Old-Fashioned Beef and Noodles

Hearty, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food! This delicious recipe is SO easy in the slow cooker! I've included instructions for the slow cooker, instant pot, and top of the stove to keep it as easy for you as possible!

🗝️ Key takeaways

• The easy recipe makes a hearty meal that fills up your whole family.
• It's the ultimate comfort food—simple enough to prepare for busy weeknights and a perfect meal when you're feeling down.
• With a few simple hacks, you can make the classic dish taste just like Mom's without spending hours in the kitchen like she did!

With tender chunks of beef, buttery noodles, and a rich brown gravy, this creamy beef and noodles recipe is stick-to-your-ribs satisfying.

Plus, I've included instructions to use the stovetop, instant pot, or slow cooker, so it's versatile and simple enough for any home cook to master.

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Variations

• I like using chuck roast in the slow cooker—it shreds beautifully! However, you can also use ground beef or your favorite cut of beef stew meat. I'd use about 2 ½ pounds if going that route.
• Love the flavor of onions? Swap condensed French onion soup in place of the beef broth or simply add a package of onion soup mix.
• Sauteed mushrooms make this delicious recipe even more savory!
• A tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce brightens the flavor, while a splash of red wine makes it taste richer.
• Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or homemade noodles if you like.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

1. In a large skillet, sear the beef over medium-high heat.
2. Add it to the crockpot, instant pot, or a large Dutch oven with the onion, celery, garlic, and beef stock. Cook according to the recipe card.

🥫 How to store leftovers

This is one of my favorite meals because it's super easy to store and enjoy as leftovers—makes my job even simpler!

Refrigerate

Whether made using the stove, instant pot, or crockpot, beef and noodles will keep in the fridge (in an airtight container) for up to four days.

Freeze

You can freeze the meat and gravy for up to three months but don't include the noodles with it. They tend to get mushy.

Reheat

Reheat leftover beef and noodles in the microwave or on top of the stove. Use medium heat and stir occasionally until simmering—add a little bit of water if the gravy has thickened up too much.

I always recommend thawing the frozen beef and gravy in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. This preserves the texture better.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Brown the meat for a more robust taste. This is technically an optional step, but it's key to the best-ever old-fashioned beef flavor!

• Pour some broth into the skillet to deglaze it. With a spatula, scrape up the brown bits and dump it all into the crockpot for more flavorful gravy.
• Prefer thick gravy? Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water and add it to the gravy in a pan. Simmer 'til it meets your liking.
• Don't add uncooked egg noodles to the slow cooker—they get mushy.
• Cooking the noodles in savory broth makes them more tasty. It gives them that amazing "second-day" feeling—the kind you get when the flavors are able to blend together. This speeds that process up!
• Keep the celery whole so it's easy to remove, or dice it and leave it in.
• I like to add a whole carrot to the meat while it cooks. Then, I'll take it out (or mash it into the gravy) for sweetness and a little nutritional boost.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

📚 Related recipes

• These Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches taste better than anything you can get at a deli and are great for easy dinners and game days too!
• A comfort food classic, Beef Tips and Gravy get an upgrade with red wine and spicy peppers—so flavorful, you've gotta try it to believe it.
• Slow Cooker Beef Stew is a dump-and-go crockpot meal that warms the soul on chilly nights. It's rich, hearty, and bound to be a family fave.

🍽️ Serve with...

This old-fashioned dinner is delicious with classic Southern green beans that are simmered with bacon and onions for a rich, hearty flavor. It goes perfectly with beef and noodles.

You'll want these homemade potato rolls to help you clean all the savory gravy off your plate—otherwise, you'll be tempted to lick it clean!

Finish it up with a vintage Buttermilk Cake. It's a Southern recipe that'll transport you back in time to simpler days.

Enjoy it with coffee after this ever-so-satisfying dinner.

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📞 The last word

If you're in the mood for something creamy try this crockpot salisbury steak or easy meatballs stroganoff.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars!

📖 Recipe

4.74 from 46 votes

Old Fashioned Beef and Noodles Recipe

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This simple, crockpot beef and noodles recipe is classic comfort food that's packed with old fashioned goodness. Melt in your mouth beef and a rich, savory gravy is spooned over buttery noodles - the perfect way to bring the family to the table on a busy weeknight.

Course Main Dish - Beef

Cuisine American - Vintage

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings:8

Calories:639

Author:Marye Audet-White

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Equipment Needed

• ▢
  Slow Cooker

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 ½ pounds chuck roast
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• ▢ 3 tablespoons oil
• ▢ 1 cup onion, diced
• ▢ 2 cups beef stock, divided use
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 stalks celery
• ▢ 1 guijillo chile pepper, dried - optional
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 16 ounces egg noodles
• ▢ ½ cup butter, divided use
• ▢ Parsley

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Instructions

• Season both sides of chuck roast with salt & pepper, rubbing it in gently.
• Heat oil in a large skillet until popping.
• Add roast.
• Brown for 3 minutes, turn, and brown the other side.
• Remove from heat.
• Oil the inside of your slow cooker.
• Add the onion, celery, and garlic.
• Transfer the roast to the slow cooker.
• Pour 1 cup of the beef broth into the cooker.
• Add the guijillo pepper if you are using it.
• Cover crock pot and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours.
• Remove the celery and shred the meat with two forks about 30 minutes before cooking time is over.
• Replace the cover to the slow cooker.
• About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve dinner bring 2 cups of water and the remaining beef broth to a boil in a large pot.
• Add the ¼ cup butter and the egg noodles.
• Cook until tender.
• Drain and stir in the remaining butter.
• Serve the beef over the noodles.
• Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Instant Pot

• Turn the instant pot on high and add the oil.
• Cube the beef and season it as in the recipe. When the oil is hot add half of the beef cubes to the pot and sear on each side.
• Remove the beef from the pot to a large plate. Repeat the process with the rest of the seasoned beef cubes and then remove them to the plate.
• Add about ¼ Cup of the beef broth to the instant pot and use a wooden spatula to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Turn the Instant Pot off.
• Add the beef, onion, garlic, celery, and guijillo pepper to the instant pot. Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to seal.
• Cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. When the timer is up, allow the instant pot to natural pressure release - don't open the seal!!- for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes is up, open the seal to manually release any pressure that is left.
• Cook the noodles as directed in the recipe.

Stove Top Instructions

• Season the meat as in the recipe then brown it in the oil in a Dutch oven.
• Add the broth, onion, celery, guijillo chile, and garlic. Simmer, covered, on low heat for about 1-½ hours on top of the stove.
• Cook the noodles as directed in the recipe.

Notes

Expert Tip: You can thicken the gravy by pouring it into a saucepan and stirring in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch that has been blended with ¼ cup cold water. Simmer until thick.

• Browning the meat gives it a more robust flavor and adds some texture. You can skip that step if you must but I don't recommend it. Without the browning step the recipe is pretty average. Once you brown that beef though - WOW.
• Don't add the uncooked egg noodles to the slow cooker - they get mushy. Cook them separately!
• I add part of the beef broth to the water I cook the egg noodles in because it gives them that "second day" flavor. You know, things like this are always better the next day because they've had time for the flavors to blend? Well this speeds that process up.
• It's not in the recipe but add a whole carrot to the meat while it's cooking and take it out (or mash it into the gravy) before serving. The carrot adds sweetness and a little nutritional boost.

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 639kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 775mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 455IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 4.2mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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First published June 22, 2018. Last updated September 18, 2023, to improve editorial content.