Pour canned sloppy joe sauce over raw beef stew chunks, together with 1 ingredient, into slow cooker for a weekend meal that disappears faster than anything else

This slow cooker 3-ingredient sloppy joe beef is the kind of recipe I lean on when the weekend is busy but I still want the house to smell like someone’s been cooking all day. It reminds me of church potlucks back in our small Midwestern town, where a big crock of saucy beef would sit on the counter and somehow disappear before you could blink. Here we keep it wonderfully simple: raw beef stew chunks, a can of sloppy joe sauce, and one trusty pantry ingredient to round it out. Everything goes straight into the slow cooker, just like those easy company meals our mothers and grandmothers loved, and by suppertime you’ve got tender, spoon-soft beef in a sweet-tangy sauce that tastes like it took far more effort than it did.

Serve this sloppy joe beef piled high on soft hamburger buns or buttered split dinner rolls, with a few pickle slices on the side if you like that old-fashioned tang. It’s also lovely spooned over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or plain white rice for a stick-to-your-ribs plate. Round out the meal with simple sides like coleslaw, green beans, corn, or a basic lettuce salad. For a true Midwestern-style spread, set it out in the slow cooker on warm, put out a basket of buns, and let folks serve themselves while you enjoy the company.

Servings: 6

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

Place the raw beef stew chunks into the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, spreading them out in an even layer so they cook evenly.

Pour the canned sloppy joe sauce evenly over the raw beef stew chunks in the slow cooker, making sure most of the meat is coated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape out the can so you get every bit of sauce.

Pour the water around and over the beef and sauce in the slow cooker. Do not stir too much; just gently nudge the meat down so it’s mostly nestled in the liquid and sauce.

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 can be easily pulled apart with a fork.

Once the beef is tender, use two forks to gently break the chunks into smaller, bite-sized pieces right in the slow cooker, stirring them into the sloppy joe sauce until everything is well combined and saucy. If the mixture seems too thick, stir in a tablespoon or two of hot water; if it seems too thin, remove the lid and let it cook on HIGH for another 15 to 20 minutes to reduce slightly.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired with a pinch of salt or pepper (optional), then switch the slow cooker to WARM for serving. Spoon the hot sloppy joe beef onto buns, over mashed potatoes, or however you like to enjoy it.

If you’d like to stretch this meal a bit, you can add up to 3 pounds of beef stew meat without changing the amount of sloppy joe sauce; just be aware the sauce will cling a bit more tightly to the meat. For a slightly richer flavor, substitute beef broth for the water, or add 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce along with the water (this will add a fourth ingredient, but it deepens the savory notes). You can also stir in a handful of shredded cheddar cheese at the end for a cheesier sloppy joe-style beef. To lighten it up a bit, try using half beef stew meat and half boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cooked the same way until tender. Food safety tips: Always start with fresh, cold beef and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to load the slow cooker. Don’t let raw meat sit out on the counter for more than about 30 minutes while you prepare the recipe. Make sure your slow cooker is set to LOW or HIGH as directed; avoid using the WARM setting to cook from raw, as it doesn’t heat quickly enough to keep food out of the bacterial “danger zone.” The beef should reach at least 165°F in the center, though stew meat will usually be much higher by the time it’s tender. Once cooked, don’t leave the sloppy joe beef on the counter for more than 2 hours; refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers and use within 3 to 4 days, or freeze for longer storage.