There is something especially comforting about a slow cooker supper built from a short list of sturdy, dependable ingredients, and this Amish-style carrot beef is just that sort of meal. Thick carrot rounds tucked around a beef spencer steak, then finished with a few pantry staples, turn into a tender, homey dinner with a rich gravy and the kind of sweetness carrots bring when they cook low and slow. It has the practical spirit of Midwestern farm cooking written all over it: simple, filling, and made to carry a family through a busy day.
This dish is lovely served over buttery mashed potatoes, wide egg noodles, or steamed rice so none of the savory juices go to waste. A side of buttered green beans, cooked cabbage, or a plain garden salad balances the richness nicely, and if you have a loaf of warm bread on the table for sopping up the sauce, nobody will complain one bit.
Slow Cooker 6-Ingredient Amish Carrot Beef
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 beef spencer steak, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into thick rounds
1 packet onion soup mix, about 1 ounce
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, 10 1/2 ounces
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions
1. Peel the carrots and cut them into thick rounds, about 1 inch thick. Lightly grease the slow cooker insert if you like easier cleanup.
2. Place the beef spencer steak in the center of the slow cooker and arrange the carrot rounds all around it, nestling them along the sides.
3. In a bowl, stir together the onion soup mix, condensed cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce until mostly smooth.
4. Pour the soup mixture evenly over the beef and carrots, covering the top of the meat and letting some of the sauce run down into the vegetables.
5. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the carrots are soft. Slice or shred the beef and spoon the gravy over the top before serving.
Variations & Tips
Add onions: If you do not mind stepping past the six-ingredient idea, a sliced onion tucked in with the carrots adds even more sweetness and old-fashioned flavor. It melts right into the gravy as it cooks.
For a deeper gravy: Brown the beef in a skillet for a few minutes per side before putting it into the slow cooker. It is not necessary, but it gives the finished dish a darker, richer taste.
Use the right carrots: Cut the carrot rounds thick so they hold their shape during the long cooking time. Thin slices can go too soft and get lost in the sauce.
Make it stretch: This is a fine supper for serving over noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes when you need to feed a few extra mouths. The gravy is generous and carries the meal beautifully.
Leftover tip: Leftover beef and carrots warm up nicely the next day. Chop the beef and stir everything into extra gravy for a quick hot sandwich filling or a simple beef-and-noodle supper.