2 Packets And A Can Of Soup Are The Secret To More Flavorful Slow Cooker Beef Tips

Slow cookers are a magical method for making nearly effortless meals. You toss the ingredients in, set the machine on low for six or more hours, and walk away. But the results — especially with dense hunks of stew meat or beef tips — can turn out a bit bland. Luckily, there's one sure-fire way to boost flavor in beef tips using three packaged items you may already have: a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a packet each of onion soup mix and brown gravy mix.

This combination of everyday ingredients provides benefits that go beyond slow cooking with just broth and spices. The packaged mixes are salt-and-spice goldmines, with distinctive, recognizable flavorings. The can of mushroom soup provides both a rich umami flavor as well as plenty of cream and modified cornstarch, a sort of super-thickener. It's the same soup you use to make a richer, creamier instant ramen. On top of that, all three additions can cost under $5 total, less than the average jar of any given spice. 

All you'll need beyond these three ingredients is a carton of beef broth and your beef tips. Generally, beef tips can be cut from any section of the cow. Tender sirloin is typical for quick searing, while tougher cuts like sirloin tip from the round, cubed chuck roast, or beef labeled simply as stew meat perform best in a slow cooker. Though this recipe really is as easy as, "throw all of the above ingredients in a slow cooker with some beef broth," how you approach everything can improve and upgrade the final dish even more.

To begin, it's always best to brown meat — especially tougher cuts — before adding them to the slow cooker. It adds color, a little char flavor, and allows you to pre-season to your liking. When you add the ingredients, consider using low-sodium or sodium-free beef broth, as there is plenty of salt in this meal. All together, a standard serving each of Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup, Lipton onion soup, and McCormick's brown gravy totals about 1,800 milligrams, or roughly 78% of your daily recommended sodium. Also, you can create a thicker gravy by making a cornstarch and water slurry and adding it to the pot the last 10 or 20 minutes of cooking. Alternatively, use your Crock-Pot like a pro and dredge beef tips in cornstarch and flour before browning. This will make a velvety gravy as everything cooks.

Finally, consider elevating this recipe even more with vegetables and finishing spices. Layer any raw veggies that need a long cooking time, like potatoes or carrots, at the bottom of the pot (you may need to mix up the rest of the dish in a separate container). Sauté mushrooms briefly and add them, along with any herbs or greens, in the final 10 minutes to blend. And remember that the thick, mushroomy gravy will also be tasty poured over mashed potatoes, green beans, or stuffing.