges.
Step 3: Add the cheese
Open that lid and stir in half of your shredded cheddar. Let it melt into that creamy potato magic.
Now sprinkle the rest of the cheese right on top. Cover it back up and let it cook for another 30 minutes or so — just until the top gets good and melty. You’ll know it’s ready when you peek in and go, “Ohhh yes.”
Step 4: Serve warm
Grab a big spoon. Serve it up in generous scoops. Watch people come back for more.
Got Leftovers? Lucky You.
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Fridge: Throw the rest in a container. Keeps 4–5 days.
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Reheat: Microwave works fine. Or pop in the oven at 300°F with a splash of milk to loosen it up.
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Freezer: Honestly? I don’t freeze this. Not because it won’t freeze, but because it’s never made it that far in my house.
Little Twists If You Want to Play
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Stir in cooked bacon (or just crumble it on top — even better)
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Add some green onions at the end for color and a little bite
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Want it spicy? Dash in some hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne
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Swap cheddar for pepper jack if you’re feelin’ wild
One Last Thing Before You Go
This is one of those recipes that doesn’t try to be fancy. It just is good. It’s warm and hearty and makes people feel taken care of — whether it’s a holiday table or just a Tuesday when everyone’s hangry and tired and you’re not tryin’ to impress anybody.
And sometimes, that’s the best kind of food.
If you make it, tell me how it went. Tell me who scraped the crockpot clean. Tell me if you doubled the cheese. (I’ve done it. Not sorry.)
