My aunt taught me this clever trick to use up leftover bread. Just 4 ingredients to make the most rich and bubbling sweet treat for pennies.

My aunt Ruth was the queen of making something out of nothing, especially when it came to using up odds and ends from the bread box. This slow cooker 4-ingredient apple brown betty is her kind of recipe through and through: day-old bread, a few apples, a bit of butter, and brown sugar. That’s it. Everything melts down into a bubbling, caramel-scented apple layer under a toasty, buttery crown of bread cubes. It tastes like an old-fashioned baked dessert your grandmother might have pulled from the woodstove, but it costs just pennies and takes almost no effort. It’s the kind of thrifty, comforting Midwestern cooking I grew up with, and it turns leftovers into something that feels like a special treat.

Serve this warm right out of the slow cooker, spooned into bowls so you catch plenty of the gooey caramelized juices from the bottom along with the crisp, buttery bread on top. A little scoop of vanilla ice cream, a spoonful of whipped cream, or even a drizzle of heavy cream over each serving is lovely if you have it on hand. It’s sweet and rich enough to stand alone as a simple dessert, but it also makes a cozy weekend breakfast or brunch alongside scrambled eggs and coffee. Leftovers reheat nicely in the microwave, especially with an extra splash of cream to wake everything up.

Servings: 6

6 cups peeled and sliced apples (about 5–6 medium baking apples)

Prepare the apples by peeling them, removing the cores, and slicing them into thin wedges about 1/4-inch thick. Measure out about 6 cups of slices and set aside.

Cut day-old bread into small cubes about 1/2 inch in size. You want roughly 4 cups of loosely packed bread cubes. Slightly stale bread works best because it toasts up nicely and soaks up the buttery sugar without getting mushy.

In a medium bowl, stir the brown sugar with the melted butter until it forms a thick, glossy, syrupy mixture. It should look like a loose caramel sauce. This simple mixture will act as both the sweetener and the seasoning for the whole dish.

Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a bit of butter or cooking spray to help prevent sticking.

Spread the sliced apples evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker in a single, even layer. Gently press them down so they sit fairly flat; this will help them cook into a soft, saucy base.

Drizzle about one-third of the butter–brown sugar mixture over the apples, letting it sink down between the slices. This will help create that gooey, caramelized sauce as everything cooks.

Place the bread cubes into the bowl that held the remaining butter–brown sugar mixture. Toss well until all the bread pieces are coated and look sticky and glossy. Take your time so each cube gets a bit of the mixture; this is what will toast into a golden, crunchy top.

Spread the coated bread cubes evenly over the apples in the slow cooker, covering them completely. Gently pat the bread down just enough to help it settle into a fairly even layer, but don’t pack it too tightly or it won’t crisp as well.

Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, or until the apples are tender and bubbling around the edges and the bread cubes on top are golden brown and toasty. If your slow cooker tends to run hot, start checking at about 3 hours.

Once done, turn off the slow cooker and let the apple brown betty sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. This short rest helps the juices thicken slightly into a rich, spoonable sauce.

Serve the apple brown betty warm, scooping down through the toasted bread layer to reach the soft apples and caramelized juices underneath. Spoon into bowls and enjoy as-is, or top with ice cream, whipped cream, or a splash of cream if you like.

For a slightly less sweet version, reduce the brown sugar to 3/4 cup and add a splash of water or apple juice (2 to 3 tablespoons) to the melted butter so there’s still enough moisture to coat the bread. If you happen to have a heel or two of whole wheat bread, you can mix those in with white bread cubes for a bit more body and a nutty flavor. Different apples will change the character of the dish: tart varieties like Granny Smith or Jonathan give a brighter, more old-fashioned flavor, while sweeter apples like Gala or Fuji make it taste more like caramel apples. If your bread is very soft and fresh, spread the cubes on a baking sheet and let them sit out for an hour or two to dry slightly before using; this will help them toast instead of turning soggy. To make smaller portions, halve the recipe and use a 3-quart slow cooker, checking for doneness a little earlier. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently in the microwave or in a low oven until warmed through, adding a spoonful of water or cream if it looks dry on top.