Pour canned cream of mushroom soup over raw beef chuck roast, together with 3 ingredients, into slow cooker for a hearty meal that's always a yes in my house

This slow cooker 5-ingredient Amish-style beef and noodles is my kind of weeknight comfort food: you literally pour canned cream of mushroom soup over a raw beef chuck roast, add just three more simple ingredients, turn on the slow cooker, and walk away. By the time you’re home from work, the beef is fall-apart tender and the noodles are coated in a rich, creamy gravy. It has that old-fashioned, church-basement potluck vibe that always reminds me of small-town Midwest suppers, and it’s the kind of hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal that gets an automatic yes from everyone at my table.

I like to scoop this beef and noodles into wide bowls and top it with a little cracked black pepper and chopped fresh parsley if I have it. It’s great with a simple green salad or steamed green beans to balance out the richness, and buttered corn or roasted carrots fit the Amish-style comfort food theme perfectly. Warm dinner rolls or thick slices of bread are great for soaking up the extra gravy, and if you want to stretch the meal for a crowd, serve smaller portions over mashed potatoes or extra egg noodles.

Servings: 6

2.5 to 3 lb beef chuck roast

Place the raw beef chuck roast in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, trimming excess hard fat only if desired but leaving most of it for flavor.

Sprinkle the onion soup mix evenly over the top of the roast.

Pour both cans of cream of mushroom soup directly over the raw beef chuck roast, spreading it a bit with a spoon so the roast is mostly covered.

Pour the can of beef broth around and over the roast, but do not stir; you want the soup mixture to stay mostly on top so it slowly melts down as it cooks.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is very tender and easily shreds with a fork.

Once the beef is tender, use two forks to shred the roast directly in the slow cooker, discarding any large fatty pieces. Stir the shredded beef into the creamy broth until well combined.

Add the dry egg noodles to the slow cooker, pressing them gently down into the liquid so they’re mostly submerged. If the noodles are not covered, add a small splash of water or beef broth, just enough so they can absorb liquid as they cook.

Cover again and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the noodles are tender but not mushy. Slow cookers vary, so start checking at 15 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed with a little salt and black pepper. The onion soup mix and broth are salty, so you may not need much extra.

Let the beef and noodles sit for 5 minutes on WARM to thicken slightly, then serve hot in bowls with your favorite simple sides.

You can swap the beef chuck roast for a similar marbled cut like arm roast or blade roast, but avoid very lean cuts or the meat can turn out dry. If you like a creamier sauce, stir in 1/2 cup sour cream right before serving (off the heat so it doesn’t curdle). For extra flavor, you can add sliced mushrooms or a handful of frozen peas during the last 10 minutes of cooking the noodles, but keep in mind this will add to the ingredient count. If you prefer a thinner, more soupy consistency, add an additional 1/2 to 1 cup beef broth when you add the noodles. To stretch the dish, serve the beef and noodles over mashed potatoes instead of mixing in extra noodles. Food safety tips: Always start with a fully thawed beef roast; do not cook large roasts from frozen in a slow cooker because they can stay too long in the temperature “danger zone.” Keep the lid on the slow cooker as much as possible so the temperature stays consistent. Leftovers should be cooled and refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking and eaten within 3 to 4 days, or frozen for longer storage. Reheat leftovers thoroughly until steaming hot before serving.