June Evening Comfort: Just 5 ingredients. I make it when I want a savory dinner handled completely hours ahead of time.

This 5-ingredient slow cooker beef and broccoli is exactly what I lean on during those long June workdays when I want a savory, takeout-style dinner totally handled hours ahead of time. It starts with raw sliced beef chuck and a simple pantry sauce that turns glossy and umami-rich as it simmers low and slow. By the time you’re ready to eat, the beef is tender, the broccoli is saucy, and the whole thing feels like cozy comfort food without hovering over the stove. It’s inspired by classic Chinese-American beef and broccoli, but stripped down to weeknight-easy basics.

Serve the beef and broccoli over hot steamed white rice, brown rice, or microwaveable rice packets to keep the prep minimal. It’s also great spooned over cauliflower rice or quinoa if you want something lighter. I like to add a crunchy element on the side, like a simple cucumber salad or sliced raw carrots, to balance the rich, glossy sauce. If you have them on hand, a sprinkle of sesame seeds or sliced green onions on top makes it feel a little more special without adding any real work at dinnertime.

Servings: 4

2 pounds beef chuck roast, thinly sliced against the grain

Slice the beef chuck roast into thin strips, cutting against the grain so it will turn out tender after hours in the slow cooker. Trim off any large, hard pieces of fat as you go.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, and beef broth (or water) until the sugar is mostly dissolved. This simple mix will become the dark, glossy, savory-sweet sauce.

Place the sliced raw beef chuck into the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, spreading it out as evenly as you can so the pieces aren’t all clumped together.

Pour the soy sauce mixture over the beef, gently stirring or pressing the meat down with a spoon so everything is coated and mostly submerged in the liquid.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the beef is very tender and the sauce has thickened slightly and turned dark and glossy around the edges.

About 30 to 45 minutes before you plan to eat, stir in the broccoli florets, making sure to coat them in the hot sauce and nestle them down into the liquid as much as possible.

Cover and continue cooking on HIGH for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the broccoli is bright green and just tender but not mushy, and the beef is coated in a sticky, umami-rich glaze. If your slow cooker runs hot and the sauce seems too reduced, you can stir in a splash of water or broth at the end to loosen it slightly.

Taste the sauce and adjust if needed by adding a tiny splash more soy sauce for extra saltiness or a pinch more brown sugar for sweetness. Serve the beef and broccoli straight from the ceramic slow cooker over hot rice or your favorite grain.

To keep this a true 5-ingredient recipe, I kept the list short, but you can easily dress it up. For extra depth, add 2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic and a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger to the sauce before pouring it over the beef. If you like a thicker, almost takeout-style glaze, stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and mix it into the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking, before adding the broccoli, so it has time to thicken. For a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a drizzle of sriracha to the sauce. You can swap half of the broccoli for sliced carrots, snap peas, or bell peppers if that’s what you have. For a lower-sodium version, use reduced-sodium soy sauce and replace some of the soy sauce with extra broth or water, then adjust salt at the end. Food safety tips: Always start with fresh, properly refrigerated beef, and keep it chilled until you’re ready to slice and add it to the slow cooker. Thaw frozen beef completely in the refrigerator before cooking; never thaw at room temperature. Make sure your slow cooker is set to LOW or HIGH as directed and avoid leaving it on the WARM setting from the start, because the food may sit too long in the temperature “danger zone.” Leftovers should be cooled and refrigerated within 2 hours and eaten within 3 to 4 days, or frozen for longer storage.