This easy Swiss Steak recipe makes a tasty meal that your family will love! It’s easy to make in a skillet on the stovetop or in a crockpot! This post contains 2 Swiss steak recipes that can easily be cooked in the crockpot along with garlic green beans and coconut brownies!
If you’ve never tried Swiss steak, you’re in for a cozy, comforting classic that’s full of flavor and perfect for any night of the week! This easy Swiss steak recipe delivers tender beef simmered in a savory tomato-based sauce with hearty veggies—just the kind of satisfying meal that hits the spot after a long day. Whether you’re using the stovetop or letting it simmer all day in the crockpot, this dish is a true crowd-pleaser!
In this post, you’ll find two Swiss steak recipes that are both crockpot-friendly, so you can choose whichever method works best for your schedule. We’ve also included delicious side dishes to round out the meal—like tasty garlic green beans and delicious coconut brownies that make the perfect sweet finish.
Whether you’re cooking for family dinner, meal prepping, or just want a simple dish with old-fashioned flavor, this Swiss steak meal plan is just the thing!
This easy Swiss Steak recipe is from our Dining On A Dime Cookbook, Volume 1:
[dining]
Today’s delicious meal plan includes 2 Swiss steak recipes that can easily be cooked in the crockpot along with mashed potatoes, garlic green beans and super yummy coconut brownies!
Swiss Steak Meal Plan:
Swiss Steak*
Mashed Potatoes
Garlic Green Beans*
Bread, Butter and Jam
Coconut Brownies*
Recipes For The Crockpot Swiss Steak Meal Plan:
Tips:
- Add seedless jam to your frosting for color and flavor. This would be really good on angel food cakes, white cakes or spread on a slice of banana or other quick bread. Think to of chocolate cake or brownies frosted with raspberry jam frosting.
- To use up leftover mashed potatoes, shape them around 3/4 inch cubes of Velveeta cheese then roll in crushed potato chips. Bake at 350 degrees until slightly brown.
- When making gravies or sauces in creamed dishes, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to add a little zip to the taste. It isn’t strong enough to know what it is but just adds a little something.
I have used a wonderful and easy Swiss Steak recipe through the years that continues to be a big family favorite.
SWISS STEAK
1 1/2-2lbs. round steak
1 can tomato soup
1/2 can water
1 med. onion sliced
flour
seasonings to taste
oil
Cut meat into serving size pieces. Dredge in flour and seasonings. Brown over med. high heat and place in casserole dish. Mix soup and water-pour over. Placed onion slices over the top. Cover and bake til meat is tender.
Happy Monday everyone!
barb~
What temp and how long do you bake it?
It’s in the recipe.
My grandmother always cut the meat into small pieces. She said it was easier for her to this before she cooked it. She had 6 children and said it was neater than cutting it for everyone who needed help at the table.
That’s a GREAT idea!! I wish I would have known that when my first two were little!
Sad. Not a nice MLA. I gladly give my DIL recipes and walk her through if needed the first time she uses it if she asks me to.
Thanks for printing the recipe for Swiss Steak. It is my husband’s all-time favorite dish, and my MIL has made it for him all his life. I asked her for the recipe and she refused, so I am going to give yours a try and see if he likes it as well.
She refused? Sorry you have a bad MIL.
Just wanted you to know that I made the top recipe for Swiss Steak (this past weekend) for my husband because it is his favorite food, and my MIL wouldn’t give me her recipe. Well guess what ? He loved it! He had it for three different meals, and never tired of it, so this recipe will be a regular staple in our family–thanks!
Wow that’s wonderful
Thanks fir sharing
I tried the top swiss steak recipe and loved it. My guys loved it too! Thanks for another great recipe! I don’t know what I would do without your site, recipes and advice. 🙂
I also would like to share my easy and frugal beef recipe:
1 pound beef stew meat
1 18 oz jar of Heinz beef gravy
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 or 2 Tbsp dried, minced onions (use your judgement based on your taste)
salt and pepper to taste
Brown beef in oil. Place in crockpot. Sprinkle with garlic powder and dried, minced onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Pour in jar of gravy. Run a little water in jar (maybe 1/4 cup) and place lid back on. Shake and add that liquid to crockpot also. Stir to coat beef with gravy and seasonings. Cook on low all day (8 – 10 hours). Serve with egg noodles and mashed potatoes.
I came up with this idea a couple of days ago. I wanted some type of beef/noodle dish but didn’t want to make stroganoff. I really wanted something simple and also frugal.
