When the garden gets ahead of you and zucchini starts piling up on the counter, this is the sort of supper that comes to the rescue. Amish-style cooking has long had a knack for turning a handful of humble ingredients into something filling and comforting, and this slow cooker zucchini noodle pot does just that. The noodles soak up butter and cream, the zucchini turns soft and mellow, and the whole dish comes together with the kind of plain goodness that tastes like a farm kitchen at the end of a long day.
This dish is lovely on its own for a simple lunch or light supper, but it also sits nicely beside baked ham, roast chicken, pork chops, or a plate of sausage patties. If you want to round it out the old-fashioned way, serve it with sliced tomatoes, buttered green beans, or a crisp cucumber salad, and a piece of warm bread to catch every bit of that buttery sauce.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Amish Zucchini Noodle Pot
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons
8 ounces wide egg noodles
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
1. Lightly butter the inside of your slow cooker if you like easier cleanup, then add the sliced zucchini, dry egg noodles, butter pieces, heavy cream, and black pepper.
2. Gently stir just enough to coat the noodles and zucchini in the cream and butter, cover, and cook on low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring once or twice if your slow cooker runs hot, until the noodles are tender and the zucchini is soft.
3. Once the noodles are tender, give everything a final stir. Let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes to thicken slightly if needed, then spoon it up and serve warm.
Variations & Tips
Add onion: If you do not mind stretching past five ingredients, a small sliced onion cooks down beautifully with the zucchini and gives the dish a sweeter, deeper flavor.
Make it richer: A small handful of grated Parmesan stirred in at the end makes the sauce a little thicker and gives it a savory finish without taking away from its plain, homestyle character.
Watch the timing: Zucchini gives off quite a bit of moisture as it cooks, so keep an eye on the slow cooker near the end. If the mixture looks loose, leave the lid off for a few minutes before serving so the sauce can settle and thicken.
Choose the right noodles: Wide egg noodles hold up best here and give the dish that old-fashioned, Amish-style feel. Very thin noodles can overcook quickly and turn too soft in the slow cooker.
Use fresh garden zucchini: Smaller zucchini tend to be sweeter and less watery than oversized ones. If yours are especially large, scrape out some of the seedy center before slicing so the dish stays creamy instead of thin.