My thrifty grandmother relied on this clever dinner hack during hard times. Just 4 ingredients create a buttery soft savory dish that tastes like a holiday meal.

This Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Pork and Stuffing is the kind of thrifty, clever dinner my grandmother leaned on when money was tight but she still wanted dinner to taste like a holiday. Thick-cut pork chops slowly braise under a blanket of boxed herb stuffing and savory broth, turning meltingly tender while the stuffing soaks up every bit of flavor. It’s a Depression-era style hack at heart: stretch a modest amount of meat with pantry staples to feed a family, all with minimal effort and just four ingredients.

Serve these buttery soft pork chops right from the slow cooker, spooning the savory stuffing over the top like a built-in side dish. I like to round out the plate with something bright and simple: steamed green beans, roasted carrots, or a crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette to cut through the richness. If you want to lean into the holiday feel, add cranberry sauce and a quick pan of sautéed apples or cabbage. A basket of warm dinner rolls or sliced bread is perfect for catching any extra juices in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Servings: 4

4 thick-cut bone-in pork chops (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds total)

Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a bit of oil or nonstick spray to help prevent sticking.

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and trim any large, thick pieces of external fat. This helps the meat sear more evenly and keeps the finished dish from feeling greasy.

Optional but recommended: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear the pork chops for 2 to 3 minutes per side in a small amount of oil until lightly browned. This step builds extra flavor but can be skipped if you’re in a hurry.

Lay the pork chops in a single layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. It’s fine if the edges overlap slightly, but try to keep them mostly in one layer so they cook evenly and stay tender.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup and the chicken broth until smooth and well combined. This mixture will act as both the gravy and the liquid that softens the stuffing.

Sprinkle the dry herb-seasoned stuffing mix evenly over the pork chops in the slow cooker, making sure the chops are fully covered with a relatively even layer of stuffing.

Slowly pour the soup and broth mixture over the stuffing, aiming to moisten as much of the dry mix as possible. Gently press down with the back of a spoon so the stuffing is in contact with the liquid, but do not stir; you want the pork to stay on the bottom and the stuffing to remain on top.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the pork chops are very tender and the stuffing on top is fluffy, moist, and golden around the edges. Avoid lifting the lid during the first few hours, as you’ll lose heat and slow down the cooking.

Once done, check one pork chop near the bone to ensure it’s cooked through and very tender; it should easily pull away from the bone with a fork. The stuffing should have absorbed most of the liquid but still be moist, with a slightly set, almost casserole-like texture on top.

Turn off the slow cooker and let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. This allows the stuffing to firm up a bit and makes it easier to serve.

To serve, carefully lift out a pork chop for each plate, then spoon a generous portion of the savory stuffing over and around the meat, making sure everyone gets some of the flavorful juices from the bottom of the slow cooker.

If your family prefers boneless pork, you can swap in 4 boneless center-cut pork chops of similar thickness; just watch the timing, as boneless can cook slightly faster and become dry if overdone—start checking at the earlier end of the cooking window. For a darker, more robust flavor, use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken, or a 50/50 mix of the two. Herb-seasoned stuffing is key to the holiday feel, but you can use cornbread stuffing for a sweeter, Southern-style twist. If you’d like more of a gravy-like finish, increase the broth to 2 cups; for a firmer, less saucy stuffing layer, reduce the broth to 1 1/2 cups. To sneak in vegetables without changing the ingredient count too much, serve the pork and stuffing over a bed of steamed frozen green beans or peas tossed with a bit of butter and salt—very much in the spirit of stretching meals the way thrifty cooks have always done. Leftovers reheat well in a covered dish in a low oven or microwave; add a splash of broth before reheating if the stuffing seems dry.