There is something mighty comforting about a slow cooker full of simple ingredients turning into supper with hardly any fuss, and these 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker National Cheese Pizza Day Potatoes fit that bill beautifully. Using raw peeled whole white potatoes gives this dish an old-fashioned, hearty backbone, while pizza sauce and cheese melt down around them into a cozy, crowd-pleasing meal that tastes a little playful and a little nostalgic all at once. It is the sort of recipe that feels right at home on a busy weeknight, at a casual potluck, or anywhere folks appreciate plain ingredients made especially tasty.
Serve these cheesy pizza potatoes with a crisp green salad, steamed broccoli, or buttered green beans to balance all that rich goodness. If you want to stretch the meal, a side of garlic bread or toasted Italian bread goes mighty well for scooping up the extra sauce and melted cheese, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or dried oregano on the table lets everyone doctor up their own helping.
3-Ingredient Slow Cooker National Cheese Pizza Day Potatoes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
3 pounds raw white potatoes, peeled and left whole if small, or halved if very large
Directions
1. Lightly coat the inside of your slow cooker with a bit of nonstick spray or oil if desired, then place the peeled whole white potatoes in the bottom in an even layer.
2. Pour the pizza sauce evenly over the potatoes, making sure each one gets well coated.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender all the way through.
4. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top, cover again, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, just until the cheese is melted and gooey. Serve hot.
Variations & Tips
For easier serving: If your potatoes are on the larger side, go ahead and halve them before cooking so the sauce reaches more surface area and folks can scoop them up easier at the table.
Cheese timing: Do not add the cheese too early or it can disappear into the sauce instead of sitting nicely on top. That last short melt at the end gives you the prettiest finish.
Make it more pizza-like: A pinch of dried oregano, Italian seasoning, or red pepper flakes is not part of the official three ingredients, but it sure does give the dish more of that pizza-parlor flavor if you have a mind to dress it up.
Check doneness carefully: Slow cookers vary plenty. Test the largest potato with a fork before adding the cheese, and if it still feels firm in the center, give it a little more time so the finished dish is properly tender.
