Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes (Easy Slow Cooker Side)

These Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes are loaded with hash brown potatoes, savory French onion flavor, and plenty of melted cheddar. They're a crowd-pleasing side dish that works just as well for a weeknight dinner as it does for a holiday table.

holding a spoonful of cheesy potatoes in front of a crock pot.

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Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes: What You Need to Know

leslie lambert, author of lamberts lately.

Need an easy dump-and-go side dish that practically makes itself, like my Crock Pot Corn Casserole or French Onion No Peek Rice? These Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes are exactly the kind of recipe you're going to love.

They're rich, cheesy, ridiculously easy to throw together, and so perfect for holiday dinners when oven space is already hard to come by.

Ready in 3-4 hours

Creamy + Savory

Minimal ingredient prep

French onion dip gives these potatoes way more flavor than your basic cheesy potato casserole.

The slow cooker makes it easy to serve straight from the pot, especially for buffets and potlucks.

It goes with just about any main dish, from ham and turkey to chicken, pork, or steak.

I can't wait to see what you think of this super simple side dish!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for cheesy potatoes including hash browns, cheddar cheese, onion, butter, and seasonings.

(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)

Frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes: Use the diced variety and add them to the Crockpot frozen...no thawing needed!
Onion: Chopped onion adds more savory flavor as the potatoes cook.
Salted butter: Melt the butter before adding it so it mixes evenly throughout the potatoes.
Cheddar cheese soup: This adds extra cheddar flavor and helps create a thick, creamy sauce.
French onion dip: This adds creaminess along with tons of onion flavor. Different brands can vary in seasoning and sodium.
Seasonings: we're using the classic combo of salt, pepper, and garlic powder in this dish, my favorite blend!
Shredded cheddar cheese: Some gets mixed into the potatoes, while the rest is reserved for the top so you get a melty cheese layer before serving.

Additions & Variations

Colby Jack or Monterey Jack instead of cheddar: these melt perfectly for this dish too and add a little bit of a different flavor than cheddar.
Bacon: Crumbled cooked bacon can be added for a loaded-potato twist.
Green onions or chives: Sprinkle them over the finished potatoes for color and fresh onion flavor.
Spicy version: Pepper Jack or chopped jalapeños could add some heat. I'd add roughly 1 seeded & chopped jalapeno; replace the cheddar with Pepper Jack for more spice.
Crunchy topping: Crispy fried onions or crushed cracker crumbs can be added immediately before serving rather than cooked under the slow-cooker lid, where steam will soften them.

How to Make Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes

Combined ingredients (hash browns, cheddar cheese soup, shredded cheese, French onion dip, etc.) in a Crock Pot.

Combine the ingredients. Add the frozen diced hash browns, chopped onion, melted butter, cheddar cheese soup, French onion dip, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and 2 cups of the shredded cheddar to the slow cooker. Stir until everything is well combined.
Cook on low. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender.

Crockpot cheesy potatoes topped with shredded cheese and crispy topping.

Add the final cheese. About 30 minutes before serving, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar evenly over the potatoes. Replace the lid and let the cheese melt before serving.

Cook-time note: Slow cookers don't all heat at exactly the same rate, so use the texture of the potatoes alongside the clock. The potatoes should not have a bite to them, but should still hold their shape.

Why Use French Onion Dip and Cheddar Cheese Soup?

A lot of cheesy potato casseroles use sour cream and cream of chicken soup. With this version, we're going in a different direction.

French onion dip does the job while also bringing that onion flavor to the sauce. The cheddar cheese soup adds another layer of cheese flavor and helps bind everything together around the diced potatoes.

Then there is the actual shredded cheddar - some mixed into the potatoes and some saved for the top. That layering is what gives you both a creamy sauce and lots of melted cheese in the finished dish.

Creamy cheesy potatoes with green onions in a crockpot, ready to serve.

What to Serve With Cheesy Crockpot Potatoes

These creamy potatoes work anywhere you'd normally serve a potato casserole or mashed potatoes. Pair them with baked ham for Easter or Christmas, turkey for Thanksgiving, or serve them alongside pork tenderloin, onion meatloaf, grilled chicken, BBQ chicken, ribs, or steak.

