Sprinkle onion soup mix over raw beef roast, coupled with 3 rustic ingredients, into slow cooker for a hearty supper that I plan meals around

This slow cooker 5-ingredient Amish pot roast is the sort of hearty supper I plan a whole week of meals around. It’s as simple as laying a raw beef roast in the crock, sprinkling a packet of onion soup mix over the top, then tucking in three rustic pantry staples and letting time do the rest. Recipes like this have been passed around farm kitchens and church basements here in the Midwest for generations—plain ingredients, long cooking, and a smell that fills the house and makes everyone wander into the kitchen asking when supper will be ready.

Serve this pot roast with its rich, oniony gravy spooned over mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, with the tender carrots and potatoes nestled alongside. A simple side of green beans or peas, and maybe a slice of soft white bread or a dinner roll to mop up the juices, makes it a complete farmhouse-style plate. Leftovers are wonderful piled onto toast or tucked into sandwiches the next day, with a scoop of the vegetables and gravy on top.

Servings: 6

3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast

Set your slow cooker on a sturdy surface, such as a kitchen counter or table. If needed, lightly grease the inside of the crock with a bit of oil or nonstick spray for easier cleanup.

Place the raw beef chuck roast in the bottom of the slow cooker. If there is a thicker, fattier side, position that side facing up so it can baste the meat as it cooks.

Open the packet of dry onion soup mix. Holding it over the roast, sprinkle the soup mix evenly over the top and sides of the raw beef, just as you would if you were seasoning it with salt. Let some of the mix fall down along the edges into the crock; that will help flavor the juices into a rich gravy.

Arrange the potato chunks around the roast in the slow cooker, tucking them down along the sides. Scatter the carrot pieces over and around the potatoes so the vegetables form a snug bed around the meat.

Pour the beef broth gently around the edges of the roast, taking care not to wash all of the onion soup mix off the top. The broth should come up the sides of the meat and vegetables but does not need to cover them completely.

Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork and the vegetables are soft all the way through.

Once cooked, carefully lift the roast out onto a platter and use two forks to slice or pull it into large, rustic chunks. Spoon the carrots and potatoes around the meat, then ladle some of the onion-rich cooking juices over the top to keep everything moist.

Taste the broth and add a little salt and black pepper if needed. Serve the pot roast hot, with extra juices passed at the table for folks who like their meat and vegetables swimming in gravy.

For a slightly thicker gravy, stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into a few tablespoons of cold water, then whisk that slurry into the hot cooking juices in a saucepan and simmer until thickened before serving. If you like more vegetables, add a sliced onion or a handful of halved button mushrooms around the roast along with the potatoes and carrots. A splash of Worcestershire sauce or a tablespoon of tomato paste stirred into the broth before cooking will deepen the flavor without changing the simple character of the dish. You can also use a different cut of beef, such as arm roast or bottom round, as long as it’s well-marbled for slow cooking. For smaller households, cook the full recipe and portion leftovers into containers; the meat reheats beautifully and can be turned into hot beef sandwiches, beef and noodles, or a quick hash with the extra potatoes and carrots.