Holiday Weekend Hero: Just 5 ingredients. I make it when I want a savory dish handled hours ahead of the gathering.

Prep the potatoes: Scrub the russet potatoes well and pat dry. Leave the skins on for extra flavor and structure. Slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, trying to keep them as even as possible so they cook at the same rate.
Make the savory glaze: In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the melted butter, chicken broth, dry onion soup mix, and kosher salt until the soup mix is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks well combined. This will become the glossy, savory glaze that bubbles up around the potatoes as they cook.

Prepare the slow cooker: Lightly grease the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with a bit of the butter mixture or a spritz of cooking spray. This helps the disks release easily and encourages those caramelized edges we want.
Form the potato disks: Working with a handful of potato slices at a time, stack the rounds together in your hand like a tidy little deck of cards. Stand each stack upright in the slow cooker, creating rows of potato disks packed snugly next to each other. Continue until the slow cooker is mostly filled, leaving just a bit of space at the top for the liquid to bubble.
Pour on the glaze: Slowly pour the butter-broth mixture evenly over the potato disks, making sure it seeps down between the rows. Use a spoon to gently nudge the liquid around so everything gets some of that savory coating. The liquid will not completely cover the potatoes—that’s what allows the tops to caramelize while the lower parts become tender and glazed.

Slow cook until tender and caramelized: Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork and the edges are deeply golden, with a bubbling, translucent savory glaze pooling at the bottom. Avoid lifting the lid too often so the heat and steam stay trapped.
Finish and hold for serving: Once the potatoes are done, you can switch the slow cooker to WARM for up to 1 to 2 hours. The glaze will continue to thicken slightly as it sits, clinging to the potato disks. Just before serving, gently spoon some of the savory juices from the bottom of the slow cooker back over the tops so every serving is glossy and moist.
Serve: Use a wide spoon or small spatula to lift out sections of the stacked disks, keeping the layers together as much as possible. Spoon a bit of the extra glaze over each portion and serve hot, straight from the slow cooker.
Variations & Tips