Drop sliced kielbasa over raw baby potatoes, together with 3 simple items, into slow cooker for a hearty weeknight dinner that disappears faster than anything else

This slow cooker 5-ingredient Amish-style kielbasa and potatoes is the kind of hearty, no-fuss supper that fits perfectly into a busy weeknight. The method is as simple as it sounds: you drop sliced kielbasa over raw baby potatoes, add three pantry-friendly items, and let the slow cooker do the work. Dishes like this have roots in the frugal, practical cooking of Amish and other rural Midwestern communities, where smoked sausage and potatoes show up often in comforting one-pot meals. It’s budget-friendly, deeply satisfying, and tends to disappear faster than anything else on the table.

Serve this dish straight from the slow cooker with a bright, crunchy side to balance the richness—think a simple green salad with vinegar-based dressing or steamed green beans tossed with a squeeze of lemon. A basket of crusty bread or soft dinner rolls is great for soaking up the buttery juices. If you’d like to stretch the meal, spoon the kielbasa and potatoes over lightly buttered egg noodles or alongside braised cabbage or sauerkraut for a more traditional farmhouse-style plate.

Servings: 4

1 1/2 pounds small baby potatoes, rinsed and left whole (or halved if larger)

Place the raw baby potatoes in an even layer on the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. If any potatoes are larger than a golf ball, cut them in half so they cook at the same rate.

Scatter the sliced kielbasa evenly over the raw potatoes, letting the rounds fall down between the gaps so everything is nestled together.

Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the kielbasa and potatoes so the seasoning is well distributed.

Dot the top with the pieces of butter, spacing them out across the surface so they melt and baste the potatoes and sausage as they cook.

Pour the chicken broth around the edges of the slow cooker, trying not to wash all the seasoning off the top. You want a shallow layer of liquid on the bottom to help the potatoes cook and create a flavorful, buttery broth.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork and the kielbasa is hot and juicy.

Once cooked, gently stir from the bottom to coat the potatoes and kielbasa in the buttery, oniony juices. Taste and add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed.

Serve hot right from the slow cooker, spooning plenty of the pan juices over each portion.

For a slightly lighter version, you can reduce the butter to 2 tablespoons and increase the chicken broth to 3/4 cup; the dish will still be rich but a bit less heavy. If you prefer a stronger smoky note, use a heavily smoked kielbasa or add a few drops of liquid smoke to the broth before cooking. To introduce some color and sweetness while staying close to the original concept, tuck a handful of baby carrots or a sliced yellow onion under the potatoes; they will soften and blend into the juices. For a more herb-forward profile, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of dried parsley or thyme over the top with the soup mix. If you need to keep sodium in check, choose low-sodium kielbasa and broth, then taste before adding any extra salt, as the onion soup mix is quite seasoned. Leftovers reheat well in a skillet with a splash of broth or water, and you can crisp the potatoes and kielbasa slightly over medium-high heat for a different texture on day two.