Squirt bright yellow mustard onto unpeeled bruised baking potatoes, together with 3 extra items, into slow cooker for a weekend meal that's always a yes in my house

This is the kind of humble slow cooker dish that feels right at home on a long Memorial Day weekend when money is tight but you still want something warm and filling on the table. It came out of the sort of cooking I grew up with in the rural Midwest—using what you have, not fussing with peeling or perfect produce, and letting the slow cooker do the work while everyone is outside. Bruised baking potatoes, a good squirt of bright yellow mustard, and just three more pantry items turn into a tangy, creamy potato bake that’s simple, comforting, and always gets scraped clean in my house.

Serve this mustardy potato bake right out of the slow cooker with grilled hot dogs, brats, or burgers if you’re doing a backyard cookout, or with sliced ham or smoked sausage on a quieter weekend. A simple green salad or some coleslaw helps cut the richness, and canned green beans or buttered corn fit the old-fashioned Midwestern table perfectly. Leftovers reheat well alongside scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast-for-supper plate.

Servings: 6

3 lb unpeeled bruised baking potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks

Scrub the bruised baking potatoes well under cool running water, leaving the peels on. Trim away any badly damaged or moldy spots, then cut the potatoes into roughly 1-inch chunks so they cook evenly.

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of your slow cooker crock with a bit of oil or nonstick spray to help prevent sticking.

Pile the potato chunks into the slow cooker. This should look like a full, cozy layer of unpeeled potatoes sitting in the crock.

Take the bottle of bright yellow mustard and squirt it generously over the potatoes, zigzagging back and forth so most of the potatoes get a good coating. You want about 1/2 cup total, but this is a forgiving recipe.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and the water until fairly smooth. This will be your simple sauce.

Pour the soup-and-water mixture evenly over the mustard-covered potatoes in the slow cooker, letting it seep down between the pieces.

Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the top. Don’t worry if some falls down into the potatoes; it will melt and help everything come together.

Cover the slow cooker with its 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 sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Once the potatoes are done, gently stir from the bottom to coat everything in the mustardy, cheesy sauce. Taste and add a little salt and pepper if you like, then cover and let it sit on WARM for about 10 minutes to settle before serving.

Serve the potato bake straight from the slow cooker, making sure to scoop down to the bottom to catch plenty of sauce with each serving.

If you like a little extra flavor, stir in 1 teaspoon of dried onion flakes or garlic powder along with the soup mixture, or sprinkle a bit of smoked paprika over the top with the cheese. You can swap cheddar for whatever you have—Colby, Monterey Jack, or American all melt nicely. For added protein, fold in 1 to 2 cups of diced cooked ham, sliced smoked sausage, or browned ground beef during the last hour of cooking so it warms through without overcooking. To make this a bit lighter, use a reduced-fat condensed soup and a lighter cheese, and add an extra 1/4 cup of water if the mixture seems too thick. If you prefer a stronger mustard bite, drizzle a little more yellow mustard over the finished dish and give it a quick stir. For food safety, always trim away any moldy or deeply rotten spots on bruised potatoes and discard any that smell off or feel slimy; only firm, sound potatoes should go into the slow cooker. Avoid using greened potatoes (with green patches under the skin), as they can be bitter and should be thrown out. Keep the slow cooker covered while cooking to maintain a safe temperature, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers, using them within 3 to 4 days and reheating until steaming hot before serving.