At Walmart, in the meat markdown area, I found 2 pounds of really nice looking Angus beef stew meat for $5.00. It was one day away from the ‘use by’ date and looked really good. This was an excellent find as the 1 pound packages for beef stew meat were $5.00. Can anyone else believe $5.00/pound for stew meat? Yikes!!! Everything else I needed for this meal, I had in my kitchen at home.
I used one pound of the beef for that meal and vacuum packed and froze the other pound for another meal. I used 1/2 bag of egg noodles. I cooked and mashed 6 medium to large size potatoes. I warmed up a can of French Style green beans. We had bread and butter with the meal. This fed my family of 4 with one portion left over for my lunch today…and my guys are big eaters. Very frugal meal. 🙂
My guys (hubby, 14 year old son and 8 year old son) love to layer meals like this: noodles on plate, then mashed potatoes, then beef/gravy. They LOVED this meal and raved about it! My hubby and oldest son commented several times that it was their favorite beef/noodle type recipe that I have ever made. (So much for the meals I work really hard on…LOL!) They even liked it better than stroganoff. I guess that goes to show, sometimes it is the simplest of things that make the biggest impressions. I think Jill says this frequently. 🙂
It was rather tasty. A great cool weather meal. And it smelled wonderful cooking all day. My husband works nights and sleeps during the day. He said he kept waking up and smelling the beef cooking and getting hungry. Lol!
Anyway, just wanted to share a successful meal with everyone. I agree with Jill/Tawra’s philosophies that they share with us on this website: How can people say they don’t have time to cook? 🙂 It took me MAYBE 10 minutes that morning to brown the beef and throw everything in the crockpot. Then when I got home from work, it took me MAYBE 10 minutes to start water boiling for the noodles, wash, peel and cut 6 potatoes, throw in a pan with water and start cooking, open a can of green beans and put in a pan to cook on the stove, and add the noodles to the boing water. While everything was cooking, I set the table and buttered bread. Then it took a couple of minutes to mash the potatoes and dinner was served. Move over Rachel Ray! Lol!
I have read Tawra/Jill’s hints to saving money on groceries and wanted to echo one of their tips. The meat markdowns at stores are fabulous ways to find meat at frugal prices. I always check Walmart and Kroger for the meat markdowns before I buy meat in the normal areas of the stores. I’ve found wonderful deals this way. One time, I got 20 thin, skillet pork chops for $5.00 that was two days away from the ‘use by’ date. They looked great! I took those home and vacuum packed 4 packages of 5 chops and had 4 meals for my family. Every now and then, I do see things in the meat markdown area that I don’t buy. I just have to look and be careful…if anything looks too brown or just ‘not right’, I don’t buy it.
Another tip is stocking up when meat prices hit rock bottom. In my area, Kroger is best for meat sales. I have noticed they have a repeating pattern of meat sales and I shop accordingly. We have an upright deep freezer and I take advantage of that space. When Kroger has the pork chops and pork roasts buy 1 get one free, I take advantage and usually buy 4 packs of pork chops and 4 small pork roasts. This usually is $2.00 – $2.50 per package of chops and $3.00 per small roast. Next week, it may be boneless, skinless chicken breasts $1.99/lb. I buy about 4 packages of the chicken breasts. Next week, it may be Angus ground chuck $1.99/pound and beef roasts buy one get one free. I buy about 4 pounds of the beef and 4 small roasts. I watch for the rock-bottom prices on steaks (usually $3.99/lb) and only then and stock up a little. This way, my freezer is always stocked with meat…enough of each kind to last me until the next sale.
I use my Kroger for specials. I start shopping for the week with my Kroger ad and stock up on their sale items. Then I head for Walmart for the staple items I may need that would have cost me more at Walmart. I guess another point I want to echo is that you don’t even need a discount grocery store to save on food costs. Once you have Kroger’s sale cycle down and stock up when the item is on sale, you can get everything you need there. I always hear people scoffing at Kroger’s high prices and saying how they can’t afford to shop there. Yes, their normal prices are high but their specials and sales…usually lower than Walmart. I also use coupons…only on things I would buy anyway. Kroger doubles coupons and I get a lot of neat stuff for free…toiletries and snack items for the kids. But I’d be okay without coupons. Just like I’d be okay without a Walmart in my area. Where there is a will to save…there is a way!!! 🙂
Boy, I’m usually not this long winded. Just wanted to share a recipe and some tips. Happy home making everyone!!
I love our Dillons which is Kroger too and I do the same and get almost all of my meat on sale there. It really is great. I loved it when you said “move over Rachel Ray” too cute and you are soooo right where there is a will there is a way.
