My uncle makes the most decadent melt in your mouth holiday side dish using just 3 ingredients and minimal prep.

This is the kind of holiday side dish my uncle is famous for bringing to family gatherings: ridiculously rich, melt-in-your-mouth potatoes that taste like you fussed for hours… but you only used three ingredients and barely any prep. Thinly sliced potatoes are baked low and slow in heavy cream until they’re tender, silky, and bubbling with golden, crispy edges. It’s very Midwestern in spirit—simple ingredients, cozy, and meant to feed a crowd—perfect for when you’re juggling work, kids, and a full holiday to-do list but still want something that feels special on the table.

Serve these creamy roasted potatoes alongside roasted turkey, ham, or beef for the holidays, or with simple weeknight mains like baked chicken thighs or pan-seared pork chops. A bright green vegetable—roasted Brussels sprouts, steamed green beans, or a simple salad with a tangy vinaigrette—helps balance the richness. They also reheat well, so you can pair leftovers with eggs for a weekend brunch or spoon them next to a crisp green salad for a cozy, low-effort lunch.

Servings: 6

2 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled (optional) and thinly sliced

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a medium white ceramic baking dish (about 9x9 inches or similar) with a touch of heavy cream to prevent sticking.

Wash and peel the potatoes if you like (I usually peel for holidays, skip for busy weeknights). Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the potatoes into thin rounds, about 1/8-inch thick. Try to keep the slices even so they cook at the same rate.

Layer about one-third of the sliced potatoes in the baking dish, spreading them out into an even layer. Sprinkle with about one-third of the salt. Repeat with two more layers of potatoes, seasoning each layer lightly with the remaining salt.

Slowly pour the heavy cream evenly over the potatoes, tilting the dish gently so the cream can work its way down between the layers. The cream should almost cover the top layer of potatoes, with just a few edges peeking out.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife and the cream is starting to bubble around the edges.

Carefully remove the foil and continue baking, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden, the cream is thick and bubbly, and the exposed potato edges are browned and crisp. If your oven runs hot, start checking at the 15-minute mark to avoid over-browning.

Let the potatoes rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes before serving. The cream will thicken as it cools slightly, giving you that luscious, spoonable texture with crispy edges and a silky center. Taste and sprinkle with a pinch more salt at the table if needed, then serve straight from the white baking dish.

To stay true to the three-ingredient magic, keep any add-ins optional and minimal. For a slightly more savory edge, you can swap half of the kosher salt for a seasoned salt you already love, or finish the dish with a small pinch of flaky salt right before serving. If you’re prepping ahead for a busy holiday, assemble the potatoes and cream in the baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours; add 5 to 10 minutes to the covered bake time if going straight from the fridge. For a deeper golden top, move the dish to the top rack for the last 5 minutes of baking, watching closely so the edges don’t burn. If you need to stretch the recipe for a bigger crowd, use a larger baking dish, bump the potatoes up to 3 1/2 pounds and the cream to 3 cups, and increase the salt slightly, baking until everything is tender and bubbling. Leftovers reheat best covered in a 325°F oven until warmed through; if they look a little dry, splash in a tablespoon or two of cream before reheating to bring back that ultra-decadent texture.