This little slow cooker trick is something I lean on when we’ve got a backyard barbecue planned and I don’t want to fuss with one more thing at dinnertime. It reminds me of the old church potlucks where someone always brought a crock of sweet-and-savory potatoes that disappeared before the main dishes. Here we’re taking humble frozen potato croquettes—those tidy little cylinders from the freezer aisle—and letting them slowly bathe all day in a glossy, dark amber glaze. With only three ingredients and a few minutes of work in the morning, you can have a pan of tender, saucy “glazed cylinders” ready to scoop up when the grill is hot and the yard is full of hungry folks.
I like to serve these glazed potato cylinders right out of the slow cooker, spooned into a warm bowl alongside grilled burgers, brats, or barbecue chicken. Their sweet, sticky sauce pairs nicely with something smoky from the grill and a crisp salad or coleslaw to cut the richness. A tray of corn on the cob and a simple sliced tomato-cucumber salad make it feel like a proper Midwestern summer spread. If you’re feeding a crowd, keep the slow cooker on warm and let guests help themselves, tucking a few of these saucy potatoes next to whatever’s coming off the grill.
3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Glazed Potato CylindersServings: 6-8
Ingredients
2 pounds frozen potato croquettes (cylindrical shape, unthawed)
1 cup thick barbecue sauce (your favorite, hickory or brown sugar style works well)
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark, packed)
Directions
Lightly grease the inside of a medium slow cooker (about 4–6 quarts) with a bit of oil or nonstick spray to help keep the glaze from sticking too much.
In a small bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce and brown sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Place the frozen potato croquettes in the slow cooker in a single layer as much as possible, with any extras nestled gently on top. Do not thaw them first; they should go in straight from the freezer.
Pour the barbecue-brown sugar mixture evenly over the potato croquettes, making sure each cylinder is coated or at least touched by the sauce. Use a spoon to gently turn a few so the sauce can run between them.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or until the potato cylinders are very tender all the way through and the sauce has turned into a thick, dark amber glaze. Avoid lifting the lid during the first few hours so the heat stays steady.
Once tender, very gently stir or spoon the glaze over the tops of the cylinders to coat them fully, being careful not to mash them. Some may soften and slump a bit, but that’s part of their tender, slow-roasted charm.
Turn the slow cooker to WARM and let the glazed potato cylinders sit, covered, until you’re ready to serve. Serve them straight from the crock, scooping carefully so each portion has several cylinders and plenty of glossy sauce.
Variations & Tips
If you prefer a little heat with your sweet, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes or a spoonful of hot sauce to the barbecue-brown sugar mixture before pouring it over the potatoes (this will technically add an ingredient, but it won’t disturb the basic three-ingredient idea). For a smokier flavor, use a very smoky barbecue sauce and dark brown sugar. If your barbecue sauce is very thin, you can reduce the brown sugar slightly or leave the lid off for the last 20–30 minutes of cooking so the glaze thickens and clings to the cylinders. To lean more savory than sweet, use a tangy or mustard-style barbecue sauce and cut the brown sugar down to 1/3 cup. You can also line the bottom of the slow cooker with a single layer of croquettes and keep any extras in the freezer if you prefer a saucier result.
Food safety tips: Always start with frozen potato croquettes straight from the freezer and keep them out at room temperature only as long as it takes to get them into the slow cooker. Cook on LOW, not on the “keep warm” setting, so the potatoes and sauce move quickly through the temperature danger zone (40°F–140°F). If your slow cooker is very full or older, check that the center of the dish reaches at least 165°F before serving. Once dinner is over, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow container so they cool quickly. Reheat leftovers thoroughly until steaming hot before eating, and discard any that have sat out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
