Throw the beef in the slow cooker and add 3 other ingredients. You get a meal so delicious, your husband will be begging for it to be added to the weekly rotation.

This 4-ingredient slow cooker beef and noodles is the kind of no-fuss comfort food I leaned on during busy harvest seasons out here in the Midwest. You literally throw the cubed stew meat into the crock, add just three pantry ingredients, and let it putter away while you go about your day. By suppertime, you’ve got tender beef in a rich, creamy gravy that clings to egg noodles—simple, hearty, and the kind of meal that has husbands asking if it can show up on the weekly rotation. It’s a pared-down version of the old church-basement beef and noodles I grew up with, just made easier for modern, busy home cooks.

Serve the beef and noodles in wide, shallow bowls so that creamy gravy has room to settle. A side of buttered peas or green beans fits right in with this old-fashioned plate, and a simple lettuce salad with a tangy dressing helps cut through the richness. If you’ve got time, warm dinner rolls or thick slices of buttered white bread are perfect for mopping up the gravy. For dessert, something homey like applesauce, a slice of pie, or a dish of canned peaches keeps the meal feeling like Sunday supper at Grandma’s table.

Servings: 6

2 to 2 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat

Place the cubed beef stew meat in an even layer on the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. The meat should be the only ingredient in the pot at this point, just resting against the dark interior of the crock.

In a medium bowl, stir together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and the dry onion soup mix until well combined. You don’t need to add water; the beef will release its juices as it cooks.

Pour the soup mixture evenly over the beef in the slow cooker, spreading it gently with a spatula so all the meat is coated. Do not stir down to the bottom; just make sure the top of the meat is covered.

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 beef is very tender and easy to pull apart with a fork. During this time, avoid lifting the lid too often so the heat and moisture stay trapped inside.

About 20 minutes before serving, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions in a large pot of salted boiling water until just tender. Drain the noodles well.

Give the beef and gravy in the slow cooker a good stir to break up any larger chunks of meat and to smooth out the sauce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if desired, keeping in mind the soups and mix are already seasoned.

Add the hot, drained egg noodles directly into the slow cooker with the beef and gravy. Gently fold everything together until the noodles are well coated and the beef is evenly distributed.

Let the beef and noodles sit on WARM for 5 to 10 minutes so the flavors can settle and the sauce thickens slightly around the noodles. Serve heaping spoonfuls in bowls, making sure everyone gets plenty of beef and gravy.

If you like a little extra richness, stir 1/2 cup of sour cream into the beef and gravy right before adding the noodles; it gives the dish a stroganoff-style tang. For a milder flavor, you can swap one can of cream of mushroom soup for cream of chicken or cream of celery. If your family prefers more sauce, add a third can of condensed soup (no extra water needed) to make it extra creamy. To stretch the meal for a crowd, serve the beef and gravy over mashed potatoes or buttered rice instead of noodles, or cut the noodles to 8 ounces and ladle the beef over slices of toasted bread for an open-faced hot beef sandwich. If you want a bit of texture, stir in a small bag of frozen peas or mixed vegetables during the last 30 minutes of cooking on LOW. For a slightly deeper flavor, you can quickly brown the stew meat in a hot skillet before adding it to the slow cooker, though the recipe is designed to work just fine with the beef going in raw, exactly as written.