Pour vegetable broth over raw sliced potatoes, combined with 3 pantry staples, into slow cooker for a comforting weekend meal that I make without even thinking

This slow cooker 5-ingredient Amish farmhouse potatoes recipe is my kind of weekend comfort food: simple, cozy, and so automatic I can throw it together before I’ve even finished my first cup of coffee. It’s inspired by the plain, no-fuss potato dishes you find at Amish farmhouse tables—nothing fancy, just honest ingredients that turn into something creamy, brothy, and satisfying. You literally layer raw sliced potatoes in the slow cooker, sprinkle on three pantry staples, and pour vegetable broth over the top. By the time you’ve run errands or wrangled kids’ activities, you come home to a pot of tender, savory potatoes that taste like you worked way harder than you actually did.

I like to serve these Amish farmhouse potatoes as a cozy side with roasted chicken, grilled pork chops, or simple baked fish. They’re also great in a bowl on their own with a side salad and some crusty bread to soak up the broth. For brunch, I’ll top a scoop with a fried or poached egg and a little hot sauce. If you’re feeding a crowd, pair the potatoes with green beans or a basic steamed veggie mix and a simple protein, and let everyone ladle the potatoes straight from the slow cooker.

Servings: 6

3 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced

Lightly grease the inside of your slow cooker with a bit of butter or nonstick spray (optional, but it helps with cleanup).

Scrub the potatoes well and thinly slice them into rounds, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. You can leave the skins on for a more rustic, farmhouse feel.

Layer the raw sliced potatoes evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker, spreading them out so they’re in a mostly even layer. It’s fine if they overlap a bit.

Sprinkle the salt and black pepper evenly over the potatoes, trying to distribute the seasoning across the whole surface.

Dot the top of the seasoned potatoes with the small pieces of butter, spacing them around so they’ll melt and flavor the whole pot.

Slowly pour the vegetable broth over the raw sliced potatoes, making sure to cover as much of the surface as possible so the broth can seep down between the slices.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Once cooked, gently stir from the bottom to coat the potatoes in the buttery vegetable broth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed, then serve warm straight from the slow cooker.

For extra richness, you can swap half of the vegetable broth for milk or half-and-half (though that technically adds an ingredient), or stir in a small handful of shredded cheese during the last 15 minutes of cooking for a more gratin-style feel. If you like herbs, toss in a teaspoon of dried thyme or Italian seasoning with the salt and pepper. To make it heartier without much extra work, layer thinly sliced onions between the potato layers or scatter a cup of frozen peas over the top during the last 30 minutes. For meal prep, slice the potatoes the night before and store them submerged in cold water in the fridge, then drain and pat dry in the morning before adding to the slow cooker. Leftovers reheat well in a skillet with a splash of broth or water and are amazing crisped up alongside eggs for breakfast.