This little slow cooker supper is my kind of summer solstice cooking: just three things, tossed in the pot while the day is still young, and left alone while I sit on the porch and watch the light linger over the fields. It leans on a bag of frozen sweet potato fries, a sturdy chuck roast, and a bottle of good, salty-sweet teriyaki sauce. By the time the sun is sliding down, the beef has melted into tender shreds and the sweet potatoes have given up their shape, turning into soft, fibrous orange strands that soak up a glossy, umami-rich sauce. It’s not a recipe my mother made—she never saw a frozen fry in her life—but it’s the kind of thrifty, practical, set‑it‑and‑forget‑it supper she would have appreciated on a long summer day when the chores ran late.
I like to spoon this saucy beef and sweet potato tangle into wide bowls and let everyone eat it just as it is, with plenty of that dark, glossy sauce. If you want to stretch it, serve over plain white rice, buttered egg noodles, or a bed of steamed green beans. A crisp green salad or sliced garden tomatoes with a little salt and vinegar are nice, bright partners to all that richness. Leftovers make a fine next-day sandwich, piled onto a soft bun with a few pickle slices to cut through the sweetness.
3-Ingredient Summer Solstice Slow Cooker SupperServings: 4–6
Ingredients
2 to 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast (or similar stewing cut)
1 (20–24 ounce) bag frozen sweet potato fries
1 (14–16 ounce) bottle thick teriyaki sauce (or similar umami-rich stir-fry sauce)
Directions
Place the beef chuck roast in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. If the roast is very thick, you can cut it into two or three large chunks so it nestles in more easily, but keep the pieces big so they stay moist.
Pour the entire bottle of teriyaki sauce evenly over the roast, turning the meat once or twice with a fork or tongs so it’s coated on all sides. The sauce will be your only liquid, so be sure the bottom of the slow cooker has a good puddle of it.
Scatter the frozen sweet potato fries over the top of the roast and sauce. They can go in straight from the freezer—no need to thaw. It’s fine if they pile up a bit; they’ll collapse and soften as they cook.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7–9 hours, or on HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork and the sweet potatoes have broken down into soft, fibrous strands.
Once the beef is tender, use two forks to shred the meat directly in the slow cooker, pulling it into bite-sized pieces and mixing it gently with the sweet potato and sauce. The sweet potatoes should be swimming in the dark, glossy sauce, giving the whole mixture a rich orange-brown color.
Taste the sauce and adjust if you like: if it seems too strong, you can stir in a splash of water; if you’d like a touch more sweetness, a teaspoon or two of brown sugar can be added, but it’s usually not necessary.
Serve the shredded beef and sweet potatoes hot, spooned into bowls with plenty of the umami-rich sauce ladled over the top. Keep the slow cooker on WARM if folks will be coming and going, so the supper stays hot while you enjoy the long evening.
Variations & Tips
If your slow cooker tends to run hot, check the roast an hour earlier than the suggested time so it doesn’t dry out; the meat should shred easily and remain moist in the sauce. For a slightly lighter dish, trim any thick outer fat from the chuck roast before cooking. You can use a different stewing cut, such as bottom round or blade roast, but chuck gives the most tender, succulent result. If teriyaki sauce is very salty, you may wish to add only part of the bottle at first, then add more to taste at the end; you can always thin the sauce with a bit of water if it reduces too much. For a smokier flavor, choose a teriyaki or stir-fry sauce with added garlic and ginger, or stir in a teaspoon of smoked paprika at the end (this would technically be a fourth ingredient, so I only do this when I’m not sticking to the three-item promise). To bulk it up for a crowd, serve over cooked rice or noodles rather than adding more ingredients to the slow cooker. Food safety tips: Always start with a fresh or fully thawed roast; do not cook a large, solidly frozen piece of meat in the slow cooker, as it may stay too long in the temperature “danger zone.” Keep the lid on while cooking so the interior temperature stays high and steady. Leftovers should be cooled promptly, stored in shallow containers, and refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking; use within 3–4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Reheat leftovers until steaming hot all the way through before serving.
