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So, full confession — this recipe came from a day I didn’t feel like going to the store. You know the kind of day. The fridge was hanging on by a thread, the potatoes were starting to grow eyes, and there was half a bag of shredded cheese looking real lonely in the back.
Somehow, all that mess turned into a dinner that had everyone scraping their bowls clean. Now it’s something I make on purpose.
It’s cozy, hearty, tastes like you worked way harder than you did, and it’s got that old-school, “my grandma made this” energy — even if your grandma never owned a slow cooker.
Why This Works (Even Though It Shouldn’t)
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You throw it in the pot and forget it.
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It tastes like a Sunday dinner but takes 10 minutes to prep.
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You can swap out half the stuff and it still turns out great.
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It’s got meat, veggies, rice, and cheese — like a warm hug in a bowl.
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Bonus: only one dish to wash.
What You’ll Need (Feel Free to Wing It)
Nothing fancy. Most of this lives in my kitchen already.
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1 white onion, sliced (or chopped, no one’s judging)
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4 red potatoes, thinly sliced — no peeling necessary
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2 carrots, peeled and sliced (or a handful of baby carrots chopped up)
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1 stalk celery, sliced
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tbsp olive oil
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1½ lbs ground beef — lean if you’ve got it
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½ tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder
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2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
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3 tbsp butter, sliced up
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½ cup uncooked white rice
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1 can (10 oz) condensed tomato soup
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1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
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Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make It
1. Veggies Go First
Throw your onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery in the slow cooker. Drizzle with the olive oil, toss in the garlic, and give it a little stir. No need to overthink it.
2. Brown Your Beef
In a skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat. Season it while it’s cooking with the onion powder, garlic powder, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and then splash in the Worcestershire when it’s just about done.
Drain any grease if needed. Then spoon that beef right over the veggies in the slow cooker.
3. Butter + Rice
Dot the top of the meat with butter slices — yep, just plop them right on.
Then sprinkle the rice over everything. No stirring.
4. Pour the Sauce
Mix the tomato soup with 1½ cups of water, then pour it over the top. Still no stirring. Let it do its thing.
5. Cover & Cook
Lid on. Set to low for 6–7 hours or high for about 4.
Walk away. Do laundry. Forget you even made dinner.
6. Cheese Time
When the timer’s up, take the lid off, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top, and put the lid back on (slow cooker off now). Give it 5–10 minutes to melt. That’s it.
What If I Don’t Have Everything?
Totally fine. This recipe is like jazz — improvise.
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No tomato soup? Try cream of mushroom or cream of tomato.
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No carrots or celery? Skip ’em or throw in green beans.
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No rice? You can leave it out or try cooked pasta stirred in at the end.
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No beef? Ground turkey or even lentils work.
Leftovers Are Even Better
Store any extras in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of broth or water.
You can also tuck it into a tortilla with a little hot sauce and call it a wrap. That’s my favorite next-day move.
This One’s Not Pretty — But It’s Good
I won’t lie — this is not the casserole you put on Instagram with a sprig of parsley and a linen napkin. But when it’s cold out, your day’s been long, and you want dinner to feel like it came with a side of kindness? This hits.
If you make it and love it — or tweak it into something new — let me know. I love seeing how these “use what you’ve got” recipes take on a life of their own.
Crockpot Kitchen Sink Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 white onion, sliced
- 4 medium red potatoes, washed and thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter, sliced
- 1/2 cup white rice, uncooked
- 1 10 oz can condensed tomato soup
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery to the crockpot. Drizzle with olive oil and minced garlic. Toss until vegetables are well coated.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir in Worcestershire sauce.
- Spread the cooked ground beef over the vegetables in the crockpot. Top with slices of butter.
- Sprinkle uncooked rice over the beef layer.
- Mix the condensed tomato soup with 1 1/2 cups of water. Pour the mixture evenly over the rice and beef.
- Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 4 hours, until vegetables and rice are tender.
- Uncover the crockpot, sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top, cover again, turn off the heat, and let sit until the cheese has melted.
Notes