My uncle swears by this old school survival meal. Just 4 ingredients for the absolute most tender melt in your mouth comfort food that costs almost nothing to make.

This is the kind of old school survival meal my uncles lived on when money was tight and workdays were long. Just four humble ingredients go into the slow cooker, and by suppertime you’ve got pork chops so tender they practically fall off the bone, tucked down into creamy potatoes and smothered in a rich mushroom gravy with soft onions. It’s pure Midwestern comfort food, the sort of stick-to-your-ribs dish farm families leaned on when they needed something filling, cheap, and foolproof. You don’t need fancy skills or a long ingredient list—just a slow cooker, a few pantry staples, and a bit of patience.

This is a full meal in a pot, but I like to round it out the way my mother did: with something green and something tangy. A simple side of buttered peas or green beans, or even a crisp lettuce salad, balances the richness of the pork and gravy. A slice of white bread or a warm dinner roll is perfect for soaking up every last bit of the sauce. If you have applesauce or pickled beets on hand, set those out too—the sweet and sour notes make this humble, hearty supper taste like Sunday dinner.

Servings: 4

4 bone-in pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick

Lightly grease the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker so nothing sticks and cleanup stays easy.

Spread the sliced yellow potatoes evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker, fanning them out a bit so they cook into a tender, even layer.

Scatter the sliced white onion over the potatoes, spreading it out so there are bits of onion in every bite. This will melt down and sweeten the gravy as it cooks.

Spoon one can of the condensed cream of mushroom soup over the potatoes and onions. Use the back of the spoon to gently spread it into a thin, even layer; it does not have to be perfect, just mostly covering the vegetables.

Lay the bone-in pork chops in a single layer on top of the soup-covered potatoes and onions. It is fine if they overlap a little, but try to keep them mostly flat so they cook evenly and get nice and tender.

Spoon the second can of condensed cream of mushroom soup over the pork chops, spreading it around so the meat is well coated. This will turn into a rich, creamy tan gravy that seeps down into the potatoes.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the pork chops are melt-in-your-mouth soft and easily pull away from the bone.

Once cooked, taste a little of the gravy and add salt and black pepper at the table if you like. Serve the pork chops over a bed of the smothered potatoes and onions, spooning plenty of the creamy mushroom gravy over each plate.

If your budget allows, you can season the pork chops lightly with salt, pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder before adding them to the slow cooker, but the recipe is designed to work with just the four ingredients listed. For a slightly looser gravy, stir in a splash of water or milk to each can of soup before pouring it over the potatoes and chops. If your slow cooker runs hot, check the dish an hour early so the potatoes don’t overcook and fall completely apart. Bone-in chops give the best flavor and tenderness, but you can use thick boneless chops and cook toward the shorter end of the time range. To stretch the meal for more people, add one or two extra potatoes in a second, thinner layer and keep the rest of the recipe the same; the juices from the pork and the soup will still be enough to smother everything. Leftovers reheat well in a covered dish in the oven or microwave and make an easy next-day lunch. If you’d like a bit more color when serving, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onion on top, though folks around here usually just dig in as-is.