My mom stretched one pound of beef to feed our whole family with this. Creamy and rich without any fancy ingredients

This slow cooker 3-ingredient poor man’s beef stroganoff is exactly the kind of weeknight dinner my mom leaned on when she needed to stretch one pound of beef to feed a hungry family. Instead of pricier cuts and specialty ingredients, it uses budget-friendly stew meat, a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, and a tub of sour cream to create a surprisingly rich, creamy sauce. The slow cooker does the work, tenderizing the beef until it’s fall-apart soft and coating every strand of egg noodles in a glossy beige gravy. It’s a very Midwestern, church-basement kind of stroganoff—no wine, no fancy mushrooms—just simple pantry staples that come together into something deeply comforting.

Serve the stroganoff straight from the slow cooker with a big spoon, making sure to dig down for plenty of beef and sauce. It’s already mixed with egg noodles, so you don’t need much else beyond a green side to balance the richness—steamed or roasted broccoli, peas, or a simple salad with a sharp vinaigrette all work well. If you want to stretch the meal even further, offer buttered bread or dinner rolls to mop up the extra sauce. A sprinkle of black pepper or chopped parsley on top adds a little color and freshness without complicating the ingredient list.

Servings: 6

1 pound beef stew meat or beef chuck, cut into thin strips

Layer the beef: Place the thinly sliced beef stew meat or chuck strips in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Spread them out in an even layer so they cook and tenderize evenly.

Add the soup: Spoon the condensed cream of mushroom soup over the beef. Do not add the soup can’s suggested water; you want it thick. Use the back of a spoon to spread the soup so it mostly covers the meat.

Season simply: Sprinkle the salt and black pepper over the top. This recipe is intentionally minimal, but a little seasoning helps bring out the flavor of the beef and soup.

Slow cook the beef: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is very tender and easily breaks apart with a fork. The mixture will look thick and a bit separated around the edges—that’s normal.

Cook the noodles: About 20 minutes before serving, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stovetop. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions until just tender. Drain well. Do not rinse; you want the starch to help the sauce cling.

Stir in the sour cream: While the noodles cook, uncover the slow cooker and stir the beef and mushroom mixture to smooth it out. Add the sour cream and stir until the sauce is creamy and uniform in color. If it seems very thick, stir in up to 1/2 cup water, a little at a time, until you have a thick but spoonable sauce.

Combine with noodles: Add the drained egg noodles directly into the slow cooker. Use a large spoon or tongs to gently fold the noodles into the beef and sauce until everything is evenly coated in the glossy, creamy mixture.

Adjust and serve: Taste and add a bit more salt and pepper if needed. Put the lid back on and let the stroganoff sit on WARM for 5 to 10 minutes so the noodles can absorb some of the sauce. Serve straight from the slow cooker while hot and creamy.

To keep this true to the spirit of a poor man’s stroganoff, the base stays at three core ingredients: beef, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and sour cream. Everything else is optional. If you have them on hand, you can add 1 small sliced onion or 1 cup sliced mushrooms over the beef before adding the soup; they’ll melt into the sauce as it cooks. A teaspoon of garlic powder, paprika, or Worcestershire sauce can deepen the flavor without making the ingredient list feel fussy. To stretch the meat further, increase the noodles to 16 ounces and add a splash more water when loosening the sauce. For a bit of color, stir in a cup of frozen peas during the last 10 minutes on WARM. If you need to make this ahead, you can fully cook the beef and sauce, chill it, and reheat gently in the slow cooker or on the stovetop before adding freshly cooked noodles. Food safety tips: Use fresh beef and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to cook. If prepping in advance, don’t let raw beef sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if your kitchen is very warm). Make sure your slow cooker is functioning properly and cook on LOW or HIGH as directed—do not use the WARM setting for raw meat. Once cooked, keep the stroganoff on WARM for up to 2 hours; after that, refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Reheat leftovers to at least 165°F, stirring occasionally so they heat evenly, and avoid reheating more than once to maintain both safety and texture.