We LOVE baked potatoes in this house…even Annie chows down on them. However, I find that I don’t make them very often. Why? Well, for some reason I just hate heating up the whole oven to make potatoes. I know that’s weird. In the summer, it makes sense to avoid it because of heating up the house, but in the winter I have no excuse.
But then I came across a genius idea…to “bake” potatoes in the crock pot! I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it…we’ll chalk it up to sleep deprivation and Momnesia. But, there were a few problems I was seeing with all the posts out there about crock pot potatoes.
- They used aluminum foil. We try not to use aluminum foil much in this house and I really hate it touching my food…so I sure didn’t want to cover my potatoes with it for 8 hours in high heat. You can call me paranoid – as long as you call me for dinner.
- If you didn’t use foil, some people reported that the potatoes ended up all brown and grody looking. I’m not sure about you, but there’s something about eating food that looks ugly and gross…I’d be hard pressed to eat a potato that looked like doody – because I see enough doody in my day.
Enter….
my idea to use parchment paper instead! I recently have begun a love affair with parchment paper. The stuff is just cool. It’s like paper – for your kitchen. Amazing, huh? We like the natural type – I found it at Earth Fare.
Parchment paper is safe to use up to 500 degrees without worrying about it catching on fire. I have enough to worry about without worrying that I’m setting the house on fire with potatoes in my crock pot. Speaking of fire, you can catch hot mitts on fire in the oven. Just thought you might want to know.
We only need two things for this magic – salt and olive oil. I like Real Salt but you can use whatever you have. Oh, and potatoes. We need potatoes for this recipe…use however many you want. Don’t forget them though – oil and salt do not a tasty dinner make.
I laid out 5 pieces of parchment paper because I was baking 5 potatoes…genius, I’m a total genius. Poke each potato a few times with a fork.Coat each potato with a bit of olive oil and then rub on some salt. It’s going to give the peeling a nice delicious flavor…you don’t want to skip this part.
I could lie and tell you that this part isn’t messy. But I won’t…I had oil and salt all over the joint before I was done. And those oiled potatoes are slippery little boogers.
Now, roll up each potato in its piece of paper. Tuck the ends under or twist them. Whatever floats your boat. Clean up the oil you got everywhere – otherwise later you’ll wonder what’s all over the bottom of your computer.
Place potatoes in crock. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours. The time really varies because of potato size. I used some medium-sized baking potatoes this time. If you’re using ginormous potatoes, you might need 5-6 hours. If you’re using little potatoes, then quit this mess and make something else. Because really, who wants a little potato? Amen.
After 4 hours, mine were fork tender…but not mushy. I hate mushy potatoes. I hate earwigs too, but that’s neither here nor there.
It wasn’t time for dinner yet, so I just turned my crock to “warm” and let them stay in there until we were ready to eat. It was like its own little warming chamber. Cute.
Serve with the fixins’ of your choice. We like butter, cheese, and sour cream. Bon Appetit! (Now, imagine me saying that in my country slang.)
Crock Pot Baked Potatoes
- Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Parchment Paper
- Wash potatoes and dry completely.
- Poke each potato with a fork a few times.
- Coat each potato with olive oil and then rub with salt.
- Roll each individual potato up into a piece of parchment paper.
- Place in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until fork tender.
- Serve or place crock pot on “warm” until ready to serve.
HOORAY!! I cook sweet potatoes EVERY week so I have one for lunch or supper every day. This is going to be WAYYY easier for my schedule. Thanks Stacy!!
Love the parchment paper idea! Have read other sites where they didn’t wrap or poke their taters and got good results – have you tried them that way? I will be trying yours tomorrow 🙂 and thanks!
Nope – this is the only way I’ve tried it. 🙂
I love the way you talk! I am Canadian but went to university in the US with students from all over the US, Canada and a few from overseas. I miss the diversity of accents and speech mannerisms. Thanks for brightening my day!
Ha, ha! You’ll get plenty of diversity with me! LOL
I love reading your commentary through the post – you remind me of…me! =)
Ha, ha! You must be the funny sort. 😉
I’m so glad you found it helpful!
