Tuck whole peeled carrots around beef roast, alongside 3 other ingredients, into slow cooker for a hearty dinner that's the one everyone asks for

There is something especially comforting about a slow cooker roast supper, and this Amish-inspired carrot beef is the kind of simple meal that feels like it came from a farmhouse kitchen where nothing fancy was needed to feed people well. With just a handful of ingredients, the beef cooks low and slow until tender while the whole carrots turn sweet and buttery around the roast, making a hearty dinner that tastes like Sunday at home.

This dish is mighty fine with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or a thick slice of homemade bread to catch the savory juices. If you want to round out the plate, serve it with green beans, a crisp lettuce salad, or a spoonful of applesauce for that old-fashioned sweet-and-savory balance so many Midwestern suppers do so well.

Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Amish Carrot Beef

Servings: 6 to 8

Finished Amish carrot beef roast plated with tender carrots and rich juices

Ingredients

1 beef cross rib roast, about 3 to 4 pounds
1 pound whole peeled carrots
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup, about 10.5 ounces
1 cup water

Directions

1. Place the beef cross rib roast in the slow cooker. Tuck the whole peeled carrots all around the roast, nestling them along the sides so they cook in the juices and stay mostly whole.

Raw beef roast in slow cooker surrounded by whole peeled carrots

2. In a small bowl, stir together the onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, and water until fairly smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the roast and carrots.

Creamy soup mixture being poured over roast and carrots in slow cooker

3. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the carrots are soft but not falling apart.

Cooked beef roast and tender carrots in slow cooker with rich gravy

4. Transfer the roast to a platter, arrange the carrots around it, and spoon some of the cooking juices over the top. Slice or shred the beef and serve hot.

Final plated beef roast with carrots and supper sides

Variations & Tips

Add potatoes: If you want a full one-pot supper, add 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of peeled potatoes around the roast with the carrots. They will soak up that savory broth and make the meal stretch even farther.

Thicken the gravy: For a thicker sauce, remove the meat and carrots when done, then whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and stir it into the hot liquid. Cover and cook on high for another 10 to 15 minutes until thickened.

Use a chuck roast: If cross rib is hard to find, a chuck roast works beautifully too. Choose a well-marbled piece, since that little bit of fat helps keep the meat tender during the long cooking time.

Don’t skip the whole carrots: Leaving the carrots whole is part of the charm of this dish. They cook gently, hold their shape better than cut pieces, and look mighty pretty arranged around the roast on the platter.

Make ahead tip: You can assemble everything in the slow cooker insert the night before, cover, and refrigerate. In the morning, set the insert into the cooker base and start cooking for an easy day with supper already underway.