Beef & Noodles in a Crockpot

Some nights you just want dinner to make itself, and this is that recipe. Stew beef goes into the slow cooker with canned soups and broth, no browning, no chopping, just stir and walk away.

The canned soups are the shortcut doing all the work, melting into a thick, savory gravy as the beef cooks down to fork-tender over the day. By dinnertime you’ve got a rich, brothy beef ready to pile over noodles.

Ladle it over hot egg noodles so they soak up the gravy. It’s humble, but it’s exactly the kind of warm, no-effort meal that gets requested again.

Pro Tips

• Give it the full 6 to 8 hours on low; the long braise is what turns stew beef tender.
• For deeper flavor, brown the beef first, though it isn’t required.
• Cook the noodles separately and spoon the beef over the top so they don’t go gummy.

Variations

• Stir in sliced mushrooms or a spoon of sour cream near the end for a stroganoff feel.
• Use cream of mushroom and French onion soup together for extra savor.
• Serve over mashed potatoes or rice instead of noodles.