Thanks for sharing this. It’s just to hot to turn on the oven, so enter the crock pot. I am so glad I found this recipe and without the use of foil. 🙂
Well, thanks for stopping by! And I’m so glad it worked out for ya! 🙂
Thanks, Stacy. I follow you on IG but have never visited your blog. I saw baked potatoes in the crockpot on Pinterest and when I googled directions, I found your post. I used your method with oil, salt, and parchment paper. Perfect! I used leftover bacon grease for the potatoes and coconut oil for the sweet potatoes and put a big pile of both into the slow cooker. Big hit!
Love the baked potato recipe! We have a similar recipe in our GetCrocking! app, but I haven’t even tried it yet. BTW… GetCrocking! will be coming to Android devices soon; hopefully just before Christmas. Crock on!
That’s GREAT news! 🙂 Crock on!
I’ve been doing this for a while, except I just cooked them “naked” because I also don’t trust aluminum foil…and it’s not reusable. I’ll have to try this way because they sound tasty! I’ve never really used parchment paper because I didn’t know what it was, I’ll have to get me some.
I thought I was silly for wanting a second crock pot, but it’s nice to know that so many other commenters agree that one is not enough!
Yes, you need a second one…for real. 😉
I’ve never used foil or parchment paper for this. I just scrub the spuds, prick them with a fork, put them in the crock pot, and pour a little water in for steam. But the oiled and salted skins- Mmm! I’m certainly trying it your way! Thanks.
I wanted to try it that way, but I read so many comments about that making the insides of the potato turn brown. I can’t figure out why though. It’s good to know that it does work for some people! 🙂 If it works, I say keep on keepin’ on!
I love your baked potato idea! I will be trying it. I must say though that the best part of reading your blog is your sense of humor! I love it! I hope to see more.
🙂 Ha! There is plenty of Stacy Sarcasm to go around!
Your potatoes look really good. I love a good baked potato. I use your same ‘recipe’ except I cut the potatoes in half and add a slice on onion to them. Then wrap in the paper and bake. So good. The onion is just yummy cooked with the potato. Even my grandsons love onion when cooked with potatoes.
Oh my goodness! Cooked onions are a thing of beauty. Yum, yum!
What a great idea! You are, indeed, a force to be reckoned with! 😉 BUT – have you tried stuffed potatoes? Just bake them, stuff them with your favorite meat center and add topping of choice. We like ours stuffed with beef taco meat, topped with shredded Tex-Mex cheese, and a small side salad! Super simple, and oh, so tasty!
Oh yeah, I’ve totally been there….and last weekend I stuffed them with eggs and baked until done. DELISH!
Stacy, I am so glad Heather R at HF brought you to speak at our Sat women’s group a couple of years ago. You REALLY have blessed my life by your ideas, your humor, and thoughts. I’ve got 4 crockpots too…so glad to have the idea of parchment paper instead of aluminum foil. When you get to be my age the brain memory needs all the help it can get! Come to the Bristol Campus sometime!
Yay for 4 crock pots!!!!! 🙂 Thanks for your kind words, Betty Lynne. 🙂
I think you are a crock pot genius!!! what a great idea!! I also hate heating up the oven for just potatoes. I think this was instilled in me by my mother who hated the idea also. Especially in the summer. We lived in the city with houses so close together you could walk out your kitchen door and be at your neighbor’s back door in 6 steps–and no air conditioning.
You know – that might be why I hate it too…my Mama never did it. They didn’t have air conditioning until I moved out for college – figures. 😉
Awesome – you just made me so happy I wish I could hug you! My husband gets home several hours before I do (he works noon to 8 and I work 3 to midnight.) I was just thinking last night that I ought to get some potatoes wrapped and ready for him to toss in the oven to have baked potatoes for dinner along with the steak casserole I was planning to make for him to bake when he got home. This will be way easier – and one less step/thing to keep track of for him. Yay!
Yay indeed! 🙂
Steak casserole, Alicia? Uhmm…..where’s the recipe?! Puh-leeeze! 😉
OKAY!! I know I could Google IT, but I think your definition would be more entertaining … “What in heck is an EARWIG???” Also, Momnesia is a lifelong ailment … my baby is 25 and I still suffer from it!! You crack me up and I really needed to laugh today. Thank you and God bless!!!
