My cousin made this cooling summer dish and I could not stop eating it. The most refreshing twist on traditional comfort food.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient Amish cucumber cream noodles recipe is my cousin Ruth’s doing, and I still laugh about how I kept going back for “just one more spoonful” that first hot July afternoon. It takes the gentle, cooling tang of old-fashioned Amish cucumber salad and tucks it into a light, creamy sauce around tender egg noodles. The cucumbers stay pale green and refreshing, the noodles stay soft and comforting, and the slow cooker does most of the work so you don’t have to stand over a hot stove. It’s a simple, farm-style twist on traditional comfort food that tastes like a summer potluck and a cozy casserole all at once.

Serve these cucumber cream noodles warm or at room temperature, straight from the slow cooker crock. They pair nicely with grilled chicken, simple baked ham, or smoked sausage, and a plate of sliced tomatoes or sweet corn on the cob really rounds out the summer feel. A crisp green salad or a bowl of fresh melon on the side keeps everything light and cooling. If you’re taking this to a gathering, set the slow cooker to warm and offer a little extra sour cream and chopped fresh dill or chives in small bowls so folks can dress up their own serving.

Servings: 6

8 ounces wide egg noodles, uncooked

Lightly coat the inside of a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray or a thin wipe of oil so the noodles don’t stick.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream and ranch dressing mix until smooth and well combined. This will be your tangy cream base.

Add the uncooked wide egg noodles to the slow cooker crock and spread them out in an even layer.

Scatter the thinly sliced cucumbers over the noodles, spreading them as evenly as you can so every scoop later will have some pale green pieces.

Spoon the sour cream and ranch mixture over the cucumbers and noodles. Use a spatula to gently fold everything together right in the crock, coating the noodles and cucumbers as evenly as possible. The mixture will be thick; that’s fine, as the cucumbers will release moisture while cooking.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring gently once about halfway through, just until the noodles are tender and the cucumbers are soft but still holding their shape. Avoid overcooking so the noodles don’t turn mushy.

Once the noodles are tender and coated in a light, tangy cream sauce, taste and adjust seasoning if desired by adding a pinch of salt or pepper. The ranch mix is usually salty enough on its own.

Turn the slow cooker to WARM and let the noodles sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken slightly before serving. The sauce will cling nicely to the noodles, and the cucumbers will look pale green and summery in the creamy coating.

Serve the cucumber cream noodles straight from the black slow cooker crock with a large spoon, making sure to scoop down to the bottom so each serving has plenty of noodles and cucumber pieces.

For a more traditional Amish flavor, you can swap half of the sour cream for plain full-fat yogurt or buttermilk-style sour cream to add extra tang while keeping things creamy and cooling. If you enjoy herbs, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill or chives at the end of cooking for a garden-fresh touch that plays well with the cucumbers. To make it heartier, fold in 1 to 1½ cups of cooked, shredded chicken or diced ham during the last 10 minutes on LOW. For a slightly lighter version, use light sour cream, but avoid fat-free as it can separate and become watery in the slow cooker. If your cucumbers are very seedy, halve them lengthwise and scrape out the seeds before slicing to help keep the sauce from getting too thin. Food safety tips: Keep sour cream refrigerated until you’re ready to mix the sauce, and do not leave the finished dish at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s very hot outside); after that, refrigerate leftovers promptly in a shallow container. Reheat leftovers gently in the microwave or on LOW in the slow cooker with a splash of milk or extra sour cream to loosen the sauce, bringing it just to serving temperature without boiling, to keep the dairy from curdling.