What You’ll Need
- Beef meatballs. Use a 26-ounce bag of fully cooked frozen meatballs. Thaw them completely in the refrigerator before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Dry egg noodles. Add them toward the end of cooking so they can absorb some of the sauce while keeping their shape.
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup. Two cans give the sauce its body and mushroom flavor.
- Low-sodium beef broth. Whisk it into the soup to make a sauce loose enough to cook the noodles.
- Sour cream. Stir it in after turning off the heat for a smooth finish.
How to Make Slow Cooker Independence Noodles
Arrange the thawed meatballs in a 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk the condensed soup and beef broth together and pour the mixture over the meatballs. Cover and cook on LOW for about 3½ to 4½ hours, until the meatballs and sauce are hot throughout.
Switch to HIGH, stir in the dry noodles, and press them into the hot sauce. Cover and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Start checking at 20 minutes and turn off the cooker as soon as the noodles are tender.
How to Finish the Creamy Sauce
Stir a few spoonfuls of hot sauce into the sour cream in a small bowl, then fold it into the noodles and meatballs. If the sauce is thicker than you like, stir in a splash of warm beef broth. Spoon into bowls and serve hot.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Depression Era Independence Noodles Recipe Card
Beef meatballs and egg noodles in a creamy mushroom and sour cream sauce.
- Prep time — About 10 minutes, plus thawing
- Slow cooker time — About 4 to 5 hours total
- Servings — 6
Ingredients
- 1 bag (26 ounces) fully cooked frozen beef meatballs, thawed in the refrigerator
- 12 ounces dry egg noodles
- 2 cans (10½ ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Spread the thawed meatballs across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and beef broth until mostly smooth. Pour over the meatballs.
- Cover and cook on LOW for about 3½ to 4½ hours, until the meatballs and sauce are hot throughout.
- Switch to HIGH. Stir in the dry egg noodles and press them down so they’re mostly submerged. Cover and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the noodles are tender.
- Turn off the slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix a few spoonfuls of hot sauce into the sour cream, then stir it into the meatballs and noodles. Serve hot.