My mother raised three kids on a tight budget using this genius dinner hack. With only 4 ingredients you get a hearty and incredibly tender meal that feeds a crowd.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient pork roast and carrots is the kind of budget-stretching, belly-filling supper I leaned on when my three were small and money was tight. One inexpensive pork roast, a bag of carrots, and two pantry staples turn into a tender, gravy-soaked meal that feeds a crowd with hardly any work. It’s the sort of practical Midwestern cooking I grew up with: simple ingredients, long slow heat, and a little know-how doing the heavy lifting while you get on with the day.

Serve the pork and carrots hot, spooning plenty of the savory brown gravy over the meat and vegetables. This is wonderful over a bed of mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or plain white rice to soak up every bit of the juices. Add a simple green side like buttered peas, green beans, or a tossed salad if you have it. Leftovers make hearty sandwiches the next day on soft sandwich buns, with a little of the gravy drizzled over the meat.

Servings: 6-8

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt roast

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside for later. This will make it easy to lift the cooked roast and carrots out of the slow cooker and capture all those good juices.

Place the baby carrots in the bottom of a large slow cooker, spreading them into an even layer. They act as a bed for the pork and soak up the rich juices as everything cooks.

In a medium bowl, stir together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and the dry onion soup mix until well combined. This simple mixture will thicken into a savory brown gravy as it cooks.

Lay the pork roast on top of the carrots in the slow cooker. Pour the soup and onion mixture evenly over the top of the roast, letting it drip down around the sides and onto the carrots.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork and the carrots are soft.

When the pork is done, use large spatulas or a pair of sturdy tongs to carefully lift the roast and carrots out of the slow cooker and transfer them onto the foil-lined baking sheet. Spoon some of the thickened brown gravy from the slow cooker over the top so the meat and carrots are glistening and moist.

Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet so the juices settle. Then slice the pork into thick, juicy slabs or gently pull it into large chunks, keeping it nestled alongside the carrots and spooning more gravy over everything as needed.

Serve the pork slices and carrots straight from the foil-lined baking sheet or transfer to a serving platter, making sure to include plenty of the savory brown gravy with each portion.

For a slightly different flavor, you can swap the cream of mushroom soup for cream of chicken or cream of celery soup, still keeping the four-ingredient count. If your family likes a little sweetness with their pork, tuck a few halved onions under the roast and drizzle a tablespoon or two of honey over the top before cooking, counting that as part of your pantry seasoning rather than a true extra ingredient. To stretch the meal even further on a tight budget, add a few scrubbed, halved potatoes on top of the carrots before placing the roast, or serve the meat and carrots over a big pot of buttered noodles. If you prefer a thicker gravy, ladle some of the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and simmer it on the stove for a few minutes, or whisk in a spoonful of cornstarch mixed with cold water and cook until it lightly bubbles and thickens. Leftovers reheat well and can be turned into open-faced hot pork sandwiches the next day, with the carrots and gravy spooned over toasted bread.