Some suppers earn their place not because they are fancy, but because they are faithful. This slow cooker poor man’s beef and celery is one of those humble Midwestern-style meals that makes good use of affordable stew meat, a bundle of celery, and a couple pantry staples to turn out something tender and comforting by suppertime. It is the kind of dish busy home cooks keep in their back pocket, the sort you can set up almost without thinking and come home to with a grateful heart.
This is especially good spooned over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or plain white rice so none of the savory broth goes to waste. A side of buttered carrots, green beans, or a simple slice of sandwich bread rounds it out nicely, and if you want a little brightness on the plate, a quick cucumber salad or a spoonful of pickled beets does the trick.
Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Poor Man’s Beef and Celery
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 pounds cheap beef stew meat
1 large bunch celery, trimmed, with 8 to 10 stalks tucked around and over the meat
1 packet onion soup mix, about 1 ounce
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, about 10.5 ounces
Directions
1. Lightly grease the slow cooker crock if you like easier cleanup. Spread the stew meat in the bottom of the slow cooker in an even layer.
2. Tuck the celery stalks alongside and over the meat so they fit snugly in the cooker.
3. Sprinkle the onion soup mix evenly over the top, then spoon the condensed cream of mushroom soup over everything. Spread it lightly so most of the meat and celery are covered.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is tender and the celery is soft. Stir gently before serving to blend the gravy.
5. Serve hot in bowls, with the celery and beef spooned over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice if desired.
Variations & Tips
Make it stretch: If you need to feed a few more people, serve this over a generous bed of egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. The gravy-like sauce goes a long way and makes the whole meal feel hearty.
Add a little liquid if needed: Some slow cookers run hotter than others. If yours tends to cook dry, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water or beef broth at the start so the sauce loosens as it cooks.
Use cream of celery soup: For an even stronger celery flavor, swap the cream of mushroom soup for condensed cream of celery soup. It keeps the recipe just as simple, with a slightly lighter, garden-style taste.
Brown the meat first if you have time: This recipe is meant to be easy enough for busy nights, but if you have an extra 10 minutes, browning the stew meat in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker gives the finished dish a deeper, richer flavor.
Cut celery to fit: If your celery stalks are especially long, cut them in half so they nestle down into the crock more neatly. That helps them cook evenly and makes serving easier, too.