Make the perfect scalloped potatoes for your next family dinner with this easy Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes recipe! This savory recipe is a great side dish for any potluck or holiday and pairs well with chicken or pork main dishes.
You may also like Lipton Onion Potatoes or my Cajun Parmesan Potatoes if you are a potato lover.
If you’re craving comfort food tonight, this easy slow cooker scalloped potatoes recipe is the perfect dish for you. The comforting and savory side dish features layers of thinly sliced potatoes smothered with a creamy sauce made from cream cheese, butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
The best part about it is that there are only a few ingredients, so anyone can make them – even if they’re not an expert chef.
What is the difference between scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes?
- Scalloped potatoes are usually made with a heavy cream sauce, which is usually made with butter and flour roux.
- Au gratin potatoes will have more cheese in the recipe and are typically baked in an oven.
If you want to make rich, scalloped potatoes but don’t want to go through all of the work involved, this homemade slow-cooked scalloped potato recipe is easy to make and will be a big hit with the whole family! My recipe doesn’t have a complicated stove-top sauce to make; it’s all made in a mixing bowl.
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- Center cut bacon: Cooked, drained and chopped.
- Russet potatoes: Skins removed and thinly sliced.
- Cream cheese: Softened so the cream cheese mixture can be spread evenly.
- Cream of chicken soup: One can – do not add water (You can substitute sour cream if you don’t have a can of soup in the pantry.)
- Ranch seasoning mix: I prefer the Hidden Valley Ranch brand dry mix, but any brand will do.
- Garlic: Fresh minced or jarred garlic works.
- Butter: Salted butter, melted.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt and black pepper.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1 – Warm the cream cheese in the microwave in a medium bowl; this will take about 30 seconds. Add the cream of chicken soup, ranch seasoning, garlic, melted butter, salt, and pepper.
Step 2 – Whisk until blended.
Step 3 – Add the peeled and cut potatoes to the slow cooker.
Step 4 – Sprinkle over half of the bacon
Step 5 – Spread over the creamy mixture.
Step 6 – Add the remaining bacon. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3.5-4 hours or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Do not stir this dish, for you don’t want to mash the potatoes.
What’s the easiest way to peel potatoes?
- If you prefer peeled potatoes, there are a few different ways to remove the skin from the potato, but you’ll need a vegetable peeler and some patience!
- One way is to start peeling at one end of the potato until it’s all peeled then use your hands or knife blade (careful!) to get in between any remaining skin.
- Another way is to stand the potato on end and use a sharp knife to cut off strips of skin, rotating as you go until it’s all peeled.
- Of course if you can’t peel the potatoes, this recipe works fine without peeling. Just wash the potato well before slicing.
Tips for Storing & Reheating Leftover Scalloped Potatoes
- Storing – These will last three days in an airtight tupperware in the refrigerator.
- Freezing – Potatoes and dairy don’t do well after freezing. I recommend eating this right away or storing in the fridge.
- Reheating – The microwave is the easiest way to reheat these, either in a glass bowl or plate. If you don’t have a microwave you can reheat in a small pan on the stovetop.
What do I serve with scalloped potatoes?
Scalloped potatoes are a side dish, not the main meal. Here are my favorite meals to enjoy scalloped potatoes with.
- Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Ham
- Slow Cooker Tukery Breast
- Crockpot Barbecue Chicken – Recipe from the Country Cook
- Grilled Barbecued Hotdogs (one of my favorite recipes!) – Recipe from A Southern Soul
- Slow Cooker Red Wine Brisket
Recipe FAQs
Leaving the skin on in a recipe for slow cooker potatoes is up to the chef. If you leave the skins on, they tend to fall off into the sauce, and some do not like the texture.
Yes, ham is very common in scalloped potatoes. Use 1 cup of diced ham; this ham can be leftover ham.
Raw potatoes cook nicely in the slow cooker, so don’t hesitate to add them to your soup and side dish recipes.
This scalloped potato recipe uses raw potatoes- they cook beautifully in the crockpot, turn out fork tender, and are so flavorful!
Russet potatoes are the most popular for scalloped potatoes. However, buttery Yukon gold potatoes or red will work very well too.
I prefer to prepare and cook these the day I need them. The potatoes will brown if made ahead before cooking.
Yes, of course. Add 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese right into the creamy sauce.
Two hours is the maximum you want to keep scalloped potatoes on the warm setting after cooking.
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Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker – 4 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. center cut bacon
- 5 russet potatoes (about 3 pounds)
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 1 oz. ranch seasoning mix
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Optional topping:
- 4 oz. cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions:
- Cook and chop bacon. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes.
- Warm the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds (in a small glass bowl). Softening it will help it blend into the other ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, melted butter, ranch seasoning, minced garlic, and pepper. Whisk well to combine
- Spray a light coating of non-stick cooking spray in the slow cooker. Arrange potato slices in the crock pot in a shingle pattern, slightly overlapping each potato. Top with ½ of the chopped bacon then, pour cream cheese mix over the potatoes and top with remaining bacon.
- Cover and cook on high for 3.5 – 4 hours until tender. Keep the lid on until 3.5 hours to insure the potatoes cook and the heat doesn't escape.
- Serve with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese on top if desired. Enjoy!
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Yes, ham is very common in scalloped potatoes.
- Use 1 cup of diced ham, this ham can be leftover ham.
- Leaving the skin on in a recipe for slow cooker potatoes is up to the chef.
- If you leave the skins on they do tend to fall off into the sauce and some do not like texture.
Nutrition:
Other potato dishes for your slow cooker:
- Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Loaded Potatoes – Recipe from Delish
- Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Baby Potatoes – Recipe from Slow Cooking Perfected
- Slow Cooker “Campfire” Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
This sounds amazing! I was wondering if you could substitute cubed pancetta for the bacon?
Yes of course! Just make sure it’s cubed and cooked.
Sarah,
All your recipes look so amazing! I don’t even know where to begin. You know… I tried the whole One-Pot cooker and found it so fussy and both pots malfunctioned after 12-15 meals. FORGET IT! I am loving using my trusty slow cooker again and my family loves every meal. Thank you for offering delectable meal offerings that use common ingredients and are so easy to prepare.
So glad to hear! We love our slow cooker so much too.
Hello – this recipe sounds wonderful! I am wondering about the intro, however, where it’s mentioned that heavy cream will be in the recipe…but I don’t see it there 🙂
Hi! That was supposed to be cream cheese in that part. I fixed it.
I live in a country where ranch seasoning mix doesn’t exist. Can I use something else?
Hi! You can use plenty of garlic powder and onion powder in place of the ranch seasoning.
Just love this Scallop potato recipe. Delicious. Since I only use a slow cooker and refuse to own Air Fryer and the other things to clog up kitchen space, I find your blog. perfect and the recipes are wonderful. Thank you.
Could you substitute the cream of chicken with cream of bacon?
Yes! That’s a great choice.