Memorial Weekend Winner: Just 3 ingredients. I make it when I want dinner handled hours ahead so I can enjoy the long weekend.

This is the kind of Memorial weekend recipe I lean on when the yard is full of lawn chairs and the day stretches out in front of us. Just three ingredients, all piled into one ceramic baking dish, then the oven does the slow work while I sit on the porch and listen to the birds. It reminds me of the old church suppers back in our little Midwestern town, where somebody would bring a pan of glossy, slow-roasted beef and everyone would stand around guessing what was in the sauce. The meat comes out deeply browned, bathed in its own juices and a sweet-salty glaze, so tender you can pull it apart with a fork. It’s simple, dependable, and perfect when you want dinner handled hours ahead so you can enjoy the long weekend.

Serve this succulent oven beef in thick slices or gently pulled into chunks, spooning plenty of the glossy pan juices over the top. It’s wonderful with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles to catch the drippings, and a simple side of green beans, coleslaw, or a crisp lettuce salad for something fresh. On Memorial weekend, I like to set out soft sandwich buns and sliced pickles so folks can build their own sandwiches, with a dish of baked beans or corn on the cob alongside. Leftovers make fine next-day sandwiches or can be tucked into tortillas with a little cheese for an easy second meal.

Servings: 6-8

3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast (boneless)

Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Lightly grease a medium ceramic baking dish (about 9x13 inches or similar) so the beef won’t stick.

Pat the beef chuck roast dry with paper towels and trim any very large, hard pieces of surface fat, leaving a good layer for flavor and moisture.

Lay the roast in the center of the ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the top and sides of the meat, pressing it in gently so it clings.

Spoon the condensed cream of mushroom soup over the top of the roast, spreading it into an even blanket that mostly covers the meat. Do not add water; the beef will release plenty of juices as it cooks.

Cover the baking dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, crimping the edges well so steam and moisture are sealed in. This is what keeps the beef succulent and helps create that glossy, self-basting glaze.

Place the covered dish on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake undisturbed for 3 hours if your roast is closer to 3 pounds, or up to 3 1/2 hours if it is closer to 4 pounds, until very tender.

After 3 hours, carefully peel back the foil (watch for hot steam). The beef should be deeply browned on top, surrounded by bubbling juices and a rich, shiny gravy. Test doneness by pulling at the meat with two forks; it should give easily.

If you’d like a more caramelized, glistening top, spoon some of the pan juices over the roast and return it to the oven uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the surface is slightly more browned and glossy.

Remove the dish from the oven and let the beef rest, still in its juices, for about 10 to 15 minutes. This helps the meat relax and stay moist when sliced or shredded.

Slice the roast across the grain into thick slices, or use two forks to pull it into large, tender chunks right in the baking dish, turning the pieces gently in the pan juices so everything is well coated before serving.

If you prefer, you can swap the chuck roast for a similar marbled cut like arm roast or blade roast; just avoid very lean cuts, which can turn dry with long cooking. For a bit of tang, stir 1/4 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce into the cream of mushroom soup before spreading it over the beef (this keeps you at three main ingredients while nudging the flavor). You can also add a handful of sliced mushrooms or onions around the roast if you don’t mind stretching beyond the three-ingredient idea. For a slightly lighter flavor, use cream of celery soup instead of mushroom. If you’d like to use a slow cooker, place the roast in the crock, sprinkle with the onion soup mix, top with the condensed soup, cover, and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, or until fork-tender. For food safety, keep the raw beef refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the dish, and don’t leave the uncooked roast sitting out for more than 1 to 2 hours. Make sure your oven is fully preheated so the meat doesn’t linger in the temperature “danger zone” too long. The beef is done when it is fork-tender and has reached at least 145°F internally, though for this style of pot roast you’ll usually be closer to 190–200°F when it is truly falling apart. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, storing them in a covered container with plenty of the juices to keep the meat moist; they’ll keep well for up to 3 to 4 days and can be reheated gently in a covered dish in a low oven or in the microwave until piping hot.