Pop's June Classic: Just 5 ingredients. It is my go-to when I want a hearty dinner with zero standing at the stove!

This 5-ingredient slow cooker roast is my nod to the kind of hearty, no-fuss dinners Midwestern dads grew up on in the 1950s—think pot roast vibes without any standing at the stove. You toss everything into the slow cooker in the morning, walk away, and by dinnertime you’ve got a succulent, slow-roasted beef in a rich, dark, umami-forward gravy. It’s the kind of dish that feels special enough for Father’s Day but is simple enough to be a weeknight regular.

Serve the beef and its velvety sauce over fluffy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or simple white rice to soak up every bit of the gravy. Add a classic 1950s-style vegetable side like buttered peas, green beans, or glazed carrots to round out the plate. A crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette helps balance the richness, and if you like, warm dinner rolls or sliced crusty bread are perfect for mopping up the extra sauce.

Servings: 6

3 to 3 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast

Place the beef chuck roast into the slow cooker, trimming only large, hard pieces of fat if desired but leaving most of the marbling for flavor and tenderness.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce until you have a smooth, dark, savory mixture.

Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the roast, making sure the top and sides are well coated; it’s fine if some of the roast is not fully submerged, as it will release juices while cooking.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and easily pulls apart into fibrous shreds.

Once the roast is done, use two forks to gently shred or break the meat into large pieces directly in the slow cooker, stirring it into the velvety, bubbling sauce so every strand is coated.

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed with a pinch of salt or a splash more Worcestershire; serve the saucy shredded beef hot with your favorite sides.

For a slightly lighter version, you can use a leaner cut such as bottom round roast, though it may be a bit less rich than chuck; just be sure to cook it until very tender. If you prefer pork, a 3-pound pork shoulder (Boston butt) works beautifully with the same ingredients and timing, yielding a pulled-pork-style texture in an umami gravy. For a more pronounced mushroom flavor, swap half of the beef broth for dry red wine and add a handful of sliced fresh mushrooms (this technically adds an ingredient, but you can omit something else, such as the broth, by using water plus wine to stay close to the 5-ingredient spirit). To keep it closer to a 1950s pantry, you can replace the beef broth with water and an extra tablespoon of Worcestershire for depth. If you want a thicker gravy, remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking on HIGH to let some liquid evaporate, or whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir it into the sauce, then cook covered on HIGH for 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Food safety tips: Always start with a fully thawed roast—frozen meat can stay too long in the temperature danger zone in a slow cooker. Keep the lid on during cooking to maintain a safe, steady temperature, and do not cook on the WARM setting from the start. Leftovers should be cooled quickly, transferred to shallow containers, and refrigerated within 2 hours; reheat to steaming hot before serving.