Early Summer Elegance: Just 5 ingredients. I make this when I want dinner handled hours ahead with practically zero cleanup.

This recipe is my weeknight answer to scalloped potatoes with almost no effort and essentially no cleanup. Using raw russet potatoes sliced into planks, a splash of cream, and a sharp, nutty cheese, everything bakes together in the slow cooker into golden, layered slabs with a bubbly, browned top. It’s inspired by classic Midwestern potato bakes but streamlined to just five ingredients so you can get dinner handled hours ahead and walk into the kitchen to a slow cooker full of deeply comforting, slow-roasted potatoes.

Serve these golden potato slabs straight from the slow cooker with a crisp green salad dressed in a tangy vinaigrette to cut through the richness. They’re also excellent alongside simple grilled or roasted proteins—think herb-rubbed chicken, seared pork chops, or grilled salmon. For a casual summer table, I like to spoon them next to sliced tomatoes with flaky salt, or pair them with sautéed green beans or asparagus for a complete, early-summer-friendly plate.

Servings: 6

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick planks

Lightly mist the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray or rub with a thin film of neutral oil for easier cleanup.

Scrub the russet potatoes well and pat them dry. Leaving the skins on for texture and nutrients, slice them lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick planks so they resemble flat slabs rather than rounds.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, kosher salt, and black pepper until the seasoning is evenly dispersed.

Arrange a single, slightly overlapping layer of potato planks on the bottom of the slow cooker, covering the surface completely to form a base.

Drizzle a small amount of the seasoned cream over the potato layer, just enough to lightly coat, then sprinkle a handful of the shredded cheese over the top.

Continue layering: add more potato planks, then more cream, then more cheese, building up even layers until all the potatoes are used. Reserve a generous final handful of cheese for the top layer.

Pour any remaining seasoned cream evenly over the potatoes, then finish with the reserved cheese, spreading it to the edges so the entire surface is covered. This top layer of cheese will form the bubbly, golden-brown crust.

Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on LOW for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours, or until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife and the edges are bubbling. Avoid lifting the lid during the first 3 hours so the heat stays consistent.

For a deeper golden crust, once the potatoes are fully tender, carefully remove the ceramic insert from the slow cooker (if it is oven-safe) and place it under a preheated broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is deeply golden and lightly blistered. If your insert is not broiler-safe, simply cook an extra 30 minutes on HIGH with the lid slightly ajar to help concentrate and brown the top as much as possible.

Let the potato slabs rest, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. This short rest allows the layers to set so you can lift out neat, golden squares or rectangles with a spatula. Serve directly from the slow cooker for easy, nearly mess-free cleanup.

For a slightly lighter version, you can swap half of the heavy cream for whole milk; just be aware the sauce will be a bit less rich and the top may not brown quite as deeply. If you prefer a stronger flavor, use an aged Gruyère or extra-sharp cheddar, or blend in a small portion of Parmesan within the existing cheese measurement for a nuttier finish (keep total cheese to the listed amount so you still stay at five ingredients). To add a subtle onion note without extra chopping or ingredients, rub the cut side of a halved onion around the inside of the slow cooker before adding the potatoes. For a crisper top without a broiler-safe insert, you can transfer just the top layer of cooked slabs to a small baking dish, sprinkle with some of the melted cheese from the slow cooker, and broil briefly. Food safety tips: Always start with clean, scrubbed potatoes and keep them refrigerated if you slice ahead; hold them in cold water and dry thoroughly before layering so they don’t discolor. Do not leave the cooked dish at room temperature for more than 2 hours; cool leftovers promptly, store in a shallow container in the refrigerator, and reheat thoroughly until steaming hot before serving. Avoid using pre-shredded cheese with added anti-caking agents if possible, as it may not melt as smoothly or brown as evenly on top.