My neighbor brought this over on a cold day and I begged for the recipe. A creamy, comforting bowl with just 4 ingredients.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient corn chowder is the kind of cozy, creamy bowl you want on a cold Midwestern day. My neighbor actually brought a pot of this over after a snowstorm, and I begged her for the recipe when I realized how simple it was. Just four basic ingredients go into the slow cooker, and by dinnertime you’ve got a pale yellow, velvety chowder loaded with sweet corn and tender chunks of potato. It’s the kind of no-fuss, family-friendly meal you can toss together on a busy morning and come home to when everyone’s chilly and hungry.

Serve this chowder ladled into warm bowls with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper on top, and if you like, a sprinkle of shredded cheese or crumbled bacon for anyone who wants extras. It pairs nicely with a simple green salad, a pan of cornbread, or just some buttered toast or crackers for dipping. For kids, I like to set out small toppings like extra corn, cheese, or crushed crackers so they can “decorate” their own bowls and get a little more excited about dinner.

Servings: 6

4 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes)

Add the diced potatoes to the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, spreading them out in an even layer.

Pour the corn over the potatoes, then add the chicken or vegetable broth. Gently stir to combine, making sure most of the potatoes are submerged in liquid.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and easily pierced with a fork.

Once the potatoes are soft, use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to lightly mash some of the potatoes and corn right in the slow cooker. This will help thicken the chowder while still leaving plenty of chunks.

Stir in the heavy cream, then cover and cook on LOW for another 20–30 minutes, just until the chowder is heated through and slightly thickened. Do not let it boil, or the cream can separate.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (the broth usually has enough salt, so I typically just add pepper at the table).

Ladle the creamy corn chowder into bowls and garnish with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve warm straight from the slow cooker.

For picky eaters, you can blend half of the soup with an immersion blender before adding the cream to make it smoother and less “chunky,” then stir in the cream and finish heating. If you’d like a little protein, stir in 1–2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken or diced ham when you add the cream (this technically adds more than four ingredients, but the base recipe still stays very simple). For extra flavor without complicating things, you can swap half of the broth for canned cream-style corn, or use a mix of white and yellow corn. To lighten it up, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, and mash the potatoes a bit more to keep the chowder thick. If you need it dairy-free, replace the cream with a rich unsweetened oat or coconut milk and use vegetable broth. This recipe is forgiving, so you can also scale it down for a smaller slow cooker or double it for a crowd—just keep the potatoes mostly covered with liquid and adjust the cook time slightly until they’re tender.