It is funny I love reading what other people serve for dinner. I don’t know why that is. Even in the books I read I consider it a much better book if the heroine gives details about what they are eating. I say sometimes I read a book just because I love to read them describing the food. I know I’m weird. Any way that is what my kids tell me all the time.
I’m the same way. I’ve noticed that WalMart has gone way up on prices though. I don’t shop there much any more. If I see a bargain, I buy it. I’m more or less a prepper. Even if I don’t need it today, I may need it tomorrow, so, I put it in my cart. i hope the young people listen to your advice. It is very good advice.
Jill, I am the same way…I love knowing what other people have for dinner. I love your menu posts on this website. It is also a big topic of discussion for me at work. Almost every afternoon, I ask the three co-workers in my department “Ladies, what’s for dinner?” And they crack up at me because I just don’t want to hear ‘meatloaf’…I want to hear ‘meatloaf made this way, with homestyle mashed potatoes, brown sugar glazed carrots and yeast rolls’. They know to give me the details. LOL. I also love reading about the food in books. Wow…I didn’t know there was someone else with my ‘disorder’. Ha ha! Have a great weekend Jill! 🙂
I’m not sure which I like best – thinking of myself as being weird or calling it a ‘disorder’ HA!HA! Like you say it is nice to know you are not the only only one. : ) : ) You have a super weekend too. We are having a beautiful start to ours a light rain falling with colorful fall leaves raining too. It is so cozy.
Oh, the light rain and the autumn leaves sounds sooo nice. Another thing we have in common. I love that also. Enjoy!
Jill,
I also love hearing or reading about what other people have for dinner, how they serve it, who was there, etc. I guess that makes me another “Dinner disordered Dame”:) It is fun though and I really learn a lot.
We’ve had a cool, slight rainy Sat. with all the leaves turning brilliant red, orange and the like. It is just gorgeous and people everywhere seem happier and energized. God is so good and faithful.
Hey guys, if you haven’t read any of her mysteries, I highly recommend Diane Mott Davidson’s books. Her main heroine is a caterer and she includes recipes in every book. They are definitely NOT frugal recipes but they are super fun to read and if you like mysteries you’ll love them.
Will have to check her books out at the library. They sound good. Thanks for the tip Rebecca.
Thanks Rebecca. I will check that out!
My favorite round steak recipe is similar but gone Italian.
I cut my steak into serving size pieces, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder (you can use garlic salt if you prefer). Brown on both sides remove from pan and set aside. Slice one large onion and a green pepper and saute in same pan for 2-3 minutes. Return meat to pan with the pepper and onion, pour 1 large can or two small cans of your favorite diced tomatoes over the meat, sprinkle with Italian seasoning and cover. Simmer 1-2 hours until tender (add water as necessary as it cooks). Serve over cooked wide egg noodles with a salad and Italian bread.
I love Swiss Steak! My Mom made this when we were growing up. I made it for my son and now he & his wife make it for their kids! We have always made it like the first recipe but without the celery or carrots. We used the sauce from the meat as gravy for our potatoes.
I love all the hints I continue to get on this blog. I have been making boxed cake mixes lately and using loaf pans to bake them. It’s such a good idea I got off this site. Last night I made a Betty Crocker French Vanilla cake and used two loaf pans, when done added whipped vanilla frosting, and crushed Frosted Flakes cereal (another tip from here) as “sprinkles.” They came out great. The crushed cereal added such nice flavor to the frosting. Would be good for coffee cake too. Other cereals would be fun, like fruit flavored crushed cereals.
Also, since I’ve been buying bananas I have separated them and they don’t brown as fast. Great idea. And lastly I mixed strawberry and orange Kool-aid and made a real nice drink. Thanks Jill and Tawra for all your wonderful hints.
off topic here but can you freeze whipping cream before you whip it or does the freezing change the makeup.
cheaper to buy a litre than the small ones and that is an awful lot of whipping cream desserts.
if nobody knows I will freeze some and let you know how it goes.
I figure you should be able to since it is just milk after all
I freeze the containers of whipping cream and they do fine. They are like milk though they do separate but I just shake it real hard and it looks perfect. I then use it in recipes although I haven’t ever whipped it, Another thing you might try if you are using it whipped place dollops of whipped cream on a cookie sheet freeze and then when you need it for cocoa or something you can pull how ever many you need. It’s funny you should bring this up I just put this tip on a post I schedule.
got a new dr. and a new drug for diabetes. Don just refused to test himself since he knew he wasn’t in control.
new drug and as few carbs as possible. So for our anniversary last monday I wanted something a bit special and we had mixed fruit on short cake with whipped cream. He loved it so now that will be on the menu quite a bit. But didn’t know for sure if the whipped cream would freeze.
