My aunt swears by this unbelievably simple savory pasta dish for the ultimate cheap weeknight dinner. Just 3 ingredients combine into a perfectly salty, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth bowl of pure comfor

This slow cooker 3-ingredient seasoned salt noodles recipe is the kind of cheap, cozy weeknight dinner my aunt has sworn by for years. It’s almost embarrassingly simple: just wide egg noodles, plenty of butter, and a generous shake of seasoned salt. Everything melts together into a salty, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth bowl of pure comfort, and the slow cooker keeps it hands-off so you can deal with work, kids, or laundry while dinner basically makes itself.

Serve these buttery seasoned salt noodles straight from the slow cooker with a simple green salad or steamed frozen veggies to balance the richness. Garlic bread or toast is great for scooping up any extra buttery sauce. If you want to stretch it further, pile the noodles alongside rotisserie chicken or leftover meatloaf. They also make a comforting base under sautéed mushrooms or frozen peas for a slightly more complete meal without much extra effort.

Servings: 4

12 oz wide egg noodles (dry)

Lightly coat the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray or a thin swipe of butter to help prevent sticking.

Add the uncooked wide egg noodles to the slow cooker, spreading them out as evenly as you can so they’re not all clumped together.

Scatter the cubed butter over the noodles, tucking a few pieces down into the middle and along the sides so it melts evenly and coats as much pasta as possible.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of seasoned salt evenly over the top of the noodles and butter. You can add more later, so start on the lighter side if you’re not sure.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and set it to LOW. Cook for 1 hour, then quickly remove the lid and gently toss the noodles with a pair of tongs or two forks, pulling any dry noodles from the top down into the melted butter.

Check the texture of the noodles. If they’re still a bit firm or not fully glossy and coated, cover and continue cooking on LOW for another 20–40 minutes, stirring once more halfway through. The noodles should end up tender, slippery, and bathed in a rich, buttery sauce.

Once the noodles are tender, taste and add more seasoned salt, a little at a time, until the flavor is perfectly salty and savory to your liking. Toss well so the seasoning is evenly distributed and the noodles look heavily dusted with that vibrant orange color.

Turn the slow cooker to WARM and serve the noodles right from the crock. Give them a quick stir before scooping into bowls to catch all that buttery, seasoned sauce at the bottom.

If you like a stronger kick, finish the noodles with an extra sprinkle of seasoned salt right in each bowl. For a slightly lighter version, you can reduce the butter to 3/4 cup, but the full cup gives you that ultra-glossy, melt-in-your-mouth texture my aunt loves. If you only have salted butter, use it but start with 1 tablespoon of seasoned salt and add more slowly to avoid over-salting. Different brands of seasoned salt vary in intensity, so always taste as you go. To bulk this up a bit while still keeping it simple, stir in a cup of frozen peas or corn during the last 10–15 minutes of cooking; they’ll warm through without getting mushy. Leftovers can be cooled quickly, then stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently in the microwave with a small pat of butter or a splash of water to loosen the sauce. For food safety, don’t leave the cooked noodles sitting on the counter in the slow cooker for more than 2 hours—switch it to WARM if you’re serving over time, and refrigerate promptly once everyone’s eaten. Always make sure your slow cooker is in good working order and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe use.