Place the frozen fully cooked meatballs in an even layer in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
Sprinkle the dry brown gravy mix evenly over the top of the frozen meatballs, making sure most of the meatballs are lightly coated. This step is exactly what you see in the photo: hands sprinkling the packet of brown gravy mix over the meatballs in the slow cooker.
In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the beef broth and cream of mushroom soup until fairly smooth. It doesn’t need to be perfect; a few small lumps of soup will dissolve as it cooks.
Pour the broth and soup mixture over the meatballs and gravy mix in the slow cooker. Gently stir just enough to moisten the gravy mix and nestle the meatballs into the liquid; you don’t have to combine everything completely.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or on HIGH for 2–3 hours, until the meatballs are heated through and the gravy has thickened and turned glossy. If the gravy seems too thin near the end, remove the lid for the last 20–30 minutes on HIGH to reduce it slightly.
About 20 minutes before serving, cook the egg noodles according to package directions in well-salted boiling water until just tender. Drain, then toss the hot noodles with the butter until coated.
Taste the meatball gravy and adjust seasoning if needed, adding a pinch of salt or black pepper to taste. The gravy mix and broth are usually salty enough, so start with a light hand.
To serve, spoon a generous portion of buttered egg noodles into each bowl or onto each plate, then ladle the Amish-style meatballs and rich brown gravy over the top. Serve hot.
Variations & Tips
For a creamier gravy, stir in 1/2 cup sour cream at the end of cooking, off the heat, to keep it from curdling—this leans into a stroganoff-style flavor while keeping the same easy method. If you prefer a slightly lighter dish, use low-sodium beef broth and a reduced-sodium gravy mix, then season at the end so you’re in control of the salt. For a mushroom-forward version, add 1–2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms over the meatballs before sprinkling on the gravy mix; they’ll cook down and enrich the sauce. You can also swap cream of mushroom soup for cream of onion or cream of celery if that’s what you have on hand. To stretch the meal for a crowd, serve the meatballs and gravy over mashed potatoes or rice instead of (or in addition to) noodles. If you’d like a bit of herbal flavor without straying from the simple feel, add 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley or thyme to the broth and soup mixture. Leftovers keep well: cool completely, refrigerate the meatballs and gravy separately from the noodles if possible, and reheat gently with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce.