The thing I like is the dish has only the carbs in the shortbread and the fruit and whipped cream are great without it. Don’t even add sugar just some brandy or rum flavouring for a change of taste.
as a side note. don has lost about 5lbs and I have lost 3 in the month of fewer carbs. I had hit a plateau and wasn’t moving so that is a bonus. Getting the bikes out this week after we take off the snow tires. $1000. fine if you still have studded tires so Don took the van today to work.
Thanks again for the tip on cream and all the other good things you suggest.
My mom made swiss steak and mashed potatoes frequently.
But I refuse to buy it at $5 a pound.
Beef is rarely on sale at our Piggly Wiggly. When it is, sale price is around $3.99# and if the packages are 3-4 lbs. that’s a big chunk of the grocery budget.
Ground chuck is about 2.49 on sale but you have to buy 10 lbs. – I end up getting ground turkey, but that’s getting up there too. – Usually the best sales are pork and chicken.
Cat, you could do either of these recipes with pork.
pork blade steak would be fine.
I have a similar recipe for pork and gave it to a friend and her family loves it.
Can’t use it myself as Don can’t eat much pork.
My son is in China and beef is so expensive he hasn’t had it except for visits home each summer for 5 years. McDonalds uses beef in their burgers so he will go there once in a while.
My MIL would not give me her wonderful swiss steak recipe and I tried for years to find the meat that she used that was so tender. Finally, I used chopped steak and let it simmer in the sauce for about 2 hours. It was wonderful. What would it have hurt my MIL to share her recipe with me since her son and grand kids loved it so much? Any recipe I have that someone wants, I am glad to share it.
I have a DIL just like that, but it was originally, my recipe for a Cesar dressing – I moved and somehow lost the recipe, and asked her to please send it to me, and she refused! Her family always raved about this dressing when she served it at every family function, so the fame of it, stayed with her. These days I would ever make this dressing because it’s too much trouble.
I’m probably one of the few folks who has never had Swiss Steak. Your recipe looks good .. .. .. it looks like it should go on my list of “to try’s”
Chopped steak or even ground beef patties make great Swiss Steak alternatives. Fry the ground beef patties before you put them in the sauce. I have to agree with you Maggie recipes should be shared. Every time I cook something I got from someone else I have a happy memory of that person.
The coconut brownies were soooo good!!!(easy too) I did not have nuts to add, but decided to fix these when I made the swiss steak recipe. I already purchased more coconut to make again. :). The kids said these were much better than regular brownies. I added tomato sauce to the steak not noticing till after that it was not called for…so with all of the leftover sauce I browned burger and added a few spices for spaghetti sauce the next day.
Super way to use leftovers and fix a mistake. Good idea.
In a beef stew of any kind, I like to have carrots chopped into chunks.
Was glad to see this recipe. I need to go over my Living on a Dime cookbook again for inexpensive meals. I have what they call AFib and cannot have chocolate anymore. I love brownies so I will try this one, as I like coconut too.
Thanks again.
On the getting the marked down beef, don’t worry about it being close to the sell by date, if the store sells good meat. If the beef looks dark, that is okay, the blood has just settled to the bottom. The meat has “aged” and will be better.
Some years back, my grandfather enlightened me about beef. He told me that the reason meat is not as tender or flavorful now, is because it is not aged as long as it used to be. If I am going to make a roast, stew, steak, I will let the meat sit in the fridge for a while-a few days to a week in the coldest part to the fridge. This makes your meat taste so much better. Don’t do this if your fridge is not good and cold!
We use to keep things for ages in the fridge and in can goods but then they invented for sale or use by dates and now everyone is very paranoid about using things even a day past it’s date. You really don’t need to be that worried about it. Good tip Anne.
Thank you for that idea. What about hamburger?I have a roast in my fridge now. So Im going to let it age. You explained everything about aging beef just so simply even I could follow your instructions
Conni I am not sure if you posted this in the right place because it doesn’t talk about hamburger or aging beef.
I’d never had Swiss steak before, but I made this last night and it was delicious. I used cubed steaks and added small potatoes to cook in the crock pot along with the carrots, onion, celery and green pepper. I also added a bit of beef Better than Bouillon. I also deglazed the frying pan that I browned the steaks in with a little white wine which I then threw into the crockpot.
Thank you for the recipes, I will try this , mom used to cook this and I didn*t have her recipe. Have a great day!!
can I use Stew meat instead of round steak? stew meat is cheaper. Plus I have some in my freezer. lol
yes