My mother-in-law first made these slow cooker pesto parmesan red potatoes for an early spring Sunday dinner, and I swear the whole house smelled like a garden. The recipe is almost suspiciously simple—just red potatoes, basil pesto, and parmesan—but the result tastes like you fussed for hours. Everything simmers low and slow until the potatoes are tender, coated in a glossy, vibrant green sauce with salty, nutty cheese melting into all the nooks and crannies. It’s the kind of set-it-and-forget-it side dish that fits perfectly into a busy weeknight or a relaxed weekend, and no one ever believes it only took three ingredients.
Serve these pesto parmesan red potatoes piled onto a simple white plate so the bright green sauce really pops. They’re perfect alongside grilled or baked chicken, salmon, or a simple steak, and they make a great partner for roasted vegetables or a crisp green salad with lemony dressing. For a lighter meal, I’ll sometimes spoon them into a bowl and top with a soft-fried or poached egg. They also hold up well on a buffet table for potlucks or holidays—just keep the slow cooker on warm and let everyone help themselves.
Slow Cooker 3-Ingredient Pesto Parmesan Red PotatoesServings: 6
Ingredients
3 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 cup prepared basil pesto (store-bought or homemade), divided
1 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese, divided
Directions
Lightly coat the inside of your slow cooker with a bit of pesto or nonstick spray to help prevent sticking.
Place the quartered red potatoes into the slow cooker, spreading them out as evenly as possible so they cook at the same rate.
Spoon about 3/4 cup of the basil pesto over the potatoes. Use a spatula or large spoon to toss until all the potato pieces are well coated in the bright green, oily pesto.
Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the coarsely grated parmesan cheese over the pesto-coated potatoes, stirring again so the cheese is distributed and clings to the potatoes.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork and the centers are fluffy and soft.
Once the potatoes are tender, gently stir them in the slow cooker to re-coat them in the glossy pesto and melted parmesan mixture, being careful not to mash them.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese over the top, then drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup pesto in streaks so you get fresh pops of basil flavor and a vibrant green finish.
Cover and let the potatoes sit on WARM for about 5 to 10 minutes, just until the cheese softens and the pesto loosens into a rich, glossy coating.
Carefully transfer the potatoes to a serving platter or white plate, making sure to spoon all the extra pesto and melted parmesan from the bottom of the slow cooker over the top before serving.
Variations & Tips
For extra texture, you can briefly broil the finished potatoes on a sheet pan for 3 to 5 minutes to get a lightly crisp top, then scrape all the extra pesto and cheese from the slow cooker over them before serving. If you like a bit of brightness, squeeze a wedge of lemon over your portion at the table—this keeps the official recipe to three ingredients, but adds a nice contrast to the rich pesto and parmesan. To make this more of a meal, stir in cooked chicken sausage slices or shredded rotisserie chicken during the last 30 minutes of cook time so they warm through and soak up the pesto. If you’re prepping ahead, you can quarter the red potatoes the night before and store them in cold water in the fridge; in the morning, drain well, toss with pesto and parmesan, and add to the slow cooker. For a slightly lighter version, use a bit less pesto and add a splash of the starchy liquid that collects in the bottom of the slow cooker to help thin and stretch the sauce without losing flavor. Finally, if you only have larger red potatoes, just cut them into smaller, even chunks so they cook through at the same pace and still give you that fluffy white center with a deep red skin around the edges.
