Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles

This creamy slow cooker beef and noodles is my go-to cozy meal for lazy June days. It’s warm, creamy, and super easy to make. I just put everything into the slow cooker before I leave for work, and by the time I get home, my whole house smells like a big Sunday dinner — even though I only spent about 10 minutes putting it together. Using cubed beef chuck gives you soft, juicy bites of meat that soak up a smooth, tasty sauce. The egg noodles go right into the pot near the end, so you won’t even have to wash an extra pan.

Serve this creamy beef and noodles dish in big bowls, topped with a little black pepper and some chopped parsley if you have it on hand. It’s amazing spooned over mashed potatoes for extra comfort, or paired with steamed green beans or a light salad to balance out the rich, creamy sauce. Warm dinner rolls or buttered toast work great for scooping up every last bit of that smooth gravy. If you have leftovers, they warm up nicely in the microwave — just add a little splash of broth or water to loosen the noodles again.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 packet (1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
• 3 cups beef broth, divided into two parts
• 12 ounces wide egg noodles, uncooked

Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles: Directions

1. Add the beef. Place the cubed beef chuck into the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Spread the pieces out in one even layer so every chunk gets the same amount of heat and cooks evenly.
2. Mix the sauce. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup, the dry onion soup mix, and 2 cups of the beef broth. Stir until everything is mostly smooth and well blended — it doesn’t need to look perfect, just mixed together well.
3. Pour it over the beef. Slowly pour the soup mixture over the beef sitting in the slow cooker. Give it a gentle stir so every piece of meat gets coated in the creamy sauce. Most of the beef should be sitting under the liquid.
4. Cook it low and slow. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. The beef is ready when it’s so tender it falls apart easily with a fork. By this point, the sauce should look thick, shiny, and slightly bubbly around the edges.
5. Add the noodles. About 30 minutes before you plan to eat, pour in the remaining 1 cup of beef broth and stir it in to loosen the sauce a bit. Then add the uncooked egg noodles right into the pot. Gently push them down into the liquid and beef so most of the noodles are covered.
6. Finish cooking the noodles. Cover the slow cooker again and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir once about halfway through so the noodles cook evenly. They’re done when they’re soft but not mushy, and the sauce looks creamy and sticks nicely to the beef and noodles. If it looks too thick at any point, add a small splash of hot water or extra broth to loosen it up.
7. Serve and enjoy. Switch the slow cooker to the WARM setting and give everything one last good stir so the sauce coats the beef and noodles evenly. Taste the dish, then add a small pinch of salt and black pepper if you feel it needs a little more flavor before serving.

Slow Cooker April Showers Tuna