Valentine’s Dinner: Just 4 ingredients. I make this when I want a tender, restaurant-quality meal waiting for us, but I want to spend the evening relaxing, not cooking.

Prepare the potatoes: Scrub the russet potatoes well, then cut them into large 1½- to 2-inch chunks. Keeping the pieces big helps them hold their shape during the long, slow cooking while still becoming soft and creamy inside.

Layer the slow cooker: Place the potato chunks in an even layer on the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Scatter the beef tips or stew meat evenly over the potatoes, keeping the pieces in a single layer as much as possible so they cook evenly and stay tender.

Mix the gravy base: In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed mushroom soup and the dry brown gravy mix until smooth and well combined. You want a thick, glossy mixture without dry pockets of gravy mix; this will turn into the rich brown sauce that coats the beef and potatoes.

Add sauce to the slow cooker: Pour the gravy mixture evenly over the beef and potatoes, using a spatula to spread it so most of the meat and potatoes are covered. Do not add extra water—the moisture from the beef and potatoes will loosen the sauce into a silky, spoonable gravy as it cooks.

Slow cook until tender: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is very tender and the potato chunks are soft when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape. Avoid lifting the lid too often, as that extends the cooking time and can keep the sauce from thickening properly.

Gently stir and taste: Once the beef and potatoes are done, gently stir from the bottom with a wide spoon, being careful not to break up the large russet chunks too much. This helps coat everything in the glossy brown gravy. Taste and, if you like, add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper at the table, though the gravy mix usually seasons it well on its own.

Serve: Ladle the beef tips, potatoes, and plenty of the rich brown gravy into warm bowls or onto plates. Serve immediately, straight from the slow cooker, so you can stay relaxed at the table while everyone helps themselves.

To keep the spirit of a 4-ingredient, low-effort Valentine’s dinner, any tweaks should be simple and optional. For a slightly deeper flavor, you can use one can of condensed beefy mushroom soup and one can of condensed French onion soup (still counting as the same ingredient category if you like to mix and match). If you prefer a looser gravy, stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons of water or beef broth with the soup and gravy mix; for an even silkier finish, whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter at the end until melted. You can substitute sirloin tips or chuck roast cut into large cubes for the stew meat—both become very tender with slow cooking. If you want a bit more color without adding more ingredients, quickly sear the beef in a hot skillet before adding it to the slow cooker; it’s not essential, but it adds a faint roasted note that feels restaurant-style. For a slightly lighter take, swap one of the russet potatoes for chunks of peeled carrot, or serve the beef and gravy over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes instead of cooking the potatoes in the slow cooker. Leftovers reheat well on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, making the next day’s lunch as comforting as the original dinner.