This slow cooker 5-ingredient Amish-style French beef and noodles is the kind of hands-off comfort food that makes the whole house smell like Sunday at Grandma’s. It borrows that classic Midwestern church-supper trick of using bottled French dressing as both seasoning and sauce, then lets the beef stew meat simmer low and slow until it’s meltingly tender. Amish-style beef and noodles are traditionally simple and thrifty—usually just beef, broth, and noodles—so this version stays true to that spirit while adding a sweet-tangy French dressing twist that keeps everyone coming back for seconds.
Serve the French beef and noodles in wide, warm bowls so the sauce can soak into the pasta. A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette balances the richness nicely, and buttered peas or green beans are a very Amish-style, meat-and-potatoes-friendly side. If you’d like to stretch the meal, offer crusty bread or dinner rolls to mop up the extra sauce. For drinks, a light red wine or a simple iced tea works well; for dessert, think classic comfort—apple crisp, brownies, or a slice of pie.
Slow Cooker Amish-Style French Beef and Noodles
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup bottled French salad dressing (thick, orange, sweet-tangy style)
1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (1-ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
2 cups beef broth (low-sodium preferred)
12 ounces wide egg noodles, uncooked
Directions
Place the beef stew meat in an even layer on the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. If there are large chunks, cut them into bite-size pieces so they cook evenly and become tender throughout.
In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, combine the bottled French dressing, condensed cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix, and beef broth. Whisk or stir until the soup is mostly smoothed out and the mixture looks evenly blended.
Pour the French dressing mixture evenly over the beef stew meat in the slow cooker. Use a spatula or spoon to gently stir so that every piece of beef is coated in the sauce. This step mimics that classic homey process shot: hands stirring store-bought French dressing and seasonings over raw beef right in the slow cooker.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the beef is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. Avoid lifting the lid too often, as that lengthens the cooking time.
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