Two-Sided Dinner Hack: Just 5 ingredients. Split the crock down the middle with foil and get two scrumptious courses in one pot.

When I was a girl on the farm, potatoes and gravy were how you turned a quiet evening into a proper supper. A pot like that could sit low on the stove and stretch to feed whoever wandered in at dusk—neighbors, cousins, or someone who just needed a warm plate before heading home. This slow cooker split-pot gravy potatoes dish feels like a modern echo of those meals. Frozen potatoes and vegetables stand in for the day’s peeling and chopping, and a simple foil divider lets two things cook side by side, just like keeping peas out of the gravy boat for the picky eaters at the table. It’s comfort food made easy, the kind that fills the house with that unmistakable “something good is cooking” smell while you get on with your day.

These gravy potatoes are best served hot and generous, spooned into bowls or piled next to meatloaf, roast chicken, or pork chops so the gravy can mingle with whatever juices are on the plate. A basket of soft dinner rolls or biscuits is almost required, if only to mop up every last bit. For a simple, meatless supper, add a crisp green salad or some sliced tomatoes, and you’ve got a meal that feels hearty and familiar without much fuss at all.

1 (32-ounce) bag frozen diced potatoes
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables
2 packets brown gravy mix
2 cups water
2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small pieces