There is something wonderfully reassuring about a slow cooker meal that asks very little of you and still comes out tasting like Sunday dinner. This 5-ingredient Amish celery beef is the sort of practical, hearty supper that fits right into a busy week, with tender beef, plenty of mellow celery, and a rich savory broth that tastes like it has been tended all day. It is the kind of plain, honest cooking many Midwestern home kitchens have leaned on for generations, making the most of simple ingredients and patient heat.
Serve this beef with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or plain white rice to catch every bit of the broth. A side of cooked carrots, green beans, or a simple lettuce salad rounds it out nicely, and warm biscuits or a slice of homemade bread make the meal feel especially complete on a cold evening.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Amish Celery Beef
Servings: 6
Ingredients
3 to 3 1/2 pounds beef shoulder roast
8 celery stalks, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
Directions
1. Place the beef shoulder roast in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Layer the chopped celery evenly over the top of the roast.
3. Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over the celery and beef.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and water until smooth, then pour it over everything in the slow cooker.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the beef is very tender and easy to pull apart with a fork.
6. Gently break the beef into large pieces or slice it, spoon the celery and broth over the top, and serve hot.
Variations & Tips
Add potatoes: If you want this to be more of a one-pot supper, tuck a few peeled and halved potatoes around the roast before cooking. They will soak up the broth and make the meal stretch a little farther.
Use cream of celery soup: For an even stronger celery flavor, swap the cream of mushroom soup for condensed cream of celery soup. It makes the finished gravy a little lighter in flavor but still just as comforting.
Thicken the sauce: If you like a thicker gravy, remove the cooked beef and celery, then whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and stir it into the hot liquid in the cooker. Cover and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly thickened.
Slice or shred: This roast can be served in thick slices if it holds together well, or broken into rustic chunks for a more old-fashioned pot roast style. Either way, be sure to spoon plenty of broth over each serving so nothing goes dry.
Make it ahead: Leftovers keep very well and may taste even better the next day. Store the beef and celery with the broth, then reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave so the meat stays tender.