My grandmother taught me this spicy southwestern style dish for a cheap weeknight dinner. Just 4 ingredients make the most flavorful creamy pasta with a perfect little kick to keep you coming back for

This slow cooker 4-ingredient green chile macaroni is the kind of humble, cozy dish my grandmother leaned on when the week was long and the pantry was looking thin. She grew up on a Midwestern farm, but she fell in love with green chiles after a trip out West in the 1960s and started slipping them into her creamy casseroles for a little Southwestern kick. This recipe is my simple weeknight version of her idea: just macaroni, green chiles, milk, and cheese, all simmered low and slow until the pasta turns tender and the sauce becomes thick, gooey, and wonderfully spicy. It’s budget-friendly, comforting, and the kind of thing that keeps you wandering back to the pot for just one more bite.

Serve this green chile macaroni piled high on a plain white plate or in a wide bowl so you can really see the creamy sauce and speckled chiles. It’s hearty enough to stand alone, but I like it with a simple green salad dressed in vinegar and oil to cut through the richness, or with sliced fresh tomatoes and a sprinkle of salt in the summer. Warm flour tortillas or a pan of cornbread make a lovely Midwestern-meets-Southwest pairing, and if you want to stretch it for a crowd, spoon it alongside grilled sausages or roasted chicken. A squeeze of lime and a few sliced green onions on top are optional but brighten the whole plate.

Servings: 6

16 ounces dry elbow macaroni

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

Pour the dry elbow macaroni into the slow cooker and spread it into an even layer.

In a large bowl or measuring pitcher, whisk together the whole milk and the drained diced green chiles until the chiles are fairly evenly distributed.

Pour the milk and green chile mixture over the macaroni, stirring gently to make sure all of the pasta is moistened and some of the chiles are tucked down between the noodles.

Sprinkle 3 cups of the shredded white cheese over the top of the macaroni mixture and gently fold it in, leaving the remaining 1 cup of cheese aside for later.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes if possible, until the macaroni is tender but not mushy and the sauce is thick and creamy. Slow cookers vary, so begin checking for doneness at about 1 1/2 hours.

When the macaroni is just tender and the sauce looks mostly thickened, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese over the top. Cover again and cook on LOW for another 10 to 15 minutes, just until the cheese on top is fully melted and gooey.

Give the macaroni a gentle final stir to swirl some of the melted cheese through the dish, leaving a bit on top for that stretchy, creamy look. If the sauce seems too thick, stir in a splash of warm milk until it reaches your preferred creaminess.

Turn the slow cooker to WARM and let the macaroni sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. This resting time helps the sauce cling to the noodles and gives that rich, thick texture my grandmother loved.

Serve the green chile macaroni hot, scooping it onto plates or into shallow bowls so you can see the tender noodles coated in the creamy white cheese sauce with little green flecks of chile throughout.

For a milder version, use only one can of green chiles or choose mild chiles; for more heat, use hot diced green chiles or stir in a pinch of crushed red pepper with the milk. If you prefer a smokier Southwestern flavor, look for fire-roasted green chiles and use half white cheddar and half pepper Jack cheese. To make it a bit lighter, you can substitute 2% milk for whole milk, but the sauce will be slightly less rich and may not thicken quite as much; if needed, uncover the slow cooker for the last 10 to 15 minutes to let a little extra moisture cook off. If you like a baked-style top but still want the slow cooker convenience, transfer the finished macaroni to a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with a little extra cheese, and broil for a few minutes until lightly browned. Always keep the macaroni mixture mostly covered in liquid while cooking so the pasta softens safely and evenly; very old slow cookers can run hotter or cooler, so check doneness early to avoid overcooking. Leftovers should be cooled quickly, refrigerated within 2 hours in a shallow container, and eaten within 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of milk, stirring often, until steaming hot all the way through (165°F) before serving.