Winter Chowder: Just 5 ingredients. Corn and potatoes make this thick soup incredibly filling.

1. Add the frozen diced hash brown potatoes and drained canned corn to the slow cooker, spreading them out evenly.

2. Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth, then add the condensed cream soup. Stir everything together until the soup is mostly incorporated into the broth (it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth).

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the chowder has thickened slightly.

4. About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired (optional, not counted in the 5 ingredients).

5. Ladle into bowls and serve hot. If you have them on hand, garnish with a little extra cheese, cracked black pepper, or chopped green onions.

To make this chowder vegetarian, use vegetable broth and a cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken. For extra protein, stir in cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken or diced ham during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If you like a thicker, creamier chowder, mash a few of the potatoes right in the slow cooker with the back of a spoon before adding the cheese, or stir in a splash of heavy cream at the end. For a little kick, add a pinch of smoked paprika or red pepper flakes (again, optional so they don’t count toward the 5 ingredients). You can also swap the cheddar for pepper jack or Colby Jack for a different flavor profile. Meal prep tip: assemble everything in the slow cooker insert the night before (except the cheese), refrigerate, then pop it into the base and start cooking in the morning—just add an extra 30 minutes to the cook time since it’ll be starting cold.