My great-uncle swore by this 3-ingredient survival recipe to feed his huge family during the toughest winters. It cooks up so crispy and savory that it feels like an absolute luxury.

This slow cooker 3-ingredient canned corned beef and potato hash is one of those old-school, stretch-it-to-feed-everyone recipes that feels way fancier than it is. The story in my family is that my great-uncle leaned on this exact combo—canned corned beef, potatoes, and a little fat—to get through brutal Midwestern winters with a house full of hungry kids. Everything goes into the slow cooker and turns into a soft, hearty hash with crispy, caramelized bits of salty pink corned beef and tender russet potatoes. It’s cheap, filling, and tastes like pure comfort, especially on cold nights when you want something that feels like a luxury but uses pantry staples.

Scoop the hash straight from the slow cooker and serve it with fried or soft-cooked eggs on top, plus a little hot sauce or ketchup if you like. It’s great alongside buttered toast, biscuits, or simple dinner rolls to soak up the savory juices. For a bigger spread, add a basic green salad or steamed frozen veggies to lighten things up. Leftovers reheat well in a skillet the next day and get even crispier, so this works nicely as both a hearty dinner and a ready-to-go breakfast-for-dinner option.

Servings: 6

2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil or rendered bacon fat

Lightly grease the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with a little of the oil or fat to help prevent sticking and encourage browning around the edges.

Peel the russet potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes so they cook evenly and get tender without turning to mush.

Add the cubed potatoes to the slow cooker and drizzle with the remaining oil or fat. Toss gently with your hands or a spoon to coat the potatoes as evenly as possible.

Open the canned corned beef and break it into rough chunks with a fork. Scatter the chunks evenly over the potatoes in the slow cooker, then lightly press them down so they nestle in but are not completely mashed together.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the corned beef is hot and starting to crisp around the edges.

About 30 to 45 minutes before serving, gently stir the hash from the bottom up to mix the potatoes and corned beef, then spread the mixture back into an even layer. This helps distribute the fat and encourages a savory, greasy crust with caramelized bits throughout as it finishes cooking.

Check the texture: if you want more crisp, leave the lid slightly vented for the last 20 to 30 minutes on HIGH so some moisture can escape and the edges brown more. Avoid stirring during this time so a crust can form against the sides and bottom.

Once the potatoes are soft and you see browned, crispy bits of corned beef and potato around the edges, turn the slow cooker to WARM. Let the hash sit for 5 to 10 minutes to set slightly, then scoop and serve straight from the crock.

If you have them on hand, you can sprinkle in basic pantry seasonings like black pepper, garlic powder, or onion powder without changing the spirit of the recipe, but the original survival version really is just corned beef, potatoes, and fat. To stretch it even further for a big family, add up to 1 extra pound of potatoes and a splash more oil or fat; the texture will be a bit softer but still hearty. For extra crispiness, scoop portions of the cooked hash into a hot, lightly oiled skillet and pan-fry over medium-high heat until a crust forms on the bottom. You can also prep this the night before by cubing the potatoes and storing them in cold water in the fridge (drain and pat dry before adding to the slow cooker) and keeping the cans of corned beef ready to go—ideal for busy workdays when you want to dump, cook, and forget it. If you need to keep it warm for a crowd, leave it on WARM for up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t over-brown.