Layer sliced potatoes over ground beef, plus 2 ingredients, into slow cooker for a family dinner that I crave this week after week

This slow cooker 4-ingredient Amish shipwreck casserole is the kind of simple, stick-to-your-ribs supper that feels like it’s been on Midwestern farm tables forever. It’s built the old-fashioned way: raw ground beef on the bottom, a good layer of sliced potatoes over the top, then just two more pantry ingredients to bring it all together into a cozy, saucy casserole. Everything goes right into the slow cooker in tidy layers, and a few hours later you’ve got a family dinner that tastes like something your grandmother might have made after a long day in the fields. It’s the sort of humble, no-fuss meal I find myself craving week after week, especially when the weather turns cool and I want dinner to feel like a warm hug.

Serve this shipwreck casserole straight from the slow cooker, scooped into wide bowls so you get plenty of potatoes, beef, and sauce in each serving. It’s lovely with a simple green salad or some buttered peas or green beans on the side to brighten the plate. A basket of warm dinner rolls or thick slices of buttered white bread is perfect for soaking up the extra tomato soup gravy. If you like, set out a little dish of pickles or sliced fresh tomatoes to cut through the richness, and finish with something simple and homey for dessert, like applesauce or a piece of sheet cake.

2 pounds ground beef (80–85% lean)
6 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
2 (10.5-ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste
1/2 cup water (optional, for a looser sauce)
Nonstick cooking spray or a little butter, for greasing the slow cooker