Baked Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

Still too hot here to turn on the oven, but not hot enough for the air conditioning. All that will change this weekend, though. It's supposed to be 94 and May is a good month to relent and turn on the canned air. I'll be sad to close up all the windows--they won't be open again until October! This recipe for baked potatoes is so incredibly, ridiculously, insanely easy. They also taste better than oven baked potatoes. (Did you know that microwaves steam potatoes, not bake them?)

You will need:

slow cooker
baking potatoes
aluminum foil
2 paper towels



That's it! Scrub the potatoes super, squeaky clean and dry them completely. (I use my potato buddy. So adorable.) You can rub the skins with oil or butter and sprinkle them with salt, but I put butter and salt in the potato before eating it and I figure that's enough. Prick each potato a couple of times with a fork.



Wrap each potato tightly in the foil, place in the slow cooker and turn on low.



Take two paper towels (don't rip them apart from each other) and lay them across the top of the slow cooker, but not down into it. Place the lid on top. That will keep the moisture that builds up from dripping down onto the potatoes.



Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
The potatoes turn a beautiful golden color inside, not white like in the oven. Cooking the potatoes this way gives them a richer, deeper flavor. (Please be careful unwrapping the foil because the potatoes are screaming hot.)



Top with butter,



sour cream,



cheese, etc. Bacon would be awesome, but I was out. Chives, too!




These are so filling that, paired with a salad, you really don't need anything else. Perfect for meatless night (which we do once a week). Absolutely perfect.



Enjoy!!