Crockpot Ranch Potatoes

These Crockpot Ranch Potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and loaded with ranch flavor and crispy bacon. Fresh shredded potatoes cook until tender in the slow cooker, then get topped with melted Colby Jack, bacon, and green onions.

Prep Time10

Cook Time, divided4 10

Total Time4 20

Servings: 1 cup servings

Calories: 454kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

8 slices cooked bacon crumbled (divided)
¼ cup butter melted
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 pkt (1 oz) ranch seasoning
1 brick (8 oz) cream cheese softened really well, (microwave 20–30 sec if needed)
2 cups Colby Jack cheese freshly shredded (divided) or cheddar cheese
¼ teaspoon salt omit if salt sensitive
1 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds russet potatoes shredded, (about 6 cups) or use frozen hash browns straight from the bag
2 tablespoons green onion chopped

Instructions

Turn slow cooker up to HIGH. Add half of the cooked bacon, melted butter, garlic, ranch seasoning, softened cream cheese, 1 cup Colby Jack cheese, salt, and pepper to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir until cream cheese is melted and well combined. Add the shredded potatoes and gently fold until evenly coated. Reduce your slow cooker temperature to LOW.
Cover, and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir ONCE gently after cooking.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Colby Jack cheese evenly over the potatoes. Cover for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Top with the remaining bacon and chopped green onions. Serve warm.

Notes

Slow Cooker Size: A 5- to 6-quart slow cooker works best. In our testing, a 4-quart slow cooker required about 5½–6 hours on LOW.
Cream Cheese: Soften it thoroughly before using. Microwave for 20–30 seconds if necessary.
Potatoes: Two pounds of russets yielded 5½–6½ cups shredded in our testing. Peeling is optional.
Frozen Hash Browns: Frozen shredded hash browns can be added directly from the freezer without thawing.
Cooking on HIGH: You can cook the potatoes for about 2 hours on HIGH, but LOW produced more evenly cooked potatoes in our testing.
If They Look Wet: Remove the lid for 10–15 minutes after cooking to allow excess moisture to evaporate.
Salt: If you're sensitive to salt, omit the added salt and season to taste after cooking.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 4–5 days.

Nutrition