Flag Day Comfort: Just 5 ingredients. I make it when I want dinner handled hours ahead.

These 5-ingredient slow cooker Amish-style “starry night” potatoes are my Flag Day comfort dish for busy days when I need dinner handled hours ahead. The recipe leans into that cozy Amish-potluck vibe—simple pantry ingredients, slow-cooked potatoes, and a bubbling, caramelized, golden sauce that smells like home. Using frozen cross-cut potato rounds means no peeling or chopping, so you can toss everything in the slow cooker at lunchtime and have a hearty, starchy, umami-rich side ready by dinner. It’s the kind of dish that sits quietly on the counter, doing its thing, while you handle the rest of life.

Serve these potatoes straight from the slow cooker with grilled or baked chicken, meatloaf, or simple pork chops. A crisp green salad or steamed green beans balances the richness nicely, and a basket of soft dinner rolls or buttered bread is perfect for soaking up that caramelized golden sauce. For a cozy Flag Day spread, pair with corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, and something cold and fruity to drink.

Servings: 6

2 pounds frozen cross-cut potato rounds (hash brown rounds or similar, unseasoned)

Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a little butter or cooking spray to help prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.

Add the frozen cross-cut potato rounds straight from the bag into the slow cooker. There is no need to thaw them first; spread them out into an even layer.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, melted butter, and dry onion soup mix until you have a smooth, golden mixture with no big lumps of soup mix.

Pour the soup mixture evenly over the potatoes, using a spatula to gently nudge the potatoes so the sauce seeps down between the rounds. You want most of the potatoes coated or at least touching the sauce so they soak up flavor as they cook.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the sauce is bubbling and deeply golden around the edges. The potatoes should look glossy and slightly caramelized in spots, with a thick, starchy, umami-rich sauce around them.

Once cooked, gently stir from the edges toward the center to coat all the potatoes in the sauce without breaking them up too much. Taste and, if desired, add a pinch of salt or pepper, keeping in mind the onion soup mix is already salty.

Turn the slow cooker to WARM and serve the potatoes directly from the crock. Keep the lid slightly ajar if they are very saucy and you want the sauce to thicken a bit more while they sit.

For picky eaters, you can swap the cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom or cream of celery if they prefer a milder flavor, or use a low-sodium condensed soup if you’re watching salt. If you need this to be vegetarian, use cream of mushroom soup and vegetable broth instead of chicken-based products, and check that your onion soup mix is vegetarian. For extra richness, stir in 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese during the last 20 minutes of cooking, just until melted. You can also add 1 cup of diced ham or cooked crumbled bacon at the beginning for a heartier, one-bowl meal. If your family likes a little color, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onions over the top right before serving. Food safety tips: Always keep the potatoes frozen until you’re ready to cook, and do not leave them sitting out on the counter for long before adding to the slow cooker. Use a reliable slow cooker that heats properly; if your slow cooker is older or tends to run cool, choose the HIGH setting initially to bring the contents quickly out of the temperature “danger zone” (40°F–140°F). Leftovers should be cooled and refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking, stored in a shallow container, and eaten within 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers until steaming hot all the way through (165°F) before serving.