There is something mighty comforting about coming home to a slow cooker supper that smells like Sunday dinner at Grandma's, even if it only took a handful of budget-friendly ingredients to get it going. This hearty steak dinner turns a whole flat iron steak into a tender, savory meal with very little fuss, and it is just the kind of practical Midwestern cooking that stretches a good cut of meat into a supper that feels special without putting on airs.
This dish goes beautifully with buttered bread, warm biscuits, or a scoop of mashed potatoes to catch every bit of the rich gravy. If you want to round it out even more, serve it with green beans, sweet corn, or a simple side salad, and a glass of iced tea fits right in at the table.
Slow Cooker Hearty Steak Dinner
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 whole flat iron steak, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
1 pound baby potatoes, halved
4 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 large onion, sliced
1 packet dry onion soup mix, about 1 ounce
2 cups beef broth
Directions
1. Scatter the halved potatoes, carrots, and sliced onion across the bottom of the slow cooker to make a bed for the meat.
2. Lay the whole flat iron steak on top of the vegetables.
3. Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the steak and vegetables, then pour the beef broth around the sides.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the steak is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft.
5. Transfer the steak to a cutting board, slice it against the grain, then return it to the cooker or serve it on a platter with the vegetables and spoon the juices over the top.
Variations & Tips
Add a thicker gravy: If you like more of a gravy than a broth, ladle the cooking liquid into a saucepan after the meat is done and simmer it with a cornstarch slurry until it thickens. Pour it back over the sliced steak just before serving.
Use larger vegetables: Cut the carrots and potatoes in bigger chunks so they hold their shape during the long cooking time. Smaller pieces can get overly soft by supper.
Make it mushroom-style: Add a handful of sliced mushrooms with the onions for a deeper, earthy flavor that goes especially well with beef.
Slice the right way: Flat iron steak stays especially pleasant to eat when sliced across the grain into thin pieces. That little extra minute makes the meat seem even more tender.
Stretch the meal: Leftovers make wonderful open-faced hot beef sandwiches the next day. Just lay the sliced steak over toast, spoon on vegetables and gravy, and you have a second supper that tastes every bit as cozy.