My sister makes this incredibly cheap and savory meat dish whenever her grocery budget is tight. Just 3 ingredients magically transform into a rich and salty weeknight dinner that the kids devour.

When my sister’s grocery budget gets tight, this is the dish she pulls out of her back pocket. It’s nothing fancy, just three humble ingredients that somehow turn into a rich, salty, kid-pleasing supper. It reminds me of the thrifty casseroles our Midwestern mothers used to stretch through the week—deviled ham from the pantry, a bag of pasta, and a handful of cheese. The slow cooker does the work, melding everything into a creamy, pinkish-brown, savory sauce that clings to every twist of rotini. It’s the kind of meal you make when the month is longer than the paycheck, but you still want everyone around the table to feel full and happy.

Serve this deviled ham pasta straight from the slow cooker while it’s hot and cheesy. A simple green salad with a tangy vinaigrette or a bowl of sliced cucumbers in vinegar helps cut through the richness. If you’ve got it, a side of buttered peas or green beans fits the old-fashioned Midwestern table nicely. Warm dinner rolls or plain toast on the side are perfect for scooping up the extra sauce. For the grown-ups, a glass of iced tea or a light beer goes well with the salty, savory flavors.

Servings: 6

2 (4.25-ounce) cans deviled ham spread

Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a little oil or cooking spray to help keep the pasta from sticking.

Add the canned deviled ham to the slow cooker. Use a spoon or spatula to break it up and spread it evenly across the bottom. This will melt down into a rich, salty sauce as it cooks.

Sprinkle in 2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese over the deviled ham. Stir gently to combine the ham and cheese into a loose, thick mixture. It will look dry at this stage but will loosen as it heats and the pasta releases a bit of starch.

Pour the dry rotini pasta evenly over the ham-and-cheese mixture. Do not stir. Gently press the pasta down with the back of a spoon so it sits snugly into the mixture. As it cooks, the pasta will soften in the steam and absorb flavor from the ham and cheese.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on HIGH for 1 hour, then quickly lift the lid and give everything a good stir, scraping up from the bottom so the softened pasta and melted cheese coat all the noodles. Replace the lid promptly to keep the heat in.

Continue cooking on HIGH for another 45 to 60 minutes, stirring once or twice if you can. The pasta is done when it is tender, the ham is finely broken up and evenly distributed, and the sauce is thick, glossy, and clinging to the spirals. The mixture should look like a hearty, pinkish-brown, cheesy meat sauce wrapped around the rotini.

Once the pasta is tender, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Cover and let it sit on LOW or the “warm” setting for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the cheese on top is melted and stretchy.

Give the pasta a final gentle stir if you like the cheese mixed in, or leave it as a gooey layer on top. Taste and, if desired, add a small pinch of salt or black pepper, keeping in mind the deviled ham and cheese are already quite salty. Serve hot straight from the slow cooker.

Because this recipe is so simple and salty, a little tweaking can go a long way without adding much cost. If you have them on hand and don’t mind going beyond three ingredients, you can stir in a splash of milk or water (up to 1/2 cup) with the ham and cheese at the beginning to make the sauce a bit looser and creamier, especially if your slow cooker runs hot. A pinch of black pepper, garlic powder, or onion powder will deepen the flavor without changing the spirit of the dish. For a touch of color and nutrition, fold in a handful of frozen peas or corn during the last 20 minutes of cooking so they heat through but don’t turn mushy. You can also swap rotini for any short, sturdy pasta you have in the pantry, like penne or shells; just keep an eye on doneness, as different shapes soften at slightly different rates. If your family prefers a little crunch, sprinkle crushed saltine crackers or buttered breadcrumbs over each serving instead of mixing them into the slow cooker, so they stay crisp. For food safety, keep the deviled ham refrigerated until you’re ready to add it to the slow cooker, and use clean utensils and a clean slow cooker insert. Cook on HIGH as directed; do not leave the slow cooker on the “warm” setting from the start, as it may not heat the food quickly enough. Once cooked, don’t leave the pasta sitting on the warm setting for more than 2 hours; refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers and reheat thoroughly until steaming hot before serving.