By Sarah came to the ranch on Saturday. First time she'd been out here. I drove to Billings Friday evening, had dinner with her, and she followed me back Saturday morning in her own car, which she said she preferred because she likes to have her own exit, which I thought was both practical and slightly reassuring — a woman who knows how she moves through the world.
I showed her the ranch the way you show someone something that matters to you and that you don't have much language for — by just walking through it. The pastures, the horses, the hay shed, the shop, the view of the Musselshell from the east fence line. She asked good questions. She asked about Juniper and whether I'd always liked horses and I told her about learning to ride at four and she said, "You were born knowing." I said I was just born here, which amounts to the same thing.
Mom made lunch. Of course she did. Colleen Gallagher made a large lunch for a person she was meeting for the first time and it was pot roast because that's what Colleen Gallagher makes when she wants something to say something. Sarah ate everything and complimented the gravy, which is the right thing to do when Colleen Gallagher makes you pot roast. Mom likes her. I can tell because she stopped talking about her right after dinner, which with Colleen means approval — she doesn't say good things about people until she's been thinking about them for a while.
Patrick shook Sarah's hand when she arrived and said, "You're the nurse from Billings." She said, "Yes." He said, "Ryan mentioned you." She looked at me and I realized I'd been telling my parents more than I'd realized. Patrick went back to his chair. That was the whole Patrick portion of the visit.
Mom made the pot roast that day, and I’m not about to try to recreate Colleen Gallagher’s pot roast — that’s her territory and she’d know. But these slow cooker mushroom potatoes are the kind of thing that would’ve sat right alongside it on that table: earthy, filling, the sort of dish that doesn’t ask for attention but holds everything together. If you’re feeding someone who’s seeing your place for the first time, put something like this in the slow cooker in the morning and let the house smell like it belongs to people who know how to take care of each other.
Slow Cooker Mushroom Potatoes
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 6 hours | Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 lbs baby red potatoes, halved
- 10 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Layer the base. Place the halved potatoes in an even layer on the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add the mushrooms and onion. Scatter the sliced mushrooms and onion evenly over the potatoes. Add the minced garlic and distribute the butter pieces across the top.
- Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and dried thyme until combined. Pour the mixture evenly over the vegetables.
- Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or on HIGH for 2.5–3 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the sauce has thickened slightly around the edges.
- Finish and serve. Give everything a gentle stir to coat the potatoes in the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve directly from the slow cooker.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 480mg