My mother made this rich and creamy classic every spring and it never disappoints. Only 4 ingredients for a bowl of pure nostalgic comfort that practically cooks itself.

Every spring, right about the time the fields started to green up and the laundry could go back out on the line, my mother would bring out the big white slow cooker and make this simple Amish-style chicken and dumplings. It’s a rich, creamy bowl of soft flat dumplings, tender shreds of chicken, and pale yellow gravy that feels like a hug after a long day. The beauty of this old Midwestern farmhouse version is that it’s made with just four humble ingredients and then left alone to practically cook itself, filling the house with that familiar, nostalgic smell that says, “you’re home.”

This is a full meal in a bowl, but I like to set it on the table with a simple side of buttered peas or green beans for a little color. A crisp lettuce salad with a tangy dressing balances the richness nicely. If you’re feeding farmhands or a hungry family, add some sliced tomatoes in summer or a crock of applesauce in cooler months. A pan of biscuits isn’t necessary, since the dumplings are plenty hearty, but a slice of white bread is good for swiping the last bit of gravy from the bowl.

Servings: 6

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a large slow cooker, laying them in a single, even layer as best you can.

In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup and the chicken broth until fairly smooth and well combined. The mixture will be pale yellow and slightly thick.

Pour the soup and broth mixture evenly over the chicken in the slow cooker, making sure all the chicken is covered by the liquid.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or until the chicken is very tender and easily shreds with a fork. Do not add the dumplings yet.

Once the chicken is cooked through, use two forks to shred it directly in the slow cooker into bite-sized pieces. Stir the shredded chicken into the creamy broth so it’s evenly distributed.

Open the can of refrigerated biscuit dough and separate the biscuits. On a cutting board, use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut each biscuit into 4 to 6 small pieces, then cut each piece again into thin strips to mimic flat, noodle-like dumplings.

Gently stir the biscuit strips into the hot chicken and gravy mixture, making sure they are separated and submerged in the liquid so they cook evenly.

Cover the slow cooker again and cook on HIGH for 45 minutes to 1 hour, without lifting the lid if you can help it, until the dumplings are puffed, cooked through, and soft but no longer doughy in the center. The gravy will be thick, creamy, and dotted with tender flat dumplings and shreds of chicken.

Once the dumplings are done, give everything a gentle stir. If the mixture seems too thick, you can thin it with a splash of additional warm chicken broth. Taste and adjust seasoning with a little salt and pepper if desired, then ladle into bowls and serve hot.

If you prefer darker meat, you can swap some or all of the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless thighs; they stay especially tender after long cooking. For a slightly richer, more old-fashioned flavor, use one can of cream of chicken soup and one can of cream of celery or cream of mushroom, keeping the total to two cans so you still have just four ingredients. To mimic homemade Amish dumplings more closely, roll each biscuit piece a bit between your fingers to flatten it before adding to the slow cooker, which gives that wide, flat noodle look. If your slow cooker runs hot, check the dumplings at the 40-minute mark so they don’t overcook and break apart. For a looser, soupier bowl, stir in up to 1 extra cup of hot chicken broth at the end. Leftovers thicken as they sit; the next day, loosen with a splash of milk or broth while reheating on the stove over low heat, stirring gently so the dumplings stay mostly intact.