Today's recipe for Spuds in the Crockpot might not be the kind of "spuds" you'd think. When Grandma wrote out this recipe, she didn't mean real potatoes, or "spuds" as Grandpa used to call them, she meant boxed au gratin potatoes. I just had to share this because it's in her own handwriting, and the fact that she used the word "spuds" just cracked me up! Grandpa called potatoes "spuds" all the time - it was just one of those old-fashioned terms he used. I love this photo of him as a young man - possibly about the time he and Grandma got married. Maybe even at a Sunday dinner, guessing by the way he's all dressed up - and we know he was young by the way his tie is tied! Ha! Who knew that this guy would grow up to be one of the best-dressed men I have ever known?!! 
I wonder who that is peeking out of the doorway behind him?
I also love the car - don't know if it was his. Anyhoo - back to the potatoes - Grandma was famous for using boxed potatoes and let me just say they they are one of our family's ultimate comfort foods. In fact, she very easily could have made this particular "recipe" for Easter dinner when the whole family was coming (thus the 3 boxes), and put them in the crockpot so they wouldn't take up any room in the oven. She also probably didn't have a pan big enough to fit in 3 boxes of potatoes. The added bonus - they're incredibly easy to make! AND they're delicious! We hadn't had them for quite some time, and when I made these for a Sunday dinner recently, the smell of them in the crockpot brought dinners at the farm with Grandma and Grandpa right back to us!
Here is the recipe as I made it:
Spuds in the Crockpot
Put into greased crockpot (she says they stick easily, and as usual, she wasn't wrong):
Contents of 3 - 4.7 ounce boxes of au gratin potatoes (I used Betty Crocker) - potatoes and cheese packet
6 Tablespoons butter
6 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups milk
Grandma says to cook on low for 2 hours or more, but I cooked them on high for 2 hours and then turned it down to low for about 1 1/2 hours.
This really is a great way to cook these potatoes - in go the potatoes, cheese packet, and butter. And yes - my crockpot was clean - just VERY well used!
Don't forget the milk and boiling water. Turn on the crockpot and a few hours later, they're done!
There they are - all hot and steamy!
I served the potatoes with chicken and Frozen Green Beans from our garden, but they're great with any meat - Pork Roast, Swedish Meatballs, or Easter Ham.
Yep - hot and steamy!
Whatever meat or main dish you choose to serve with these potatoes, they're gonna be a hit! They're so good, and we all agreed that this is a great way to cook them. When cooked in the oven, you do get a bit of a crusty top, but these were hot and creamy and cooked just perfectly. My family knows good comfort food when we see it (or taste it), and it usually started with Grandma. Try this very easy way to cook Spuds in the Crockpot and make your next meal a memorable one.
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