Slow Cooker Stacked Russet Potato Disks Thin, tender, beautifully layered russet potato disks slow-cooked until perfectly soft and infused with rich butter, garlic, and savory herbs — a simple, stunning side dish that looks elegant on the plate and requires almost no effort to make. Pure comfort food with beautiful presentation.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 0.5 cups unsalted butter, melted
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoons onion powder
- 0.5 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 0.5 teaspoons dried thyme
- 0.5 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 0.25 cups chicken broth
- 0.5 cups shredded Parmesan cheese (optional, for finishing)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
STEPS
- Prep the potatoes: Peel the russet potatoes and slice into even 1/4-inch rounds using a sharp knife or mandoline. Uniform thickness is essential — uneven slices cook at different rates and will leave some disks undercooked while others turn mushy. Pat the slices completely dry with paper towels to remove excess surface starch and moisture.
- Make the seasoned butter: In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, and dried rosemary until well combined.
- Coat the potatoes: Add the sliced potatoes to the seasoned butter and toss gently until every disk is evenly and thoroughly coated on both sides.
- Stack the slow cooker: Lightly grease the inside of the slow cooker with butter or cooking spray. Standing the potato disks upright on their edges, stack them tightly in neat, overlapping rows filling the slow cooker from one end to the other. Pack them snugly — they will settle and soften as they cook. Pour the chicken broth evenly over the top and drizzle any remaining seasoned butter down through the gaps between the stacks.
- Slow cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or on HIGH for 2.5–3 hours until the potatoes are completely tender and a fork slides through the thickest disk with no resistance. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
- Optional crispy finish: For a golden, caramelized top — highly recommended — scatter the shredded Parmesan evenly over the surface and place the slow cooker insert under the broiler on high for 3–5 minutes until the top is golden, bubbling, and lightly crisped. Watch very closely.
- Garnish and serve: Scatter fresh chopped parsley generously over the top. Spoon any buttery juices from the bottom of the slow cooker over the potatoes before serving. Serve hot directly from the slow cooker.
NOTES Tips: Slicing the potatoes to an absolutely consistent 1/4-inch thickness is the most critical step — a mandoline makes this fast, effortless, and perfectly uniform and is strongly recommended. Patting the slices dry before coating them in butter helps the seasoning adhere better and produces a more flavorful result. Standing the potato disks upright and stacking them snugly rather than laying them flat creates the beautiful, dramatic presentation and also ensures the butter and seasoning coat every surface of every slice as it cooks. Russet potatoes are the correct choice for this dish — their high starch content breaks down beautifully over the slow cook into a tender, fluffy interior. The Parmesan and broiler finish is not optional if you want maximum flavor and a gorgeous golden top — it takes 5 minutes and elevates the dish completely. These potatoes keep refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat beautifully in a 375°F oven for 15 minutes until warmed through and lightly re-crisped.
