By: Jill Mills Posted: Apr 12, 2026

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With lots of shredded cheese, ranch seasoning, and bacon, these Cheesy Ranch Potatoes are a huge family favorite. They’re an easy dump-and-go crockpot side dish that pairs well with pretty much any protein. Oven instructions included, too!

Ranch makes everything taste better, according to my kids. There’s always a jar of homemade ranch dressing in the fridge and they request things like baked ranch wings all the time. It’s no surprise that these cheesy ranch potatoes have become one of their all-time favorite side dishes. I understand why, because I love them too! With bacon, cheese, and ranch seasoning, what’s not to love?! I usually make these in the crockpot, but I did include oven instructions below as well.

Why These Cheesy Ranch Potatoes Are A Family Favorite

They’re like loaded fries. These potatoes are topped with lots of cheese, ranch seasoning, bacon, and green onions – just like loaded fries! The only difference is the base is baby potatoes and there’s no frying.
Dump & go. My personal favorite thing about cheesy ranch potatoes is that I can just dump all of the ingredients in the crockpot and come back hours later to a side that everyone is ready to devour.
Versatile. If I let them, I think the boys would eat these as a full meal. But when it comes to side dishes, cheesy ranch potatoes go with pretty much any protein. Steak, pork, chicken, hot dogs, burgers…it’s all fair game with these potatoes!

Overhead view of ingredients needed to make cheesy ranch potatoes

Recipe Ingredients

These addicting potatoes are made with just a few ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

Baby potatoes – Baby red potatoes are perfect for this recipe. They just need to be sliced in half. No need to peel them! Be sure to clean and dry them first.
Aromatics – Diced onion and minced garlic add earthy flavor to the potatoes and pair nicely with the other flavors.
Bacon – Cooked and chopped.
Ranch seasoning – I used an envelope of ranch seasoning but homemade ranch seasoning works too.
Shredded cheese – I like to use Colby Jack but mozzarella, Monterey jack, parmesan, fiesta mix cheese, or any other shredded cheese works too.
Butter – If used salted butter, add less salt to the recipe.
Salt & pepper
Green onions – I like to top these potatoes with green onions or chives just before serving.

How To Make Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

These potatoes can be made in the slow cooker or in the oven. Both ways result in perfect potatoes! The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Halved baby potatoes, ranch seasoning, and bacon in a crockpot.

Cheddar cheese, butter, and spices on top of bacon and potatoes in a crockpot

In The Slow Cooker

Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon until crisp, then chop it into smaller pieces.
Combine the ingredients. Grease the inside of the crockpot. Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, and bacon, followed by the ranch seasoning mix, a cup of cheese, butter, salt, and pepper.
Cook. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. The potatoes should be fork-tender.
Combine. Stir everything together. Add the remaining cheese. Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Top with green onions. Enjoy!

In The Oven

Prep. Preheat the oven to 425F. Line the baking sheet with a slipmat.
Cook the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a pot. Top with water, covering the potatoes by an inch. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. They should be just tender.
Cook the other ingredients. In the meantime, cook the bacon over medium until crisp. Chop into smaller pieces. Saute the onion in the bacon grease until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Assemble. Drain the potatoes. Transfer to the baking sheet with the bacon and onions. Sprinkle with the ranch seasoning and drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil.
Bake. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to ensure they are crispy on all sides.
Add the cheese. Once crispy, remove from the oven. Season with salt and pepper then top evenly with the cheese. Return to the oven for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Enjoy. Garnish with green onions then enjoy!

Recipe Variations

Here are a few ways to customize this cheesy ranch potatoes recipe.

Use other potatoes. While I love baby potatoes for their size and ease, gold potatoes, red potatoes, and russet potatoes also work. Just cut into even 2-inch chunks.
Swap the bacon. For a different flavor, swap the bacon for sliced smoked sausage or ground beef. This also makes the dish a bit more filling and appropriate for an entree.
Add some veggies. Veggies like green beans, bell peppers, or zucchini can also be added to the recipe. It’s a great way to sneak in more veggies and make the dish more filling.

A plate in a plate of cheesy ranch potatoes

Serving Suggestions

Cheesy ranch potatoes are one of our favorite sides for pretty much any meal. They’re great with everything from fried pork chops to air fryer steak.

Sometimes, if I use sliced sausage instead of bacon, I’ll serve these as an entree with a simple side salad or some oven roasted vegetables.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers

Fridge. Store leftover cheesy ranch potatoes in an airtight container. They’re best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
Reheat. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, until heated through. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave, though they won’t be as crispy.

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Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

Servings: 6 people

Prep: 10

Cook: 6

Total: 6 10

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Ingredients

▢ 3 pounds baby red potatoes halved
▢ 1 onion diced
▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
▢ 8-10 slices bacon cooked and chopped
▢ 1 ounce ranch seasoning mix
▢ 1 ½ cups shredded colby jack cheese divided
▢ ¾ stick butter 6 tablespoons
▢ Salt and pepper to taste
▢ Chopped green onions or chives for topping

Instructions

In the Crockpot

Heat skillet over medium. Cook bacon until crisp and then chop into smaller pieces.
Lightly grease the inside of the crockpot and then add the potatoes, onions, garlic, and bacon.
Top with ranch seasoning mix, 1 cup cheese, butter, salt, and pepper.
Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high, until the potatoes are fork tender.
Mix everything together. Add the remaining ½ cup of cheese. Cover with lid for 5 more minutes until the cheese is melted. Top with green onions before serving.

In the Oven

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with a slipmat or foil. Set aside.
Place the potatoes in a large pot. Fill the pot with water covering potatoes by one inch. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer the potatoes for about 10 minutes until just tender.
While the potatoes are boiling, heat skillet over medium. Cook bacon until crisp and then chop into smaller pieces. Sautee the onion until translucent and then add the garlic heating for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Drain the potatoes well and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet and mix with the bacon and onions. Sprinkle potatoes with the ranch seasoning evenly and drizzle 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over potatoes.
Place the pan in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to crisp on all sides.
When the potatoes are crispy around the edges, remove from the oven. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then sprinkle evenly with cheese. Place them back in the oven until the cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes.

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Nutrition

Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

Why These Cheesy Ranch Potatoes Are A Family Favorite

Recipe Ingredients