My sister relies on this incredibly cheap staple whenever groceries get too expensive. You only need 3 ingredients to make a surprisingly vibrant and

Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 45 minutes, then open the lid and give everything a good stir, scraping the bottom to be sure no macaroni is sticking.

Stir in the frozen sweet peas, making sure they’re tucked down into the hot pasta and buttery liquid so they can heat through evenly.

Cover again and continue cooking on HIGH for another 20–30 minutes, stirring once more halfway through, until the macaroni is tender, the peas are bright green and soft, and the butter has formed a glossy, lightly thickened sauce with the pasta starch.

Once everything is tender and coated in the buttery sauce, turn the slow cooker to WARM. Give it a final stir, taste, and adjust salt if needed.

Serve the sweet pea macaroni straight from the slow cooker while hot, spooning up plenty of the melted butter sauce with each portion.