Set this before church and came home to potatoes so tender they practically melted on my fork.

This is my favorite kind of Sunday supper side: three ingredients, five minutes of hands-on time, and you come home to potatoes so tender they practically melt on your fork. It’s built for those busy mornings when you’re trying to get everyone out the door for church or errands, but still want something cozy and homemade waiting in the slow cooker. Thick-sliced Yukon Golds simmer all day in a simple, creamy sauce until they’re fork-tender and golden around the edges—no babysitting, no fuss, just pure comfort food.

These slow cooker Sunday supper potatoes are perfect alongside roast chicken, pot roast, ham, or even grilled sausages if you’re firing up the grill later. I like to spoon extra creamy sauce over the top of the meat on my plate so nothing goes to waste. Add a simple green salad, steamed green beans, or roasted broccoli to balance out the richness. They’re also great with a side of crusty bread or dinner rolls to mop up all the creamy, buttery sauce. If you have leftovers, they reheat well with a splash of milk or broth in a skillet the next day.

Servings: 6

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and thick-sliced (about 1/2-inch rounds)

Lightly grease the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or softened butter. This helps keep the potatoes from sticking and makes cleanup easier.

Scrub the Yukon Gold potatoes well and pat them dry. Leave the skins on for texture and color, then slice them into thick 1/2-inch rounds. Thicker slices hold up to the long, low cooking time and stay beautifully intact while still becoming fork-tender.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup and heavy cream until smooth and fully combined. If using, stir in the salt and black pepper. The mixture will be thick; it will loosen and get extra creamy as it cooks.

Spread a thin layer (2 to 3 tablespoons) of the soup-cream mixture over the bottom of the slow cooker. This creates a little cushion of sauce so the bottom layer of potatoes cooks gently.

Arrange a layer of thick-sliced potatoes over the sauce, overlapping them slightly like shingles. Spoon some of the soup-cream mixture over the potatoes, using the back of the spoon to spread it around so most slices get a light coating.

Continue layering potatoes and sauce, finishing with a generous layer of sauce on top. Don’t worry if every slice isn’t perfectly coated; the sauce will bubble and flow as it cooks, filling in the gaps.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork and the sauce is bubbling around the edges with a few golden brown spots on top. Avoid lifting the lid in the first few hours so the potatoes cook evenly and stay moist.

Once the potatoes are fork-tender and the sauce is creamy and slightly thickened, turn the slow cooker to WARM until you’re ready to serve. Gently scoop from the bottom with a large spoon or spatula to get both the tender potato slices and plenty of sauce in each serving.

Taste and adjust seasoning at the end, adding a pinch more salt or pepper if needed. Serve hot, straight from the slow cooker, making sure to spoon some of the bubbly, creamy sauce over the top of each portion.

To keep this truly 3-ingredient, you can skip the optional salt and pepper and rely on the seasoning in the condensed soup. For a vegetarian version, use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken. If you like a little extra richness, swap half of the heavy cream for sour cream, stirring it into the sauce mixture before layering. For a cheesier twist, sprinkle 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Colby Jack between the layers and on top during the last 30 minutes of cooking so it melts without getting greasy. You can also add thinly sliced onions or a sprinkle of dried herbs (like thyme or parsley) between layers for more flavor without adding much effort. If you’re short on time, you can cook on HIGH for about 3 to 4 hours, but the potatoes are at their most “melt-on-your-fork” tender when cooked low and slow. Food safety tips: Keep the slow cooker covered while cooking to maintain a safe, consistent temperature, and always start with clean, scrubbed potatoes. Do not leave the slow cooker on the “Warm” setting for more than 3 to 4 hours after cooking is complete. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow container and reheat until steaming hot (165°F/74°C) before serving again. Discard any potatoes that have sat out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.