My uncle cooks this hearty 4-ingredient meal every spring and we devour it instantly. It is so smoky, wildly cheap to throw together, and always hits the spot!

Every spring when the weather finally starts to cooperate here in the Midwest, my uncle brings out his slow cooker and makes this ridiculously simple 4-ingredient sausage and potato meal. It’s smoky, cozy, and so cheap to throw together that it’s become our unofficial kickoff to patio season. Think soft, buttery baby potatoes and slices of smoky sausage all coated in a rich, savory glaze that you basically just dump in the slow cooker and walk away from. It’s the kind of no-fuss recipe that works on a busy workday but still feels special enough for a casual family get-together.

Serve these slow cooker sausage and potato bites straight from the crock on warm, with a big green salad or simple steamed veggies on the side to balance out the richness. Crusty bread or dinner rolls are perfect for soaking up the extra glaze in the bottom of the pot. If you want to stretch the meal, spoon everything over cooked white rice, egg noodles, or cauliflower rice. Add a little hot sauce, grainy mustard, or a sprinkle of fresh parsley at the table if you like a bit of brightness with all that smoky, savory goodness.

Servings: 4

1 1/2 pounds small yellow baby potatoes, halved

Lightly spray the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray for easier cleanup.

Add the halved yellow baby potatoes to the bottom of the slow cooker in an even layer.

Top the potatoes with the sliced smoked sausage, spreading the slices out so they’re fairly even across the top.

In a small bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce and melted butter until smooth and combined. This will be your rich, smoky glaze.

Pour the barbecue-butter mixture evenly over the sausage and potatoes, using a spatula to scrape out every last bit of the sauce.

Gently stir once or twice just to lightly coat the sausage and potatoes, but don’t worry about getting everything perfectly mixed—the sauce will spread as it cooks.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork and the sausage is deeply browned around the edges.

Once cooked, give everything a good stir to coat the potatoes and sausage in the thickened glaze. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed by adding a pinch of salt or an extra drizzle of barbecue sauce.

Serve the sausage and potato bites hot, straight from the slow cooker, making sure to spoon some of the savory glaze over each serving.

For extra smokiness, use a hickory or mesquite-style barbecue sauce and a double-smoked sausage or andouille. If you prefer a sweeter glaze, choose a brown sugar or honey barbecue sauce; for more tang, go with a vinegar-based sauce. You can swap the yellow baby potatoes for red baby potatoes or small Yukon golds—just keep the pieces bite-sized so they cook through. To bulk this up a bit without adding more ingredients, serve it over rice or egg noodles to catch all the extra sauce. If you’re prepping ahead, slice the sausage and halve the potatoes the night before and store them in separate containers in the fridge; in the morning, just dump everything into the slow cooker, whisk the glaze, and pour it on. For a crispier finish, you can transfer the cooked sausage and potatoes to a sheet pan and broil for 3 to 5 minutes to caramelize the edges, then pour the leftover glaze from the slow cooker over the top before serving.