My aunt from Lancaster taught me this 4-ingredient spring side dish. It smells incredible cooking all day and the savory smoky flavor is completely irresistible.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient Amish potato and green beans dish is the kind of humble, all-day simmering recipe my aunt from Lancaster swears by. It’s rooted in Pennsylvania Dutch farmhouse cooking: simple ingredients, long gentle heat, and a big payoff in flavor. Potatoes, green beans, and smoky pork quietly bubble away in a light broth until the vegetables turn tender and the whole kitchen smells deeply savory. It’s a practical, set-it-and-forget-it spring side that works just as well for a Sunday dinner as it does for a casual weeknight meal.

Serve this dish straight from the slow cooker, ladling the potatoes, green beans, and smoky pork pieces into shallow bowls and spooning some of the broth over the top. It pairs beautifully with roasted or grilled chicken, baked ham, or simple pan-fried pork chops. A crusty loaf of bread or warm dinner rolls is perfect for soaking up the savory broth. For a fresh contrast, add a crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette or sliced tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper alongside.

Servings: 6

2 pounds small yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

Layer the potato chunks in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, spreading them into an even layer so they cook evenly.

Scatter the trimmed green beans over the potatoes, keeping them mostly on top so they steam gently and stay vibrant in color.

Add the smoked pork pieces over the vegetables, distributing them so every scoop will have some of the savory, smoky meat.

Pour the chicken broth evenly over everything in the slow cooker. The broth should come most of the way up the vegetables without completely submerging them; this helps the beans stay bright while still creating a rich, flavorful cooking liquid.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork and the green beans are soft but not falling apart.

Once cooked, taste a bit of broth and a potato. If your smoked pork and broth are not very salty, you may add a light sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper at this point, but keep in mind that traditional Amish-style versions lean on the pork for seasoning.

Gently stir from the bottom to bring some of the smoky pork and broth up over the vegetables, being careful not to mash the potatoes. Serve hot, spooning both vegetables and plenty of the savory, smoky broth into each bowl.

For a slightly richer broth, you can substitute 1 cup of the chicken broth with water from parboiling a small piece of smoked ham hock or smoked turkey wing, which intensifies the smoky flavor without adding more ingredients. If you prefer a leaner dish, choose smoked turkey instead of pork; it will still give that Lancaster-style smokiness with less fat. To keep the beans a bit firmer and more vibrant, add them during the last 2 hours of cooking on LOW or the last hour on HIGH instead of at the beginning. For a more rustic texture, use whole baby potatoes and lightly crush them with the back of a spoon just before serving so they soak up more of the broth. Leftovers reheat well on the stovetop over low heat; if the broth has thickened in the fridge, loosen it with a splash of water or extra broth as it warms.