My mother relied on this hearty dish right before payday and it always felt like a treat. Throw together just 4 ingredients for a comforting veggie packed dinner that melts in your mouth.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient green bean noodles recipe is the kind of thrifty comfort my mother leaned on the week before payday, when the pantry looked a little bare but supper still needed to feel like a treat. It’s pure Midwestern make-do cooking: a big bag of egg noodles, a couple cans of green beans, plenty of butter, and a can of cream soup to pull it all together. Everything melts into a soft, buttery tangle of noodles and tender olive-green beans, the kind of simple, stick-to-your-ribs dish that quietly fills the house with warmth and carries you right back to those lean but loving times.

Serve these buttery green bean noodles heaped into warm bowls or onto simple white plates so you can really see the golden noodles and soft green beans. Around here, we like it with sliced fresh tomatoes in summer or a little side of applesauce in winter. A crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette helps cut through the richness, and if you’ve got it, a piece of buttered bread or a warm dinner roll is perfect for swiping up the extra sauce. A glass of cold milk or sweet tea fits right in with this old-fashioned, payday-eve kind of meal.

Servings: 4

12 oz wide egg noodles, uncooked

Lightly grease the inside of a medium slow cooker (about 4-quart) with a little butter or nonstick spray to help keep the noodles from sticking.

Spread the uncooked wide egg noodles evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker, gently shaking the crock so they settle into an even layer.

Pour the drained canned green beans over the noodles, spreading them out so they’re fairly even. Don’t worry if some fall down between the noodles; that’s what you want.

In a small bowl, stir the can of cream of mushroom soup with 1 1/2 cups of water until fairly smooth. It doesn’t have to be perfect; just break up the thick spots.

Pour the soup mixture evenly over the noodles and green beans, doing your best to wet as many of the noodles as you can. Use the back of a spoon to gently press everything down into the liquid.

Dot the top with the pieces of butter, scattering them all over so they’ll melt down and coat the noodles and beans during cooking.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, or until the noodles are very tender and the green beans are soft and silky. Avoid lifting the lid during the first 2 hours so the noodles can steam properly.

Once the noodles are tender, gently stir everything together from the bottom up, making sure the noodles, green beans, soup, and melted butter are well combined and coated in a glossy, buttery sauce.

Taste and add salt and black pepper if you like (the soup already has seasoning, so start light). If the mixture seems too thick, stir in a splash of hot water or milk until it’s as creamy as you prefer.

Let the dish sit in the slow cooker, covered, for about 5 to 10 minutes on WARM to thicken slightly, then spoon onto plates and serve while piping hot and melt-in-your-mouth soft.

If you grew up with a similar dish, you know there are a hundred little ways to make it your own while still keeping the spirit of those just-before-payday suppers. To stay close to the four-ingredient idea, you can swap cream of chicken or cream of celery soup for the cream of mushroom if that’s what you keep on hand; each one gives a slightly different, but still cozy, flavor. For a bit more richness, use egg noodles made with extra yolks, or stir in a small splash of milk or evaporated milk at the end to loosen and enrich the sauce. If you like a little color, use one can of regular green beans and one can of French-style for a softer, more tangled texture. You can also add a small handful of shredded cheese right at the end and let the lid sit on for a few minutes until it melts, though that does technically sneak in a fifth ingredient. For a firmer noodle, check at the 3-hour mark and switch the slow cooker to WARM once they’re just tender. Leftovers reheat gently on the stovetop with a spoonful of water or milk, and they’re wonderful alongside leftover roast or baked ham. This is a very forgiving recipe, meant to work with what you have, so don’t be afraid to lean on the pantry and make those quiet, comforting adjustments that suit your own kitchen.