On the coldest nights out here in the country, this is the pot I like to have bubbling away on the counter. These slow cooker 4-ingredient mushroom beef tips remind me of the kind of hearty church-supper dishes I grew up with in the Midwest: simple, thrifty, and all about comfort. The beef turns so tender you truly don’t need a knife, and the mushroom gravy tastes like it simmered on Grandma’s stove all afternoon, even though the slow cooker does all the work. With just four pantry-friendly ingredients, it’s the kind of recipe my husband asks for again and again when the wind starts howling and the fields turn brown.
Serve these mushroom beef tips right over a big scoop of fluffy mashed potatoes so all that rich brown gravy has somewhere to soak in. Buttered egg noodles, white rice, or even thick slices of toasted country bread are all wonderful under that glossy mushroom sauce. Add a simple green side—steamed green beans, buttered peas, or a tossed salad—and maybe a pan of warm dinner rolls to mop up every last bit from the slow cooker.
Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Mushroom Beef Tips
Servings: 6

Ingredients
3 pounds beef stew meat or beef sirloin tips, cut into 1- to 1½-inch chunks
2 (10.5-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (1-ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms (white button or cremini), rinsed and drained
Directions
Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a bit of butter or nonstick spray to make cleanup easier.
Scatter the sliced mushrooms evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker so they form a bed for the meat.
Place the beef tips on top of the mushrooms, spreading them out in an even layer so they cook uniformly.
In a medium bowl, stir together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and the dry onion soup mix until well combined. It will be thick and concentrated; that’s what makes the gravy so rich.
Pour the soup mixture over the beef tips, using a spatula to spread it so all the meat is coated. Do not add water—the mushrooms and beef will release enough liquid to create a glossy gravy as it cooks.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
Once the beef is tender, gently stir the mixture to combine the beef, mushrooms, and gravy. Taste and, if you like, add a small pinch of salt or black pepper, but many folks find the onion soup mix seasons it plenty.
Turn the slow cooker to WARM and let the beef tips sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so the gravy thickens slightly. Serve hot, spooning generous amounts of beef and mushroom gravy over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.