Dump a raw beef top loin roast in the slow cooker and 4 other ingredients to get a meal so delicious your friends will be begging for more.

This five-ingredient slow cooker beef roast is the kind of no-fuss supper that fits right in with small-town Flag Day potlucks and porch gatherings. You literally set a raw beef top loin roast in the slow cooker, pour four more simple pantry ingredients over the top, and let it putter away while you go about your day. By suppertime the meat is fork-tender, the juices are rich and savory-sweet, and the whole house smells like the Sunday dinners I grew up with on the farm. It’s the sort of recipe neighbors share over the fence and friends beg you to make again for every summer holiday.

Serve this slow cooker beef sliced or shredded with its juices spooned over the top. It’s wonderful over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or simple white rice to soak up the flavorful broth. Add a side of sweet corn, green beans, or a crisp lettuce salad to round things out. For a more casual Flag Day spread, pile the beef on soft sandwich buns with a slice of cheese and some pickles, and set out coleslaw, potato salad, and a pan of baked beans for an easy crowd-pleasing meal.

Servings: 6

3 to 3 1/2 pounds raw beef top loin roast

Place the raw beef top loin roast in the bottom of a large slow cooker, fat side up if it has a fat cap. This should look like a single whole roast sitting in the center of the dark slow cooker crock.

Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the top of the roast so it lightly coats the surface.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup, beef broth (or water), and Worcestershire sauce until fairly smooth.

Pour the soup mixture evenly over and around the beef roast in the slow cooker, letting it run down the sides and pool in the bottom.

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

Once cooked, carefully transfer the roast to a cutting board. Slice it across the grain or gently shred it with two forks, removing any large pieces of fat.

Skim excess fat from the top of the cooking juices in the slow cooker, then stir the juices. Spoon the hot, savory gravy over the sliced or shredded beef and serve right away.

You can tuck 1 to 2 cups of sturdy vegetables such as baby carrots or chunked potatoes around the roast before cooking, keeping in mind this will stretch the meal but won’t change the basic five-ingredient sauce. If you like a little tang, stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish or Dijon mustard into the soup mixture before pouring it over the roast. For a deeper, more robust flavor, swap half of the broth for dry red wine. To make a thicker gravy at the end, ladle 2 cups of hot cooking liquid into a saucepan, whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with a little cold water, and simmer until thickened, then pour back over the meat. Food safety tips: Always start with a fresh or fully thawed beef roast; do not place a frozen roast directly into the slow cooker, as it can stay too long in the temperature “danger zone.” Keep the lid on the slow cooker during cooking to maintain a safe, steady temperature, and make sure the internal temperature of the roast reaches at least 145°F before serving, though this recipe is designed to cook well beyond that for tenderness. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving and use within 3 to 4 days, or freeze for longer storage.