Pile in the potatoes, then go away.

The question is: If you cook a potato in your slow cooker, can you still call it a baked potato? Wouldn’t it technically be a crocked potato, considering the lack of actual baking?

While I don’t see “crocked potatoes” catching on anytime soon, I predict that cooking your spuds in the crockpot will. Slow cooking your scrubbed, whole potatoes results in a perfect, moist, ready-to-be-topped tater that seems to be almost foolproof.

Another upshot of the slow cooker baked potato is that it seems impossible for it to overcook or dry out. I wouldn’t want to test it for 24 hours just for kicks, but I did leave my potatoes in the crockpot for a whole three hours longer than I intended while I shopped. I nervously cut one open, and was hit with a blast of steam from a perfect potato specimen.

The slow cooker is reknowned for holding in moisture, so I suspect that overcooking would be very hard to do, considering the amount of liquid in just one potato. Oven-baked potatoes, however? You probably know as well as I do that overcooking by even just a little gets you a rock-hard skin on the outside and a gummy potato on the inside.

Of course the fun part of baked, crocked, or whatever-you-want-to-call-them potatoes is getting to top them. It might work for Las Vegas waitresses, but when it comes to potatoes, nobody likes them topless.

I opted for ricotta cheese, and a spinach-Parmesan mixture I whipped up on the fly, while the fiance opened a can of chili. We both ate two, making a meal out of them, and were thrilled to have leftovers to fry up the next morning with peppers and onions. Make extra –it’s worth it.

Potato with light Ricotta and sauteed spinach, garlic, onion, Parmesan, and Mozzarella cheese.

Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients: As many potatoes as you can fit in your slow cooker. (I recommend at least 4 just for even heat distribution.)

Directions: Scrub potatoes and prick with a fork multiple times. Wrap in foil and pile in the crock of your slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 3-4 hours. Do not add any water. Seriously.

Topping Ideas:

• *Traditional: butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, and bacon crumbles.
• *Thick Greek yogurt, green onions, and kalamata olives.
• *Ricotta cheese and spinach.
• *Hot chili and shredded cheddar.
• *Tuna salad or baked beans (They love it in England. No joke.)
• *Chunky garden salsa.
• *Chopped fresh tomatoes or sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Have a favorite potato topping, from the weird to the wonderful? Leave a comment and share it with other crock teases.

That’s why it doesn’t have to make sense to you that my fiance and I have a 4th of July tradition that includes shepherd’s pie. What started by accident is now something we look forward to every year, and we have the whole rest of the summer for cold beer, barbecue and cookouts.

It’s not a bad way to celebrate independence, anyway. It’s like telling England, “Hey, keep your king; we’ll just take your good stuff”: shepherd’s pie, Earl Grey tea, Double Gloucester cheese.

Shepherd’s pie is possibly one of the most perfect comfort foods on Earth, with macaroni and cheese being a too-close-too-call contender. This slow cooker version makes it even more comforting by taking out all the effort. Just toss in your leftovers and forget it for a few hours.

The potato topping cooks up beautifully when left to its own devices.

I made a batch of savory hot scones to serve with our shepherd’s pie, flecked with turkey bacon, green onions, and lots of black pepper. You can pick up bakery scones to make your English-themed meal trouble-free, and pick up pre-washed arugula for a salad. Score trivia points by telling everyone that arugula is always called “rocket” on UK menus.

A savory batch of scones maintains the Anglophile theme.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

12-16 oz vegetarian ground meat crumbles (like Morningstar Farms Sausage-Style)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 cup diced tomatoes, well-drained
1 tsp. dried thyme (1 tbsp fresh)
2 tbsp tomato paste
Fresh ground pepper
4 cups Italian-style green beans, well-drained (or any vegetable)
6 cups cooked mashed potatoes

Directions: Spray the crock of your slow cooker with non-stick spray. Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl, then spread into the bottom of your slow cooker. Layer vegetables on top of the faux meat mixture, then top with potatoes. Grind extra black pepper on top if desired. Cook on low for 4 hours, or on high for 2 hours.

Tips: In an extra-cheesy mood, when my pie was finished, I added 4 oz of grated sharp cheese and put the entire crock under the broiler for five minutes until bubbly.

Get out your drawstring pants.

No leftover mashed potatoes and no time to prepare them? No problem. Bagged frozen mashed potatoes are surprisingly good too, and you can dress them up with some extra seasonings like rosemary and fresh ground pepper.

Use any vegetables you like. Make sure canned vegetables are well-drained and frozen veggies are pre-thawed so you don’t have excess moisture in your pot. Fresh veggies should be cut into small pieces so they will cook thoroughly. Try matchstick zucchini and yellow squash, or already-tiny fresh corn and green peas.

Feeling carnivorous? Real meat is even more traditional, but be extra-certain that you’ve drained any cooked meat of excess grease and moisture to make it slow cooker-friendly.

I can’t blame you if you file this one away for the Autumn months (and shepherd’s pie is a brilliant way to use up post-Thanksgiving leftovers), but don’t be afraid to try it this summer. The slow cooker keeps your house cool, and comfort food can be just what you need no matter the season.

You just might start a tradition of your own.