My aunt served this at every holiday gathering growing up. The old fashioned creamy goodness takes me right back to her farmhouse kitchen.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient Amish creamed celery noodles are pure old-fashioned comfort food—the kind of dish you’d find on a farmhouse stove at every holiday gathering. The recipe leans on the simple, thrifty cooking of Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch kitchens: humble pantry staples, long gentle cooking, and a creamy, buttery finish. It’s all about tender celery simmered until mellow and sweet, then folded into soft egg noodles with a silky cream sauce. If you grew up with a relative who always had a big pot of something creamy and noodle-y on the back burner, this will feel wonderfully familiar.

Serve these creamed celery noodles as a side dish alongside roast chicken, turkey, ham, or a simple meatloaf—anything that feels like Sunday supper or a holiday spread. They’re also satisfying enough to be a meatless main with a crisp green salad and some buttered peas or green beans on the side. A basket of warm dinner rolls or soft bread is great for soaking up the extra sauce, and a bit of black pepper at the table lets everyone season to taste without complicating the base recipe.

Servings: 6

6 cups thinly sliced celery (about 1 large bunch, leaves included if tender)

Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a bit of butter from the measured amount to help prevent sticking.

Add the sliced celery to the slow cooker, spreading it into an even layer so it cooks evenly. The thinner the slices, the more tender and farmhouse-soft the celery will be.

Scatter the remaining butter pieces over the celery, then pour the evaporated milk evenly over the top. Gently push the celery down so it is mostly submerged in the milk and butter mixture.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or until the celery is very tender and the mixture looks steamy and creamy around the edges.

Stir the celery and cream mixture well, scraping along the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with a heatproof spatula to release any bits that may have settled. This helps keep the sauce silky instead of sticking.

Add the uncooked egg noodles to the slow cooker, gently pressing them down into the hot creamy celery mixture so they are mostly covered. Do not add extra liquid at this point; the noodles will absorb the seasoned cream.

Cover again and cook on LOW for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the noodles are soft and coated in a pale, velvety sauce and the celery is fully tender. If the top noodles look dry when you stir, tuck them into the liquid and continue cooking.

Once the noodles are tender, give everything a final gentle stir. The sauce should be creamy and just loose enough to coat the noodles, with a bit of melted butter pooling around the edges. If it seems too thick, stir in a tablespoon or two of hot water until it reaches your preferred consistency.

Turn the slow cooker to WARM and let the noodles sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes to settle and thicken slightly before serving. Serve straight from the slow cooker, spooning up plenty of the creamy celery and buttery sauce with each portion.

For a slightly richer flavor, you can swap part of the evaporated milk for heavy cream, keeping the total liquid amount the same. If you prefer a bit more savoriness without changing the 4-ingredient spirit, add a light sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper at the table rather than in the pot. A handful of chopped fresh parsley stirred in at the end adds a gentle herbal note that still feels true to a farmhouse kitchen. To stretch this into more of a main dish, stir in leftover shredded roast chicken or turkey during the last 10 minutes of cooking, just long enough to warm through. If you need to keep the dish warm for a holiday buffet, leave the slow cooker on WARM and stir every 20 to 30 minutes; if it thickens too much, loosen with a splash of hot water or a bit more evaporated milk. Food safety tips: Always refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, transferring the noodles to a shallow container so they cool quickly. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming hot (165°F), adding a spoonful of water or milk to restore creaminess. Do not leave the slow cooker on the WARM setting for more than 4 hours after cooking is complete, and avoid reheating in the slow cooker from a cold state, as it takes too long to reach a safe temperature.