My aunt brings this to every summer potluck and the dish always comes back empty. Fresh crisp vegetables meet buttery tender noodles in pure comfort.

This slow cooker 5-ingredient Amish snap pea noodle pot is the kind of simple comfort my aunt brings to every summer potluck—and it always comes home scraped clean. It’s inspired by those old-fashioned Amish buttered noodles, but brightened up with fresh, crisp sugar snap peas so you get that cozy, buttery tenderness with a pop of green crunch. Everything cooks right in the slow cooker, so it’s easy enough for a busy weeknight but special enough to share on a picnic table with family and friends.

Serve this buttery snap pea noodle pot straight from the slow cooker on the “warm” setting so everyone can help themselves. It pairs nicely with grilled chicken, brats, or simple baked ham, plus a fresh garden salad or sliced tomatoes and cucumbers on the side. At potlucks, I set it next to the main meats and let it play double duty as both a starch and a veggie. A sprinkle of black pepper or extra melted butter at the table lets folks adjust it to their own taste.

Servings: 6

12 oz wide egg noodles (dried)

Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a little butter or nonstick spray to help keep the noodles from sticking.

Pour the chicken broth into the slow cooker and add the salt. Stir to dissolve the salt into the broth.

Add the dried wide egg noodles to the slow cooker, spreading them out as evenly as you can so they’re mostly covered by the broth. It’s fine if some edges stick up; they’ll soften as they cook.

Dot the butter pieces evenly over the top of the noodles. This will melt down into a glossy, buttery sauce as everything cooks.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring gently every 30 minutes if you’re home. The noodles are done when they are tender but not mushy and most of the liquid has been absorbed into a silky sauce.

Once the noodles are just tender, quickly stir in the fresh sugar snap peas, making sure they’re well distributed throughout the noodles.

Cover again and cook on HIGH for another 10 to 15 minutes, just until the snap peas turn a bright, vibrant green and are crisp-tender. Avoid overcooking so they stay snappy and colorful.

Taste and adjust seasoning with a little more salt if needed. If you like a looser, saucier pot, you can stir in a splash more hot broth or a tablespoon or two of melted butter.

Switch the slow cooker to WARM for serving. Give everything a gentle stir before ladling into bowls or setting the whole crock right on the table or potluck line so folks can serve themselves.

For picky eaters, you can stir in the snap peas on just half of the pot and leave the other half mostly noodles, or slice the snap peas into smaller pieces so they blend in more. If you need to stretch the dish for a bigger crowd, add up to 4 more ounces of noodles and an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of broth, checking for doneness and moisture as you go. For a richer flavor, use part chicken broth and part vegetable broth, or stir in an extra tablespoon or two of melted butter right before serving. To keep it vegetarian, simply swap in vegetable broth for the chicken broth and add a pinch of garlic powder or onion powder for depth. You can also toss in a handful of frozen peas in addition to the snap peas during the last 10 minutes for added color. For a little tang, some folks like to stir in a spoonful of sour cream or a splash of cream at the end, but this will make the sauce creamier rather than glossy. Food safety tips: Keep the dish out of the temperature danger zone by not letting it sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours; at potlucks, leave the slow cooker on the WARM setting. Always start with clean, well-rinsed snap peas and trim any tough strings along the sides before cooking. Use low-sodium broth so you can better control the salt level, and taste before adding more. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow container, and reheat thoroughly until steaming hot before serving again.