Grandma always made this budget dinner stretch. Just 4 ingredients and the whole family is fed and happy

This slow cooker 4-ingredient poor man's pie is the kind of budget supper my own grandma leaned on when paychecks were thin and bellies were still expected to be full and happy. It’s a simple layered dish: seasoned ground beef, sweet corn, and a cozy blanket of mashed potatoes, all bubbling together in a rich brown gravy. Folks around the rural Midwest have been stretching meat this way for generations, turning a pound of hamburger into a full family meal. Everything goes right into the slow cooker, so it can quietly do its work while you get on with your day, and when you lift that lid you’ve got the kind of stick-to-your-ribs comfort that makes a house feel like home.

Serve big spoonfuls straight from the slow cooker into bowls or onto plates, making sure each serving gets plenty of beef, corn, potatoes, and gravy. A simple side of canned green beans or frozen peas, warmed with a little butter and salt, fits right in with this thrifty supper. Sliced white bread or dinner rolls are nice for soaking up any extra gravy. If you like a little color on the table, a basic lettuce salad with whatever vegetables you have on hand will freshen things up without adding much cost.

Servings: 6

1 pound ground beef

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Cook until no pink remains, 7–10 minutes. Drain off any excess grease.

Pour the browned ground beef into the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker and spread it into an even layer.

Pour the can of brown or beef gravy over the ground beef and gently stir just enough to coat the meat. Smooth the top so the beef and gravy form a fairly even base.

Spread the corn evenly over the beef and gravy layer. Do not stir; you want distinct layers so the dish holds together when you scoop it out later.

Prepare the mashed potatoes if you haven’t already, using instant potato flakes or leftover homemade potatoes. Season them simply with salt and pepper so they’re tasty on their own but still mild enough to let the gravy and beef shine.

Spoon the mashed potatoes over the corn in the slow cooker. Start around the edges and work toward the center, spreading gently with the back of the spoon to cover the corn completely. Try to keep the potatoes in an even, thick layer so they can brown slightly around the sides.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or on HIGH for 2–3 hours. The casserole is ready when it is hot all the way through, the edges of the potatoes are lightly browned, and you can see some of the savory brown gravy bubbling up around the sides and in a few spots on top.

Once done, turn the slow cooker to WARM if your model has that setting. Let the poor man’s pie sit with the lid off for about 10 minutes to thicken slightly before serving. Use a large spoon to scoop down through all the layers so each serving has beef, corn, potatoes, and plenty of gravy.

To stretch this meal even further, you can bump the servings by adding up to 1 more cup of corn or an extra cup of mashed potatoes on top without changing the cooking time much. If your budget allows a little wiggle room, you can stir in a handful of shredded cheese with the hot mashed potatoes before spreading them over the corn for a cheesier crust, or sprinkle a bit on top in the last 15 minutes of cooking so it melts but doesn’t burn. For a deeper beef flavor, use a packet of brown gravy mix prepared with water instead of canned gravy, then pour it over the cooked meat. If you prefer a bit more seasoning, you can brown the beef with a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, or dried parsley without changing the basic 4-ingredient nature of the dish—those are pantry spices most farm kitchens already have. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat nicely in the microwave; add a spoonful of water or extra gravy if you have it to keep everything moist. This recipe also works with ground turkey or a mix of beef and pork if that’s what you find on sale, making it easy to adapt to whatever your local store has at the best price.