Every church potluck in the 60s had this recipe and for good reason. The mushroom gravy is what dreams are made of

This slow cooker 4-ingredient mushroom pot roast is the kind of dish that would show up at every church potluck back in the 60s, carried in by someone’s mom or grandma with a towel-wrapped crock full of rich, brown gravy. It’s pure Midwestern comfort: a humble beef roast, a can of cream of mushroom soup, a packet of onion soup mix, and a big handful of mushrooms. That’s it. The magic happens low and slow, just like we used to do it when Sunday service ran long and you needed something that could take care of itself and still taste like a dream when you finally lifted the lid.

Serve this pot roast sliced or pulled into big, tender chunks, spooning that glossy mushroom gravy over fluffy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles. It’s also lovely over plain white rice if that’s what you have on hand. Add a simple green side—steamed green beans, buttered peas, or a tossed salad—and a pan of warm dinner rolls or sliced white bread to mop up every bit of gravy. Leftovers make wonderful open-faced sandwiches the next day.

Servings: 6

3 to 4 pound beef chuck roast

Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels and, if you like, season lightly with a pinch of salt and black pepper. (The onion soup mix is salty, so go easy.)

Optional but recommended for flavor and color: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the roast in a bit of oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the edges are nicely browned. This gives you those dark brown edges you remember from old church suppers and deepens the flavor of the gravy.

Place the whole button mushrooms in the bottom of a large slow cooker, spreading them into an even layer so they surround where the roast will sit.

Lay the chuck roast on top of the mushrooms in the slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, stir together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and the dry onion soup mix until well combined. You do not need to add water; the roast will release juices as it cooks.

Pour the mushroom soup and onion mixture evenly over the top of the roast, letting it drip down the sides so the meat and mushrooms are mostly covered. Use a spatula to spread it if needed.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the roast is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. Low and slow will give you the most tender, fall-apart texture and a thick, glossy gravy.

Once done, carefully lift the roast out onto a cutting board or serving platter. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the gravy in the slow cooker, if desired, then stir the mushrooms into the gravy to coat them well.

Slice or gently pull the roast into large chunks and return it to the slow cooker, nestling the meat back into the mushroom gravy to keep warm until serving.

Serve the pot roast hot, spooning plenty of the mushroom gravy and whole mushrooms over each portion.

If you grew up with this recipe, you might remember a few small twists that still keep it close to the original four-ingredient idea. For a bit more depth, you can swap one can of cream of mushroom soup for cream of celery or cream of onion, or add a splash (2 to 3 tablespoons) of dry red wine or beef broth to the soup mixture before pouring it over the roast. If you like a stronger mushroom flavor, stir in an extra handful of sliced mushrooms along with the whole ones. To make the gravy thicker, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and stir it into the bubbling gravy during the last 30 minutes of cooking on HIGH. For a creamier, old-fashioned church-basement style gravy, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of sour cream right before serving—don’t boil it after adding or it can curdle. If you need to reduce sodium, choose low-sodium condensed soup and use only part of the onion soup mix, tasting the gravy before adding any extra salt. You can also trim excess surface fat from the roast before cooking to keep the gravy from becoming too greasy. For a smaller household, use a 2 to 2 1/2 pound roast and reduce the mushrooms to 8 ounces; cooking time may be slightly shorter, so start checking for tenderness about an hour earlier. Food safety tips: Always thaw beef roast in the refrigerator, never on the counter, and do not place a frozen roast directly into the slow cooker, as it can spend too long at unsafe temperatures. Keep the slow cooker covered while cooking and avoid repeatedly lifting the lid, which can lower the temperature. The internal temperature of the beef should reach at least 145°F, though for pot roast you’ll usually go well beyond that to achieve tenderness. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving in shallow containers, and reheat to at least 165°F before eating.