Dumping cheap canned diced tomatoes over frozen raw beef marrow bones, alongside 2 ingredients, into slow cooker for a budget-friendly supper that's the one everyone asks for

This slow cooker stew is the kind of practical, budget-minded dinner that comes from making the most of inexpensive ingredients and a long, gentle cook. Beef marrow bones bring deep, savory flavor, while canned diced tomatoes, onion, and potatoes turn into a simple, hearty broth and tender vegetables with very little hands-on work. It is especially useful on a busy school night when you want something warm and filling waiting at the end of the day.

Serve this stew with crusty bread, buttered noodles, rice, or a simple green salad to round out the meal. If you want to stretch it further, spoon the broth and vegetables over mashed potatoes or serve with toasted bread for soaking up the rich tomato-beef juices.

Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Poor Man School Night Stew

Servings: 4 to 6

Finished bowl of beef marrow bone tomato stew with potatoes and onions

Ingredients

2 to 2 1/2 pounds frozen raw beef marrow bones
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) cheap diced tomatoes, with juices
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
4 medium potatoes, peeled if desired and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/2 to 1 cup water, as needed

Beef marrow bones, canned diced tomatoes, onion, and potatoes on a countertop

Directions

1. Place the frozen beef marrow bones in the bottom of the slow cooker. Scatter the sliced onion and potato chunks around and over the bones.

Frozen marrow bones with onions and potatoes layered in a slow cooker

2. Pour the diced tomatoes with all their juices over the top. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Add just enough water to lightly surround the ingredients if the cooker looks very dry, but do not overfill.

Tomatoes poured over bones, potatoes, and onions in the slow cooker

3. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the potatoes are tender, the onions are soft, and the broth is rich and savory.

Cooked stew in the slow cooker with tender potatoes and rich tomato broth

4. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve the stew hot in bowls, making sure each serving gets potatoes, onion, broth, and a marrow bone if desired.

Final plated beef marrow bone stew served in bowls with bread

Variations & Tips

Add a pantry seasoning boost: If you do not mind going beyond the basic four ingredients, a bay leaf, a little garlic powder, or a pinch of dried thyme can give the broth more depth without changing the stew's simple character.

For a thicker stew: Mash a few of the cooked potato pieces into the broth before serving. This naturally thickens the liquid and gives the stew a heartier texture.

Use the right size slow cooker: A 5- to 6-quart slow cooker works best so the ingredients can sit snugly without being packed too tightly. If your cooker runs hot, check the potatoes a little early.

Skim for a cleaner broth: Marrow bones can release extra fat during cooking. If you want a lighter finish, skim some fat from the top before serving, or chill leftovers and remove the solidified fat the next day.

Leftover idea: Pull any meat and marrow from the bones and stir it back into the broth before storing. The stew reheats well for lunch and often tastes even better the next day.