Ingredients
2 pounds beef stew meat or chuck roast, cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
2 (10.5-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 (0.87- to 1-ounce) packets brown gravy mix
12 ounces wide egg noodles (about 6 cups dry)
Directions
Place the beef stew meat or chuck roast chunks into the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker, spreading them out in an even layer so they cook evenly.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and the brown gravy mix packets until smooth and well combined. Do not add extra water at this point; the beef will release juices as it cooks and thin the mixture into a rich gravy.
Pour the soup and gravy mixture over the beef in the slow cooker, using a spatula to scrape out every bit. Gently stir to coat the meat, but keep the beef mostly in a single layer so it braises nicely.
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 shreds or breaks apart with a fork. The gravy should be glossy and dark brown from the beef juices.
About 30 minutes before serving, check the beef. If the chunks are large, use a fork to gently break them into bite-size pieces right in the slow cooker, stirring them back into the gravy.
Add the dry wide egg noodles directly into the slow cooker, stirring them down into the hot gravy and beef so they are mostly submerged. If the mixture seems too thick to cover the noodles, add 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water, a little at a time, just until the noodles are barely covered. Stir well.
Cover the slow cooker again and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the egg noodles are tender but not mushy. They should be silky and well coated in the rich brown gravy, with the beef nestled throughout.
Once the noodles are cooked to your liking, taste and adjust seasoning if needed (the gravy mix is usually salty enough, so many families don’t add extra salt). Serve hot straight from the slow cooker, making sure each serving gets plenty of beef, noodles, and gravy.
Variations & Tips
To make this even more budget-friendly, you can use whatever inexpensive cut of beef is on sale—chuck roast, bottom round, or even bone-in beef shanks with the bones removed before adding noodles. If your family likes more sauce, stir in up to 1 additional can of cream of mushroom soup along with 1/2 cup of water at the start. For a little extra flavor without adding more ingredients, you can brown the beef in a skillet before placing it in the slow cooker, though my mother usually skipped this step to keep things simple and save on dishes.