This is the kind of slow cooker supper I can throw together without even thinking, the way my mother and the neighbor ladies did on busy farm days. It starts just the way the headline says: raw ground beef in the slow cooker, then a good scattering of dried minced onion over the top. From there, just three more simple pantry ingredients turn it into a hearty Amish-style beef and noodles dish that tastes like it simmered on the back of a woodstove all afternoon. It’s practical, filling, and right at home on a Midwestern table.
Serve these beef noodles in wide, warm bowls with a side of buttered peas or green beans and a simple lettuce salad if you like something crisp alongside. A basket of soft dinner rolls or slices of buttered white bread is perfect for soaking up the gravy. For a real old-fashioned spread, add applesauce or pickled beets on the side, and finish with something simple for dessert, like pudding or a slice of pie.
Slow Cooker Amish Minced Onion Beef NoodlesServings: 6
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef, 80–85% lean
1/4 cup dried minced onion
2 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
3 cups beef broth (low sodium if possible)
12 ounces wide egg noodles (about 6 cups dry)
Directions
Set a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker on the counter and remove the lid. Break the raw ground beef into large chunks and scatter them evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker. You don’t need to brown the meat first.
With clean, dry hands, sprinkle the dried minced onion evenly over the raw ground beef, just like you’re seasoning a casserole. Make sure the onion flakes are scattered across the surface so they can soften and flavor the meat as it cooks.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and the beef broth until fairly smooth. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just well combined so the soup can melt into the broth.
Pour the soup and broth mixture gently over the beef and onion in the slow cooker, trying not to disturb the layers too much. Use a spoon to lightly press everything down so the meat is mostly under the liquid.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for about 3 hours, until the ground beef is cooked through and very tender. Partway through the cooking time, you can open the lid once to break up the beef with a spoon into smaller crumbles, then replace the lid and continue cooking.
About 30 to 40 minutes before serving, stir the beef mixture well, breaking up any remaining large pieces of meat. Add the dry egg noodles to the slow cooker, sprinkling them evenly over the top.
Gently press the noodles down into the hot gravy with the back of a spoon so they’re mostly submerged. If the noodles aren’t covered, add a little more beef broth or hot water, 1/4 cup at a time, just until the noodles are barely under the liquid.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the noodles are tender but not mushy and the sauce has thickened into a creamy gravy around the beef and noodles.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed with a little salt and black pepper. Give everything a final stir, then ladle the beef and noodles into bowls and serve hot.
Variations & Tips
For a creamier dish, stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt right at the end of cooking, off the heat, for a stroganoff-style flavor. If you prefer a lighter taste, you can use one can of cream of mushroom and one can of cream of celery or cream of chicken soup instead of two mushroom. To stretch the meal, add 1 to 2 cups of sliced mushrooms or frozen mixed vegetables during the last hour of cooking before the noodles go in. For a little extra old-fashioned flavor, add 1 teaspoon of dried parsley and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder along with the minced onion at the beginning. If you don’t have egg noodles, you can use other short pasta shapes; just check them a bit earlier for doneness. For those who like to brown meat first, you can brown the ground beef in a skillet, drain it, then proceed with the same scattering of dried minced onion in the slow cooker for a slightly richer flavor, though the no-browning method is how many farm kitchens kept it simple.
