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Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

August 4, 2010 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 38 Comments

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slow cooker baked potatoes

For the past, um, year or so, I have not done a whole lot with potatoes. And for good reason. Ryan tested positive for a potato allergy, among other things. So I quickly removed them from our diet.

A few weeks ago, we got the go ahead from both the allergist and the GI doctor to start reintroducing the more “tame” foods…or the ones he reacted to least…and see if he can tolerate them now that he is a little older.

We are starting with potatoes.

It is far too hot outside to have the oven on for an hour, to bake some potatoes…so we’re making these “baked” potatoes…

…in the slow cooker…

…on the back porch!

(Lynn shared that tip with me last year when I was suffering from the nausea woes of first trimester…but it works perfectly for hot summer nights when you don’t want any form of heat in the kitchen.)

How to Make Baked Potatoes in Slow Cooker

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Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

Learn how to make perfect baked potatoes in the slow cooker. Once cooked, pile on your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Prep Time5 minutes minutes
Cook Time6 minutes minutes
Servings - 6 potatoes

Ingredients 

  • 6 large russet potatoes
  • butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon etc. toppings for potatoes

Instructions

  • Wash and dry the potatoes. Stab with a fork a few times, or cut a slit lengthwise.
  • Wrap tightly in foil. Place directly into the base of the slow cooker. Pile them high. But not so high that the lid won't fit tightly.
  • Cook on low for 10 hours, or high for 6 hours.
  • Pull out of the slow cooker and let cool slightly before handling. Cut them open, slather on all of your favorite tater toppings...and enjoy!

slow cooker baked potatoes

Note: Please keep a close eye on slow cookers that are outdoors…as you never know what kind of wildlife, or hungry neighbor, might find their way onto your porch for a sample!

See more $5 Dinners Cooking Tutorials here

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Filed Under: Budget Friendly Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, How To Cook, Potato Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes Tagged With: Cooking Tutorial Techniques, frugal living

Comments

  1. April Sullivan says

    August 4, 2010 at 7:20 pm

    Such a great idea! I have a slow cooker with a divider, and will have to try this with some chili in the other side.

    And just a note… I’ve had to put my slow cooker in the garage (the aroma was making me so hungry I’d eat anything not nailed down), but I don’t recommend putting it on the dryer. It might smash to pieces when you turn on the dryer. : )

    Reply
  2. Alisa - One Frugal Foodie says

    August 4, 2010 at 7:42 pm

    Brilliant idea! I will be trying this as soon as potatoes go on sale. Hope your little one does okay with the challenge.

    Reply
  3. Clara says

    August 4, 2010 at 8:11 pm

    I was going to recommend an enclosed garage as well.

    Reply
  4. Sheridan says

    August 4, 2010 at 8:19 pm

    This sounds like a great idea! i recently got 20 pounds of potatoes @ 28 cents/lb. Will it work with the crock in it? or set in the base with foil on top? My cover doesn’t fit on the base alone. 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      July 17, 2014 at 9:05 am

      Is that a serious question? Why would you use your crock pot without the crock?

      Reply
    • Sherri S. says

      July 30, 2014 at 5:06 pm

      Please ignore any snide comments, Sheridan. Use your base in your cooker for this recipe. I’ve cooked potatoes this way many times, with and without foil. I prefer without the foil–just because it saves time.

      Reply
  5. GrammieChickie says

    August 4, 2010 at 8:30 pm

    Was wondering if you can cook meat with the potatoes on top? I know you would be adding liquid for the meat. Could have a meal ready after work. 🙂
    Thanks,
    GrammieChickie

    Reply
  6. Jan says

    August 4, 2010 at 9:22 pm

    I just cook them in the crock pot plain with no water and no foil

    Reply
  7. LisaE says

    August 4, 2010 at 9:28 pm

    I just did this last week with sweet potatoes. I was at my camper and had a pork roast cooking in my crock pot. During the last hour or so, I placed my pricked and wrapped sweet potatoes on top and they cooked perfectly. I just heated up a veg and a complete meal was made…easy. I do use my crock pot on the deck of my camper and makes outside smell so nice;-

    Reply
  8. Debbie Fick says

    August 4, 2010 at 10:39 pm

    I have been cooking my baked potatoes in the crockpot also but I do not use foil or prick. I just scrub the potates,spray with Pam or veg oil and put in the crock pot on high-usually done in about 3 hrs. They taste much better to us than Baked in the oven.

    Reply
    • Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

      August 5, 2010 at 10:26 am

      @Debbie Fick,

      Cool Debbie…I’ll have to try it that way. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Alea says

    August 4, 2010 at 11:19 pm

    Perfect timing! I just started harvesting my potatoes, but am reluctant to heat up the kitchen to cook them.

    Reply
  10. Rebecca says

    August 4, 2010 at 11:39 pm

    Hmm. I’d done them wrapped in foil in the crock. They taste wonderful, though the texture’s a bit more dense/moist than oven baked (IMHO). I’m going to try it without wrapping in foil sometime in the next couple of days. Ya’ll got me craving a baked potato!

    Reply
  11. Kim says

    August 5, 2010 at 7:43 am

    Awesome idea. I have got to try this. Thanks for the tip.

