Crumble ground beef over raw chopped potatoes, combined with 3 ingredients, into slow cooker for a simple supper I make without even thinking

This is the kind of supper I can put together without even thinking, the way my mother and the neighbor ladies used to do on busy farm days. It’s a simple Amish-style poor man’s stew: raw potatoes on the bottom of the slow cooker, ground beef crumbled right over the top with your hands, then just three more pantry ingredients to bring it all together. It’s humble, filling, and comforting, the sort of meat-and-potato dish that has fed Midwestern families for generations when money was tight but bellies still needed to be full.

I like to ladle this stew into wide bowls and sprinkle a little extra salt and pepper over the top at the table. It’s wonderful with a slice of buttered white bread or cornbread to soak up the juices. A simple side of green beans, coleslaw, or a lettuce salad with a tangy dressing brightens up the plate. If you’re feeding farmhands or hungry grandkids, set out a jar of pickles and some applesauce on the side, just like we did when I was growing up.

Servings: 4-6

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes

Prepare the potatoes first so they can go straight into the slow cooker. Peel the russet potatoes and chop them into roughly 1-inch cubes. Scatter the chopped potatoes evenly over the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Sprinkle the chopped onion evenly over the potatoes. This gives the stew a nice, gentle sweetness as it cooks down.

Season the potatoes and onions with the salt and black pepper, spreading it around with your fingers so everything gets a little.

Take the raw ground beef and, using clean hands, crumble it directly over the potatoes and onions in the slow cooker. Break it up into small, loose pieces instead of big clumps so it can cook through evenly and flavor the potatoes as it simmers.