Stir bottled thousand island dressing and these 4 ingredients over beef stew meat into a slow cooker for a comforting meal everyone keeps coming back to

This slow cooker 5-ingredient Amish-style Reuben beef and noodles is the kind of cozy, no-fuss supper that fits right into a Midwestern farmhouse kitchen. It leans on a bottle of store-bought Thousand Island dressing, a trick I first saw at a church potluck where busy farm wives needed something they could start in the morning and forget about until suppertime. The dressing stands in for all the usual Reuben flavors, and when it’s stirred over simple beef stew meat with just four more pantry-style ingredients, you end up with tender, tangy beef and noodles that taste like they simmered on Grandma’s stove all day. It’s practical, hearty, and the sort of meal people go back for seconds of without even thinking.

Serve this Reuben beef and noodles in wide, shallow bowls with a sprinkle of extra caraway seeds or a spoonful of drained sauerkraut on top if your crowd loves that classic deli flavor. A simple side of buttered peas, green beans, or a crisp lettuce salad helps balance the richness. Warm dinner rolls or thick slices of rye or pumpernickel bread are perfect for soaking up the sauce. A jar of dill pickles or pickled beets on the table brings a bit of old-fashioned Amish-country charm to the meal.

Servings: 6

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks

Place the beef stew meat in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, spreading it out in an even layer so it cooks evenly.

Scatter the drained, lightly rinsed sauerkraut evenly over the beef. If using caraway seeds, sprinkle them over the top for that classic Reuben-style flavor.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the bottled Thousand Island dressing and the beef broth until smooth and well combined.

Pour the Thousand Island mixture evenly over the beef and sauerkraut in the slow cooker. Using a spoon or spatula, gently stir everything together so the beef is well coated and the dressing mixture is distributed throughout, as in a close-up process shot of hands stirring the bottled dressing over the raw beef stew meat in the slow cooker.

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 easily pulls apart with a fork.

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

Stir the hot, drained egg noodles into the slow cooker, folding gently until the noodles are coated in the creamy Reuben-style beef sauce and the meat is distributed throughout.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, adding a pinch of salt or a splash of broth if you’d like a looser sauce. Serve hot, ladled into bowls, making sure each serving has plenty of beef, noodles, and sauerkraut.

For a creamier sauce, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt right before adding the noodles; do not boil after adding dairy, or it may curdle. If you prefer more pronounced Reuben flavor, add up to 2 cups sauerkraut and increase the caraway seeds to 1 1/2 teaspoons. For a milder dish, rinse the sauerkraut thoroughly and squeeze it very dry, or reduce it to 1 cup. You can swap the egg noodles for cooked small shells or rotini if that’s what you have on hand. To make it a bit lighter, use leaner stew meat and a light Thousand Island dressing, and skim any visible fat from the top of the slow cooker before stirring in the noodles. If you’d like extra vegetables, stir in 1 to 2 cups of sliced mushrooms or thinly sliced onions over the beef before adding the dressing mixture; they will cook down and add more body to the sauce. For food safety, keep the beef refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the slow cooker, and do not leave raw meat sitting out at room temperature for more than 1 to 2 hours (less if your kitchen is warm). Always cook the beef until it is fork-tender and reaches at least 145°F internally, though stew cuts are best when cooked longer for tenderness. Once cooked, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers, and reheat thoroughly until steaming hot before serving again. Avoid reheating in the slow cooker from cold; instead, use the stovetop or microwave and then keep warm in the slow cooker if needed.