If you grew up around church suppers and potlucks, you know these kinds of recipes are meant to bend a little. You can swap the cream of mushroom soup for cream of chicken or cream of celery for a slightly different flavor, while still keeping it to five ingredients. Pork or turkey meatballs work just as well as beef; just stick with fully cooked frozen meatballs for food safety and ease. For a touch of sweetness like some Amish gravies, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of brown sugar along with the soup mixture.
If you prefer more vegetables but don’t want extra prep, scatter a bag of frozen mixed vegetables over the potatoes before you dump on the meatballs—this technically adds another ingredient, but it makes a nice one-pot meal. For a thicker, more gravy-like stew, mash a few of the potatoes against the side of the slow cooker at the end and stir them back in, or remove the lid and cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes to reduce. To stretch the meal for a crowd, serve the meatball stew over buttered egg noodles or white rice instead of adding more meat. And if you like a little color, finish each bowl with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley or chives—something my mother would have called ‘Sunday fancy’ even on a Tuesday night.
