Spoon this 1 mixture over raw honey gold potatoes into a slow cooker for a bright spring supper that surprises everyone

This slow cooker spring artichoke lemon potato dish is the kind of bright, comforting supper I lean on when the weather can’t quite decide if it’s done with winter. It starts with simple raw honey gold potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker, then you spoon one creamy, tangy mixture over the top—marinated artichoke hearts, lemon cream, white wine, garlic, and fresh oregano. The flavors remind me of the first green things poking up in the garden, but it still has that stick-to-your-ribs Midwestern comfort I grew up with. It’s an easy, mostly hands-off recipe that feels special enough for company, but simple enough for a Tuesday night on the farm.

Serve these slow cooker spring artichoke lemon potatoes with roasted or grilled chicken, pork chops, or a simple pan-fried fish fillet. A crisp green salad with plenty of cucumbers and radishes balances the creamy, garlicky potatoes nicely. Warm crusty bread or soft dinner rolls are wonderful for soaking up the lemony sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker. If you’d like to keep it meatless, pair the potatoes with steamed green beans or asparagus, and maybe a bowl of white beans or lentils for protein.

Servings: 6

2 1/2 pounds small honey gold potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/4-inch thick

Lightly grease the insert of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a bit of butter or cooking spray. Scrub the honey gold potatoes and slice them into 1/4-inch rounds, leaving the skins on. Spread the sliced potatoes evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker.

In a medium mixing bowl, make the 1 mixture that will flavor everything: add the chopped marinated artichoke hearts along with all their marinade, heavy cream, sour cream, white wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, and chopped fresh oregano. Sprinkle in the kosher salt and black pepper. Stir until the mixture is well combined and creamy.

Taste the artichoke lemon cream mixture and adjust the seasoning with a pinch more salt or lemon juice if needed. It should taste bright, garlicky, and a little tangy at this point.

Dot the top of the sliced potatoes in the slow cooker with the small pieces of butter. Using a large spoon, slowly spoon the 1 artichoke lemon cream mixture evenly over the raw potatoes, making sure to cover as many of the slices as you can and letting the liquid seep down between them.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Once cooked, gently stir from the bottom to coat the potatoes with the lemon-artichoke sauce, being careful not to mash them too much. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Sprinkle with extra fresh oregano and grated Parmesan cheese, if using. Serve the potatoes straight from the slow cooker, making sure each serving gets plenty of the bright, creamy sauce and tender artichoke pieces.

For a lighter version, you can replace half of the heavy cream with whole milk or evaporated milk; just know the sauce will be a bit thinner. If you don’t keep sour cream on hand, plain Greek yogurt works nicely—stir it into the mixture at the very end of cooking instead of the beginning, so it doesn’t curdle. Fresh thyme or parsley can stand in for the oregano if that’s what you have growing by the back door. To make this a one-pot meal, tuck 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts on top of the potatoes before spooning the mixture over; increase the salt slightly and cook on LOW about 5 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is done and shreddable. If you prefer no wine, simply replace the white wine with chicken or vegetable broth. For extra richness, sprinkle an additional 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone over the potatoes during the last 15 minutes of cooking, cover again, and let it melt. Leftovers reheat well in a covered dish in the oven with a splash of cream or broth to loosen the sauce.