As far as I’m concerned, Scalloped Potatoes are one of the finest side dishes out there. Creamy, rich, and cheesy, it makes the humble potato into something indulgent enough to work at your holiday table or on your average weeknight. You might be accustomed to cooking them in the oven until the potatoes are tender and the creamy sauce has reduced, but your slow cooker actually provides the ideal environment for perfect scalloped potatoes, plus it frees up oven space when you might need it for other parts of your feast.

A lot of techniques here remain the same as they do with the oven version. You still want to slice your potatoes thin; waxy potatoes still work best.

And you still want to start by heating your cream on the stovetop, in this case with some garlic, thyme, and nutmeg mixed in to infuse the cream with all their flavor.

Then you get to layering – first the potatoes, then the cream, then some cheese. Repeat those layers a couple of times and then let the slow cooker do its magic.

It will take four to five hours, but when it’s done the potatoes are perfectly tender, the cream has thickened, and there’s plenty of cheesiness running throughout the dish.

It’s the same creamy, cheesy, comforting side dish we all know and love but a set-it-and-forget-it version that you barely have to think about and that doesn’t take up valuable oven space. Get it started before you head out for work for the day, or turn on your slow cooker when you put the turkey in the oven… either way you get a delicious side with very little effort.