My grandmother made this every Sunday after church. The simplest ingredients create the most incredibly rich and satisfying bowl of comfort.

Every Sunday after church, my grandmother would put on a pot of these onion gravy noodles, and the whole house would fill with that deep, cozy aroma of slowly cooked onions and broth. It’s a true Midwestern comfort dish: humble pantry ingredients, a slow cooker doing the work, and a big white crock full of silky noodles in rich, golden-brown onion gravy by late afternoon. This version keeps it to four simple ingredients, just like she did when money and time were both tight, but the result still tastes like the kind of meal you linger over at the table, talking about the week and asking for just one more spoonful.

Serve these Amish onion gravy noodles straight from the slow cooker into wide bowls, with plenty of that glossy gravy ladled over the top. They’re lovely alongside simple buttered peas or green beans, sliced garden tomatoes with a little salt and pepper, or a crisp cucumber salad. A basket of warm dinner rolls or thick slices of buttered white bread helps mop up every bit of the onion gravy. For heartier appetites, you can spoon the noodles over leftover roast beef or chicken, but they’re satisfying enough all on their own.

Servings: 6

3 tablespoons salted butter

Set a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop and add the butter. Once the butter is fully melted and just starting to foam, add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt if you like. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are soft, deep golden brown, and very fragrant, 20 to 25 minutes. Let them get a rich color; this is where the gravy flavor comes from.

Transfer the caramelized onions and all the buttery juices into the bowl of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth, stirring gently to loosen any browned bits from the onions and distribute them evenly in the liquid.

Cover the slow cooker and cook the onions and broth on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. The liquid will turn a deep golden-brown color, and the onions will be silky and very tender, forming a rich onion gravy base.

About 30 to 40 minutes before serving, stir the gravy well and taste the broth, adding a small pinch of salt if needed. Spread the dry egg noodles evenly over the top of the onion gravy in the slow cooker, pressing them down gently so they are mostly submerged in the hot liquid.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the noodles are soft, tender, and coated in a glossy, silky onion gravy. If the noodles soak up more liquid than you like, you can gently stir in a splash of hot water or extra warm broth to loosen the sauce.

Once the noodles are cooked through and the gravy is clinging to them with a nice sheen, switch the slow cooker to WARM. Give everything a final stir so the onions are evenly mixed with the noodles, then serve straight from the crock into bowls while piping hot.

If you grew up with this kind of Sunday supper, you know every family had its own way. For a creamier version, you can stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of heavy cream or a spoonful of sour cream right at the end, but that would technically add another ingredient beyond the basic four. Some folks use chicken broth instead of beef for a lighter color and flavor, or mix half beef and half chicken broth if that’s what’s in the pantry. If you have leftover pot roast or cooked shredded chicken, you can fold it into the onion gravy before adding the noodles for a heartier main dish. A sprinkle of black pepper or dried parsley at the table won’t hurt a thing. For food safety, always keep the slow cooker covered while cooking, and make sure it is set to LOW or HIGH, never on WARM for the main cooking time. If you add any meat, be sure it is already fully cooked and reheated in the hot gravy to at least 165°F before serving. Leftovers should be cooled promptly, refrigerated within 2 hours, and eaten within 3 to 4 days; reheat gently with a splash of broth or water to loosen the gravy so the noodles don’t dry out.