Pour cream of mushroom soup over raw ground beef, plus 3 ingredients, into slow cooker for a hearty meal that’s my default when I don’t know what to

Variations & Tips
Because this recipe is intentionally bare-bones, it’s easy to adapt while keeping the spirit of a 5-ingredient, pantry-friendly meal. For a slightly lighter version, swap one can of cream of mushroom soup for cream of celery or cream of chicken; it shifts the flavor but keeps the same texture. If you don’t have beef broth, use chicken broth or even water and add an extra pinch of salt.
To lean more into Amish-style casserole territory, use extra-wide egg noodles and a very mild cheddar or Colby cheese. For a bit more savoriness, stir in 1 teaspoon of dried onion flakes or garlic powder with the soup and broth—this technically adds another ingredient, but it’s a powerful one. You can also stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas or mixed vegetables when you add the noodles; they’ll cook in the same window and give you a built-in vegetable component.
Finished noodle bake with peas and melted cheddar
Finished noodle bake with peas and melted cheddar
If your slow cooker runs hot and the noodles seem to absorb liquid too quickly, add an extra 1/2 cup of broth to keep the bake creamy rather than dry. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of broth or milk to loosen the sauce, and they can be portioned into single-serve containers for easy lunches.