Set this up before Sunday service and came home to the most tender beef I’ve made in forty years of cooking.

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds thick-sliced mock tender roast

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup beef broth 

Directions

1. Lightly coat the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray or a thin film of oil if you like easier cleanup, then lay the thick-sliced mock tender roast in the bottom.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the dry onion soup mix, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and beef broth until mostly smooth.

3. Pour the soup mixture all over the roast, making sure the top and sides are well covered.

4. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the beef is fork tender and the gravy is rich.

5. Carefully transfer the roast to a cutting board, let it rest for 10 minutes, then slice thickly and spoon some of the gravy over the top before serving.

Variations & Tips

Add vegetables: Tuck carrots, onion wedges, and halved small potatoes around the roast before cooking if you want your whole meal in one pot. They will soak up that savory gravy and make supper stretch a little further.

For deeper flavor: If you have a few extra minutes in the morning, brown the roast in a hot skillet before putting it in the slow cooker. It is not necessary, but it does add a deeper beefy taste and a darker gravy.

To thicken the gravy: If you like a thicker gravy, remove the cooked roast and whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Stir it into the hot liquid in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes more.

Leftover tip: Leftover roast makes fine hot beef sandwiches the next day. Pile the sliced meat over bread, spoon warm gravy over top, and serve with mashed potatoes if you really want to do it the old way.