Crock pot breakfast potatoes make the perfect breakfast side dish for sausage, bacon, or eggs! They're loaded with onions, bell peppers, and zesty spices, coming together for a delicious side dish for breakfast or brunch that will leave you full and satisfied.
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Potatoes are one of my favorite ingredients to cook in the slow cooker. For holidays, it's my favorite way to cook mashed potatoes especially when the oven and stove are already loaded up with other dishes. But when I discovered that I could make potatoes in the slow cooker I was over the moon!
There's just something about a breakfast loaded with potatoes that really hits the spot and it's even better when I can cook them without a ton of time and attention. I love to make these for my family because it easily feeds us all and the flavors just pop.
If you love crock pot potatoes you've got to try these slow cooker roasted potatoes, crack potato casserole, tater tot breakfast casserole, or crock pot baked potatoes next!
Why You’ll Love This Breakfast Potatoes in a Crock Pot Recipe
- Hands-off cooking: There's no need to stand over the stove or watch the potatoes cook. These potatoes are perfect for busy mornings! Just get them started and go about your morning.
- Flavorful results: A simple mixture of spices infuses the potatoes with flavor as they cook slowly. The result are delicious and tender potatoes that go with just about any breakfast dish.
- Versatile: Customize slow cooker breakfast potatoes with your favorite veggies, cheese, meats, spices, or herbs. The possibilities are endless! Be sure to check the variations section below for some inspiration.
Ingredients
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes are my favorite for making breakfast or brunch potatoes. This all-purpose potato cooks up tender and maintains its shape and texture in the slow cooker. You can also use Russet potatoes or red potatoes with decent results as well if you prefer or that's what you have on hand.
- Vegetables: Red bell peppers and onions are popular additions for breakfast potatoes. They add a bit of sweetness and more complex flavor the potatoes. Feel free to swap the red pepper for any other color bell pepper.
- Butter: Important for the rich flavor it adds to the potatoes but also helps keep the vegetables and potatoes from sticking to the slow cooker.
- Seasonings: We're adding minced garlic, salt, black pepper, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika for more depth of flavor.
- Cheddar cheese: The cheese melts as it cooks and combines with the butter creating a cheesy sauce that coats the potatoes. Feel free to sprinkle some more at the end of cooking so it can melt on top.
The full ingredient list and exact quantities of each one are included in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Flavor Variations
- Sweet potatoes for breakfast: Swap the regular potatoes for sweet potatoes. They bring a different nutritional profile and flavor to the side dish. They tend to cook a bit more quickly than white potatoes so be sure to check them halfway through the cooking time.
- Make it spicy: Add diced jalapenos, green chilies, or red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.
- Add some protein: If you want to transform this into a one-pot main dish for breakfast, add some diced ham, cooked breakfast sausage or crispy bacon to the potatoes towards the end of cooking. Just be sure to cook and drain the sausage or bacon ahead of time.
- Cheesy potatoes: Sprinkle on some Colby Jack, provolone, and Monterey Jack cheese instead of cheddar or use a combination of cheeses.
- More veggies: If love veggies add some mushrooms along with the onions and peppers at the start of cooking.
If you love easy potato dishes, I think you will enjoy these cheesy bacon ranch potatoes.
How To Make Crock Pot Breakfast Potatoes
These potatoes only take a few minutes of prep to set up. After that, the slow cooker does all the work. You'll be in and out of the kitchen and back to the morning rush in no time.
- Step 1: Load it up. Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker.
- Step 2: Cook. Turn the slow cooker and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Step 3: Add any toppings. Add any "extra" ingredients to your breakfast potatoes like extra cheese, cooked sausage, or crispy bacon. Stir it in and give it a few minutes to melt or heat up.
- Step 4: Serve and enjoy! Serve them up with your favorite breakfast main dish or enjoy for lunch or dinner as well.
Hint for Perfect Potatoes!
Cut the potatoes, pepper, and onions into bite-sized pieces for even cooking and easy eating.
Storage
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Reheat the potatoes in a medium saucepan with a little butter and cook over medium-low heat until heated through. If they're frozen, defrost them overnight in the refrigerator.
What To Serve With Breakfast Potatoes
These potatoes make a tasty side dish for breakfast on a busy morning, on a special or holiday, for family brunch, or even as a breakfast for dinner side dish. They're perfect potatoes for a crowd and you can even cook a double batch when you have company coming.
Enjoy them with casseroles like my easy breakfast casserole or this crock pot tater tot breakfast casserole. You can even enjoy them on the side or stuffed into these crock pot breakfast burritos. Add on some slow cooker apple cinnamon rolls for something sweet to round out your meal.
Expert Tips
- Prep the Potatoes. Make sure to cut the potatoes and vegetables into bite-size pieces so they cook fully within the specified time. You also want them all to be similar in size so that they cook in the same amount of time.
- Cutting the Potatoes Ahead. If you chop up the potatoes in advance, submerge them in a bowl of water to keep them from turning brown.
- Stir and Mix. Mix everything together after it's added to the pot and then give your potatoes a gentle stir just before serving to ensure everything is evenly mixed together.
Recipe FAQs
This term means cutting the food into ½ to 1-inch cubes which is generally considered easy to eat in one bite. For this recipe, cut the potatoes within this range making sure they are all similar in size for even cooking.
If you cut your potatoes into chunks that are too large, it will take longer for them to cook.
Yes, you can but you need to use a slow cooker with a timer in order to prevent over-cooked potatoes. When cooked on low, the potatoes only need to cook for 4-5 hours which is less time than what's considered a good night's sleep.
You can but it may work better in a larger slow cooker. For best results, you want to avoid filing the crock pot more than two-thirds of the way full so as long as it stays below that you can cook more than one batch of potatoes.
More Crock Pot Breakfast Recipes
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Breakfast Potatoes in the Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium red bell pepper cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker. Mix until well-coated.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 ½ to 3 hours or on low for 4 to 5 hours. Make sure the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add cheese to the top of the potatoes. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Give a gentle stir before serving, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen says
If you love hearty breakfast, you will love these potatoes.