My aunt always brings this comfort side to family dinners. Just 3 ingredients layered together until the gooey cheese and crispy bits bubble up and smell amazing.

This slow cooker 3-ingredient cheesy bacon potatoes recipe is the kind of comforting side dish that shows up at every family gathering in our neck of the Midwest. My aunt started bringing a pan of these to Sunday dinners back in the late ’70s, when everyone was busy and casseroles had to stretch to feed a crowd. It’s nothing fancy—just potatoes, cheese, and bacon—layered together and left to bubble away until the cheese is gooey and the bacon bits are crisp around the edges. The smell alone will take you right back to church potlucks and small-town holiday suppers, and the slow cooker makes it easy enough for any home cook to pull off on a busy day.

Serve these cheesy bacon potatoes right from the warm slow cooker alongside roast chicken, meatloaf, ham, or pot roast. They’re also wonderful with grilled brats or pork chops when you don’t want to fuss with the oven. Add a simple green salad, steamed green beans, or buttered peas to cut through the richness. For a potluck, set out a spoon and let folks help themselves; they hold well on the warm setting and pair nicely with just about any comforting main dish on the table.

Servings: 6-8

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

Cook the bacon first: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is browned and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain and cool, then crumble or chop into small pieces. If you prefer, you can bake the bacon on a sheet pan at 400°F until crisp and then crumble it.

Prepare the potatoes: Scrub the potatoes well and pat them dry. Peel them if you like, or leave the skins on for a more rustic farmhouse look. Slice the potatoes into thin rounds, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, so they become tender all the way through in the slow cooker.

Grease the slow cooker: Lightly grease the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with a bit of bacon drippings or a dab of butter or oil to help keep the potatoes from sticking and to add a little extra flavor.

Layer the ingredients: Spread a single, even layer of sliced potatoes over the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle a generous handful of shredded cheddar cheese over the potatoes, followed by a handful of crumbled bacon. Repeat the layers—potatoes, cheese, bacon—until all the ingredients are used, finishing with a good layer of cheese and a scattering of bacon on top so it can crisp and brown a bit as it cooks.

Cook low and slow: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork and the cheese is fully melted and bubbly around the edges. If you are short on time, you can cook on HIGH for about 2 to 3 hours, checking for doneness toward the end.

Crisp the top (optional): If your slow cooker insert is oven-safe and you’d like a more browned top, you can carefully place the insert under the broiler for a few minutes right before serving. Watch closely so the cheese and bacon on top get toasty and crisp but do not burn.

Serve: Once the potatoes are tender and the cheese is gooey and bubbling, switch the slow cooker to WARM. Let the dish sit, covered, for about 10 minutes to settle. Spoon the cheesy bacon potatoes straight from the slow cooker into bowls or onto plates, making sure each serving gets plenty of the crispy bacon bits from the top.

If you’d like to stretch this dish a bit further without changing the spirit of the recipe, you can use a mix of russet and Yukon Gold potatoes for a nice balance of texture. For smokier flavor, choose thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon or applewood-smoked bacon. Sharp cheddar gives the best bite, but you can swap in a Colby-Jack or mild cheddar if that’s what you keep on hand. To help the top crisp a little more without using the oven, crack the slow cooker lid slightly during the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking to let some steam escape. If your crowd likes things extra cheesy, tuck an extra small handful of cheese into the final top layer so it forms a thick, golden blanket. For easier serving at potlucks, line the slow cooker with a disposable slow cooker liner for quicker cleanup. Leftovers reheat nicely in a covered dish in the oven or in a skillet over low heat; the edges get a little more browned and flavorful the second time around.