My mom made this every payday when money was tight. It is impossibly creamy and the kids absolutely devour it.

Every month when my dad’s paycheck finally came in, my mother would stretch those dollars as far as they could go. On those lean weeks, this slow cooker potato and Velveeta dish was our celebration supper. It’s only three ingredients, but it turns into the most impossibly creamy pan of tender potatoes swimming in a rich, glossy orange cheese sauce. It’s the kind of humble, stick-to-your-ribs Midwestern comfort food that fills bellies, calms nerves, and makes kids scrape their plates clean. If you’re watching your budget or just craving something cozy and familiar, this is the kind of recipe you can put on in the afternoon and forget about until supper time.

Serve these creamy potatoes piled high on a plate with a simple green vegetable—frozen peas, green beans, or a tossed salad all work just fine. They’re also wonderful next to meatloaf, baked ham, or a skillet of pan-fried pork chops if you have them. On the tightest weeks, my mother would simply serve big scoops of these potatoes with sliced bread or biscuits to soak up the extra cheese sauce, and nobody complained. A sprinkle of black pepper on top and maybe a few sliced green onions, if you have them, make it feel a little more dressed up without adding much cost.

Servings: 6

3 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a little butter or cooking spray so the potatoes and cheese don’t stick too much around the edges.

Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/4-inch rounds. Try to keep the slices fairly even so they cook at the same rate and get soft and creamy all the way through.

Spread a thin layer of potato slices over the bottom of the slow cooker, just enough to cover the surface. Scatter a handful of Velveeta cubes over the potatoes, then drizzle a few spoonfuls of the condensed soup on top.

Continue layering: potatoes, then Velveeta cubes, then small spoonfuls of soup, until all the potatoes, cheese, and soup are used. Try to finish with a layer of cheese and soup on top so it melts down over everything as it cooks.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork and the cheese has melted into a thick, glossy sauce. Avoid lifting the lid too often so the heat stays in and the potatoes soften properly.

Once the potatoes are soft, gently stir from the edges toward the center to mix some of the cheese sauce down through the layers. Don’t over-stir or the potatoes will break up too much; a few intact rounds with some softer pieces is just right.

If you’d like a little of that browned, caramelized cheese around the edges, let the potatoes sit on WARM for 20 to 30 minutes after cooking. The sides will darken slightly and the sauce will thicken even more.

Taste and add a pinch of salt or pepper if you like, then spoon the hot, creamy potatoes onto plates and serve right away while the sauce is at its glossiest and the edges are still a bit browned and bubbly.

You can stretch or tweak this humble dish a few different ways without losing its spirit. If you want more sauce, add up to 1/2 can of milk to the condensed soup before layering; this will make the cheese mixture a little looser but still creamy. For extra flavor, stir in a small spoonful of dried onion flakes or a sprinkle of garlic powder with the soup as you layer. If you prefer a meatless version, use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken. When money allows, you can tuck a cup of diced ham or cooked crumbled bacon between the potato layers for a heartier meal. Yukon Gold potatoes stay a bit creamier and hold their shape nicely, but russets work just fine if that’s what you have—just slice them evenly so they don’t turn to mush. For a bit of color on top, you can transfer the finished potatoes to an oven-safe dish and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese browns in spots. Food safety tips: Keep the potatoes refrigerated until you’re ready to prep, and don’t soak them in water for too long or they can discolor and lose some starch. Make sure the slow cooker stays covered during cooking so the temperature remains high enough to keep the food safe. Once cooked, don’t leave the potatoes sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours; refrigerate leftovers promptly in a shallow container. Reheat leftovers thoroughly until steaming hot in the center before serving, and use within 3 to 4 days.