Pour canned evaporated milk over raw ground beef, alongside 3 ingredients, into slow cooker for a simple meal that’s my default when I don’t know what to make

This slow cooker poor man’s stroganoff is the kind of practical, comforting dinner that earns a permanent place in a busy home cook’s rotation. It takes a handful of inexpensive pantry and freezer staples and turns them into a creamy, savory meal with very little effort, and the method of layering everything into the slow cooker makes it especially useful on days when standing at the stove just is not happening. While it is a streamlined, budget-minded cousin of classic beef stroganoff, it still delivers that familiar combination of beef, noodles, and creamy sauce that makes the dish so appealing.

Serve this with a simple green salad, steamed green beans, or buttery peas to balance the richness of the sauce. If you want to stretch the meal a little further, a side of toasted bread or garlic toast works well for scooping up the extra sauce, and a little black pepper on top brightens the finished bowl nicely.

Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Poor Man Stroganoff

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

Directions