Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over beef roast, along with 2 ingredients, into slow cooker for a hearty meal that disappears faster than anything else

This slow cooker beef and noodles is one of those set-it-and-forget-it dinners that tastes like it took all day in a farmhouse kitchen. It leans on a packet of dry onion soup mix—an old Midwestern pantry staple—to season a simple beef roast, plus just two more ingredients that turn into a rich, oniony gravy that clings to tender egg noodles. It’s loosely inspired by Amish-style beef and noodles, but streamlined for busy weeknights with only four ingredients and the help of a slow cooker.

Serve the beef and noodles in wide bowls, making sure to spoon plenty of the onion-rich gravy over the top. A crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette or simple steamed green beans helps balance the richness. Warm dinner rolls or buttered bread are perfect for mopping up extra sauce, and if you’d like something extra homey on the side, a dish of applesauce or roasted carrots fits right in.

Servings: 6

1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess surface fat

Place the raw beef chuck roast in the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker, positioning it as flat as possible so the seasoning will be evenly distributed.

Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the top of the beef roast, covering as much of the surface as you can; this is your main seasoning, so don’t be shy.

Pour the beef broth around (not directly on top of) the roast so you don’t wash off the onion soup mix. The liquid should come about one-third to halfway up the sides of the meat.

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 shreds easily with a fork.

Once the beef is tender, use two forks to shred the roast directly in the slow cooker, removing and discarding any large pieces of fat. Stir the shredded beef into the oniony broth so it becomes a rich, meaty sauce.

Add the uncooked egg noodles to the slow cooker, stirring them into the beef and broth so they are mostly submerged. If the noodles are not well covered, add a splash more beef broth or hot water, 1/4 cup at a time, just until they are barely covered.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the noodles are tender but not mushy and the sauce has thickened slightly from the starch of the pasta.

Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Serve hot, spooning the beef and noodles into bowls with plenty of the onion gravy from the slow cooker.

For a creamier version, stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt at the very end of cooking, off the heat, to keep it from curdling. If you prefer more vegetables, add 1 to 2 cups of thick-sliced carrots or mushrooms around the roast before cooking; they’ll soften and mingle with the oniony broth. To stretch the dish for a crowd, increase the egg noodles to 16 ounces and add an extra 1 cup of broth. You can swap the chuck roast for a similar marbled cut like blade roast or arm roast; avoid very lean cuts, as they can dry out in the slow cooker. For a deeper flavor, brown the roast in a hot skillet with a little oil before placing it in the slow cooker, though this is optional. Food safety tips: Always start with a fully thawed roast for even, safe cooking; frozen meat can stay in the temperature danger zone too long in a slow cooker. Keep the lid on during cooking to maintain proper heat, and use a meat thermometer if unsure—beef should reach at least 145°F, though for shredding you’ll usually be closer to 195°F. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and use within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot before serving.