There is something mighty comforting about setting a simple supper in the slow cooker and letting the day do the work for you. A whole flat iron steak turns surprisingly tender with a few pantry staples, making a rich, savory meal that tastes like it came from an old farm kitchen where supper waited warm after a long day. This kind of meal suits busy weeknights just as well as a Sunday when you want hearty food without standing over the stove.
Serve this savory steak over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or fluffy rice so none of that good gravy goes to waste. A side of green beans, glazed carrots, or simple corn makes it feel like a full Midwestern supper, and a pan of warm biscuits or thick slices of bread is always welcome at the table.
Slow Cooker Savory Steak Supper
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 whole flat iron steak, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
1 packet dry onion soup mix, about 1 ounce
1 can cream of mushroom soup, 10 1/2 ounces
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Directions
1. Place the whole flat iron steak in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Scatter the sliced onion and mushrooms over the steak.
3. In a bowl, stir together the onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture over the steak and vegetables, covering everything as evenly as you can.
5. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the steak is fork-tender and the onions are soft.
6. Transfer the steak to a cutting board, slice against the grain, then return the slices to the slow cooker for 10 minutes to soak up more flavor before serving.
7. Serve hot with mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice and spoon the mushroom-onion gravy over the top.
Variations & Tips
For a thicker gravy: If you like a gravy that sits up a little more on potatoes, stir 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and mix it into the slow cooker during the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking.
Add potatoes and carrots: To make it a true one-pot supper, tuck in baby potatoes and thick carrot slices around the steak at the beginning. They will soak up the beefy flavor and make the meal stretch a little farther.
Use a different mushroom: Cremini mushrooms give the gravy a deeper, earthier taste than plain white button mushrooms, and they hold their shape nicely during the long cooking time.
Watch the salt: Onion soup mix and canned soup can both be salty, so low-sodium beef broth is a good choice here. Taste the gravy before adding any extra salt at the table.
Slice against the grain: Flat iron steak is naturally flavorful, but slicing it against the grain after cooking makes each bite much more tender and pleasant to eat.