Drop cubed cream cheese over raw diced yukon gold potatoes, paired with 2 ingredients, into a ceramic baking dish for a rich side that disappears faster than anything else

This is the kind of dish that reminds me of church suppers and harvest dinners out here in the Midwest—simple pantry ingredients, a hot oven, and a casserole dish big enough to share. These oven-baked Amish-style cream cheese potatoes start with raw diced Yukon Golds, then you simply drop little cubes of cream cheese over the top, add just two more everyday ingredients, and let the heat do the rest. The cream cheese melts down into the potatoes, turning them rich and velvety with hardly any fuss. It’s the sort of side that quietly appears on the table and then disappears before you can blink.

Serve these potatoes alongside roast chicken, meatloaf, baked ham, or a simple skillet of pork chops. They’re wonderful with green beans, buttered peas, or a crisp salad to balance the richness. A pan of these on the holiday table sits comfortably next to stuffing and gravy, but they’re easy enough for a Tuesday night when you just want something warm and comforting out of the oven.

Servings: 6

2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1/2-inch cubes

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a medium ceramic baking dish (about 9x13 inches or similar) with a bit of butter or oil so the potatoes don’t stick.

Scrub the Yukon Gold potatoes well and pat them dry. Cut them into 1/2-inch dice so they cook evenly. Leave the skins on for more flavor and a rustic texture, or peel them if you prefer a smoother bite.

Spread the diced raw potatoes evenly in the bottom of the ceramic baking dish, making sure they’re in a fairly even layer so they cook at the same rate.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the heavy cream together with the kosher salt until the salt is mostly dissolved. Pour this seasoned cream evenly over the potatoes, letting it sink down between the pieces.

Take the cold cream cheese and cut it into small cubes, about 1/2 inch. With clean hands, drop the cream cheese cubes evenly over the top of the raw diced potatoes, just as you see in those old church cookbook photos—scattered but fairly well distributed so each scoop gets some.

Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake on the middle rack for 35–40 minutes, until the potatoes are starting to turn tender when pierced with a fork and the cream is bubbling around the edges.

Carefully remove the foil, give the potatoes a gentle stir to help the melted cream cheese and cream coat the potatoes, then spread them back into an even layer. Return the dish, uncovered, to the oven.

Bake uncovered for another 20–25 minutes, stirring once more if you like, until the potatoes are very tender, the cream mixture has thickened into a rich sauce, and the top has a few golden spots. If desired, turn the broiler on for 2–3 minutes at the end to lightly brown the top—watch closely so it doesn’t scorch.

Remove from the oven and let the potatoes rest for about 5–10 minutes to set up a bit. Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed, and a little black pepper if you like. Serve hot, scooping down to the bottom so everyone gets plenty of the creamy sauce.

If you’d like a little more flavor without straying far from the simple Amish-style approach, stir 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder or onion powder into the heavy cream with the salt before pouring it over the potatoes. For a slightly lighter version, you can substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream, though the sauce will be a bit thinner. To make the dish ahead, assemble everything in the ceramic dish, cover, and refrigerate up to 8 hours; add 5–10 minutes to the covered baking time since it will be starting cold. If your family loves a browned, cheesy top, sprinkle 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded mild cheddar or Colby over the potatoes for the last 10–15 minutes of baking. For smaller households, halve the recipe and use a smaller ceramic dish, watching the time so the potatoes don’t overcook. Leftovers reheat nicely, covered, in a low oven with a splash of cream or milk to loosen the sauce.