    Reply
  12. Malisa says

    August 5, 2010 at 10:24 am

    Have you ever had baked potatoes in the microwave? It only takes a few minutes per potatoe. Clean them, wrap them in saran wrap and stick in the microwave. Most microwaves even have a potatoe button. We do this a lot to save time when cooking after work and before other evening activities.

    Reply
    • Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

      August 5, 2010 at 10:26 am

      @Malisa,

      I have Malisa…but I like the taste/consistency of the potatoes when they are slow cooked or baked in the oven.

      Reply
      • Malisa says

        August 5, 2010 at 11:28 am

        I will have to try them. Thanks! 🙂

        Reply
  13. jeanna says

    August 5, 2010 at 11:08 am

    I put meat/sauce (like chicken pieces or pork w/ BBQ sauce or italian dressing), place a square of foil (barrier) and then put the wrapped potatoes on top. Cook all day in the crockpot and all I have to do when I get home is make a salad or some other vege. Its a feast!

    Reply
  14. Karen Means says

    August 5, 2010 at 11:32 am

    We cook our “baked potatoes” in the pressure cooker. This way we save time and don’t heat up the house either.

    Reply
    • Genessa says

      July 18, 2011 at 12:57 pm

      Karen-

      What are the directions for baked potatoes in the pressure cooker? I am always looking for new ways to use mine. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lori NY says

        February 28, 2015 at 10:28 pm

        I received my stainless steel pressure cooker as a gift and didn’t know what a treasure it was for over a year! I got it out and showed it to a friend and she told me it was very useful. I use it for potatoes, stew beef and dried beans all the time! It’s a wonderful tool in my kitchen. The potatoes take 3 minutes if cut up, and rapid cool. I don’t think they would take much longer if they were whole. The dried beans take 30 minutes. All you have to do is rinse them and of course check for stones or yucky ones. You can also rapid cool them and if you take one and squish it between your fingers and it’s still hard there are 2 reasons for that (1) you need to cook them longer so just add more water and do it a little longer or (2) your beans are really old. The beauty of pressure cooking your dried beans is they aren’t loaded with salt, you can freeze them, you can make them into refried beans, etc. Stew beef is so tender, I can’t remember how long that takes but you can’t rapid cool meat. You should have your booklet if not look on the internet for your model. Good luck! I love mine and no they don’t blow up in the kitchen they have safety things to prevent that.

        Reply
  15. Jackie says

    August 5, 2010 at 8:55 pm

    One suggestion cooking in a hot, sunny climate: make a solar oven from a foil-lined corrugated cardboard box and use sunshine to bake the potatoes for FREE! At our Connecticut house we use our solar box oven to bake potatoes, apple crisp, and brownies.

    Reply
  16. Elaine says

    August 6, 2010 at 2:40 am

    Put them in the base without the insert?

    Reply
  17. tammy says

    August 6, 2010 at 8:13 am

    I wrapped baking potatoes in foil and added them to the grill when I batch-cooked burgers the other day. They stayed in about 15 minutes after I pulled the Cajun burgers from the fire. Served the burgers with fresh guac and froze the rest. The potatoes are in the fridge for another day/meal

    Reply
  18. Deanna says

    August 21, 2010 at 10:33 am

    We like our potatoes seasoned (like in restaurants) so I wash and prick mine, then spray with oil (you could use butter or margarine, too) and sprinkle with sea salt, Lawry’s seasonsing salt, or any favorite spice mixtures before wrapping with foil. They’re so moist and tasty–just like in steakhouses!!

    Reply
    • Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

      August 21, 2010 at 3:30 pm

      @Deanna,

      Love the preseasoning idea!

      Reply
  19. nora axt says

    September 10, 2010 at 12:44 pm

    I cooked my potatoes in the crockpot without water, because it reads do not cook on the base and my crockpot cracked– not a good idea! 🙁 (husband was not too happy)

    Reply
  20. JON says

    September 21, 2012 at 8:31 pm

    I just got done reading all of the comments.
    I have a problem with potatoes in the crock pot being hard after 12 hours on LOW.
    My spouse cooks everything on LOW for up to 10-12 hours and the potatoes are so hard you can not mash them with a fork no matter how hard you try.
    Many comments gave no details of how they cook. High or Low is hardly ever mentioned. Times are sometimes very vague.
    I think it would be very helpful if cooks would provide details on what they are doing.
    Does anyone use an infrared digital thermometer to determine cooking temps? Harbor Freight has them pretty cheap. I like to know what is going on in the pot and lots of other things.
    If I can figure out how to do potatoes correctly, I will repost. I don’t want to have to microwave them.
    Next project is working with an Induction Cook top.
    Regards,

    Reply
  21. Janette says

    June 26, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    I make my sweet potatoes in my crock pot on low over night. I wrap them in foil, spray my crock with coconut oil ( sweet potatoes are juicy) and have them with my breakfast. There is no need to add anything to them they are moist, sweet and wonderful. You can if you want add a few shakes of cinnamon to them, yum! I’ve been doing this for a few months now. I will cook a bunch at a time and freeze some as well. Now I will need to try the white potato in my crock pot once it cools down a little here in Texas 😉

    Reply
  22. Janet Warren says

    July 17, 2014 at 10:58 am

    What a great idea! And thanks everyone for the other ideas posted to this article. I live baked potatoes but hate the thought of turning on the oven.

    Reply

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