If you have earwigs, you know it. They’re demon creatures. They’re some type of beetle looking thing with pinchers on the butt . They make grown men cry and have nightmares. Devils. *Shudder* (http://api.fmanager.net/files/fossils/alive/SI1772_earwig_1.jpg)
I think it’s the name. Earwig? It’s going to eat my brains, I just know it…
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! Just the thought of that makes me go nutso!
Can you just spray them with olive oil cooking spray? It would be easier.
Well yes I could…but that would be too easy and apparently I like doing things the hard way. LOL
I hate earwigs too!
I nearly died laughing when I read “oil and salt do not a tasty dinner make.”
Well, it’s true ain’t it? 🙂
I just recently started using parchment paper, too. And I’ve held off baking potatoes in the crock pot for the very same reason! Happy to know I can do it now 🙂
Parchment paper rocks! And you can write on it…what more can you ask for? I mean, really.
I use red skin potatoes instead of Russsets. They cook in less time and the skin in tasty too. Another variation is to make a pouch with some garlic cloves and olive oil and place it on top of the potatoes. When the poatoes are done, unwrap them and the cooked garlic cloves in the crock pot and make up a batch of garlic mashed potatoes with whatever additional items you want to add. Don’t forget to turn the pot setting to warm until serving time!
Good tip, thanks!
These look great!! – Do the skins turn out differently when using parchment vs. aluminum foil? Also, do we not need to prick the skin of the potatoes before baking or will they not explode in a crockpot? Just wondering from someone with experience! Keep up the great work! I love your sense of humor!!
BHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! I totally forgot the part about the fork pricks! 🙂 Thank you! I’ve added it now. I’d be responsible for exploding potatoes all over the United States! LOL
I have never used foil for these (we try not to use much foil), so I don’t know the difference. The skins turned out great though – we ate them with the flesh.
I love that someone else out there still uses the word “grody”. I like the potato idea too. I’m thinkin I might need 2 crockpots soon. One for meat and another for potatoes.
Of course you need two! For Pete’s sake…I have FOUR. lol
What a great idea! Crockpots are like one of the best inventions ever… 🙂
Better than sliced bread. Amen and amen.
Great idea, Stacy – thanks! By the way, I love your sense of humor!! 🙂
Thanks. 🙂 It comes naturally.
What a fantastic idea, and I just bought a second crockpot, but while I am cooking a roast in one, I can now put potatoes in the other. That really is a genius idea, thanks so much. Have a great day!
Everyone should have at least two crock pot…I’m aiming to have ten. LOL
I am addicted to crock pots. I buy them at the thrift store. The only thing that keeps me from buying more is storage space. I have 4. One 2-quart, two 4.5-quart, and one 5-quart. Mine are ancient so no “warm” setting. I know I’m totally addicted. As soon as I read about your warm setting I started yearning for one of those. You crack me up, by the way. And what a great tutorial! Thanks! I’ll be doing this tomorrow, as I’m planning to dig the potatoes today!
I have four: 2 quart, 4 quart, 5 quart, and 6 quart. 🙂 And I love each one…but I need a 3 quart. LOL LOL
I was just going to try sweet potatoes in the crockpot yesterday lol! Glad to see it does work! Yum!
Sweet potatoes = true love!
This post makes me sad….because I WANT TO MAKE THESE AND EVERY OTHER CROCK POT RECIPE SOOOO BAD! …and my son dropped my crock and it cracked..right up the middle..two pieces. 🙁 sad sad sad! I need to find me a good deal on one so I can get a new/used one! and then my life will be much better. 🙂
Well, if you can wait I know they always have good deals on Black Friday!!
Oh thank you! I am SO gonna make these tonight!! You ARE a genius! Have a blessed day!
Crock on, sista. Crock on.
You know it must be momnesia–I love my crockpot and never thought of doing this—guess we are having baked potatoes soon!
Momnesia is a disease…and it seems to be going around. I picked it up at the hospital. 😉
I agree. Save the little potatoes for Crash Hot potatoes! Yum.
TOTALLY! Those things will make you slap yo mama.