For a potluck, add a vegetable or salad to balance the rich potatoes. Green bean bundles, roasted broccoli, sweet potato casserole, corn, and a fresh salad are all great choices.

Can You Make Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes Ahead?

For the easiest head start, chop the onion, shred the cheese, and measure the seasonings ahead of time. Keep everything refrigerated as needed and leave the frozen hash browns in the freezer until you're ready to cook.

I would not let the fully assembled casserole sit overnight or be frozen before cooking. Letting those hash brown potatoes thaw in the assembled mixture can change both their moisture level and the final texture.

Storage & Reheating

Storage: Transfer leftovers to shallow, covered containers and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking. Store refrigerated leftovers for 3-4 days.

Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm a larger batch in the oven until thoroughly hot. I don't recommend using your slow cooker to reheat - they warm too slowly that way. However, once the potatoes are fully reheated, a preheated slow cooker can be used to keep them warm - perfect for a holiday meal!

Leslie's Helpful Tips & Tricks

Lightly grease the slow cooker insert before adding the ingredients. It makes serving easier and helps keep the cheesy edges from sticking.
For the smoothest melt, shred the cheddar from a block. Bagged shredded cheese works in a pinch, but the anti-caking coating can make it melt a little less smoothly.
Use a mild or sharp cheddar depending on the flavor you want. Mild cheddar is going to be...well...milder, while sharp cheddar gives the potatoes a stronger punch of cheese flavor.
Give the potatoes a few minutes to sit before serving. The sauce will thicken a little bit as it cools, especially if it looks a little loose when you first remove the lid.
If you're taking these to a potluck, cook them completely before you leave. Then use the slow cooker's warm setting to hold them for serving rather than trying to finish cooking them at the event.
If your slow cooker develops a lot of condensation, wipe moisture from the underside of the lid before serving. That helps keep extra water from dripping back into the potatoes.

FAQs & Troubleshooting

Yes, but make sure your slow cooker has plenty of room or divide the recipe between two Crockpots. A fuller slow cooker may take longer for the potatoes in the center to become tender, so go by doneness rather than adding a set amount of extra time.

Slow cookers can vary a lot in how hot they cook. If your potatoes aren't tender yet, put the lid back on and keep cooking, checking them every once in awhile until a fork easily goes through the potatoes. A very full Crockpot or lifting the lid often can also slow cooking down.

A little extra moisture can come from condensation, the frozen potatoes, or differences between brands of French onion dip. Don't add any extra liquid, and if the potatoes look a little thin when they're done, let them sit for a few minutes before serving - the sauce will thicken up some as it cools.

I recommend frozen diced hash browns because that's what this recipe and cook time are based on. Refrigerated diced potatoes may cook faster, so start checking them earlier. I haven't tested this recipe with fresh-cut potatoes, so I can't give an exact cooking time for those.

Basically any creamy canned & condensed soup will work, but they'll change both the flavor and the sauce. The cheddar cheese soup is part of what makes this version extra cheesy, so I'd stick with it for the recipe as written unless you've tested another option.

Yes, it's totally fine to substitute sour cream, but you'll lose a lot of the seasoned onion flavor that makes these potatoes different. If you want the recipe to taste as intended, I recommend sticking with the French onion dip.

Yes, but the texture of the potatoes and creamy sauce may change a little after freezing. Let the leftovers cool, freeze them in an airtight container, then thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating. Dairy-heavy cheesy potato recipes can be a little less smooth after freezing.

More Cheesy Sides

Mexican Street Corn Casserole

lifting a spoonful of crack potato casserole out of the baking dish.

Crack Hash Brown Casserole

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

holding a spoon of mac and cheese above an instant pot.

Pressure Cooker Mac & Cheese

I hope you guys love this easy, cheesy side dish! 🧀 If you give it a try, let me know what you think in the comments. And make sure to follow along to get the latest and greatest from LL Eats!

Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes