Pop pot roast

I HAD to try this recipe, only because it had pop in it! This was another recipe that was supposed to be cooked in a dutch oven, but I made in the crockpot instead. It was really tender, and WAY easier than dealing with a dutch oven, so if/when we make this again, I'll totally make it in the crockpot.


1 14.5 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 can pop (I used diet coke)
1 pkg dry spaghetti sauce mix
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery (I omitted)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 lbs. beef chuck roast

Break up tomatoes in a large bowl, in their juices. Stir in pop, spaghetti sauce mix, onion, salt, and garlic salt. In a dutch oven on medium high heat, brown meat in oil for 10 minutes on each side. Drain off all fat. Pour tomato mixture over meat. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 2 1/2 hrs or until meat is tender. Serve over mashed potatoes.
OR MY CROCKPOT VERSION:
Put chuck roast in crock pot (I did NOT brown it first). Combine all remaining ingredients and pour over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 10+ hours or until tender. (See now isn't that easier?!)

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Buns

In an effort to use my crockpot as often as possible, I stumbled upon this recipe and decided to try it.  We however, did not want to eat these open faced and of course, no mushrooms or tomatoes on it for us. We ate this on toasted loaf bread and it was quite yummy! This one we'll definitely make again!


Ingredients:
Beef flank steak (1 lb.)
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I omitted)
1 tomato, chopped (I omitted)
1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 sandwich buns, split


Place steak in slow cooker; top with next 3 ingredients. Pour combined barbecue sauce and seasoning over ingredients in slow cooker. Cover with lid.


Cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours (or on HIGH 5 hours). Remove steak from slow cooker; shred with fork. (Or, cut across the grain into thin strips.) Return meat to slow cooker; stir to coat with sauce.
Top each bun half with meat mixture.


***I made this and froze on my freezer cooking day: Place flank stead, onion, bbq sauce and italian seasoning in a ziplock bag. Squish the bag to combine. Seal and freeze. Thaw overnight in fridge.

Cowboy Kabobs

We really liked this one (another kraftfoods.com recipe)! I was too lazy to attempt making them into kabobs, so I cut them in thin, but wide strips so we could just lay them on the grill and so they wouldn't fall through the grates. The girls didn't like it, but Brian and I ate it all. This is another recipe keeper.  I also made this recipe on my freezer cooking day, and just combined all of the ingredients we used and basically marinated it in a ziplock bag and froze until we were ready to eat it. (Thaw in fridge overnight)

1/3 cup A.1. Original Steak Sauce
1/3 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
2 tsp. KRAFT Prepared Horseradish (I substituted 2 tsp of yellow mustard)
1 beef top round steak (1-1/2 lb.), cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
9 pearl onions (We omitted)
1 large red pepper, cut into 9 strips

Mix first 3 ingredients until well blended.

(We skipped this step!) Thread meat onto 18 skewers; place onion or pepper strip at end of each skewer. Place kabobs in shallow glass dish. Pour steak sauce mixture over kabobs. Refrigerate 1 hour to marinate, turning occasionally.

Heat grill to medium heat. Remove kabobs from marinade; discard marinade. Grill kabobs 4 to 6 min. or until meat is done, turning occasionally.

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Buns

In an effort to use my crockpot as often as possible, I stumbled upon this recipe at kraftfoods.com and decided to try it.  We however, did not want to eat these open faced and of course, no mushrooms or tomatoes on it for us. We ate this on toasted loaf bread and it was quite yummy! This one we'll definitely make again!

Ingredients:
Beef flank steak (1 lb.)
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 sandwich buns, split

Place steak in slow cooker; top with next 3 ingredients. Pour combined barbecue sauce and seasoning over ingredients in slow cooker. Cover with lid.

Cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours (or on HIGH 5 hours). Remove steak from slow cooker; shred with fork. (Or, cut across the grain into thin strips.) Return meat to slow cooker; stir to coat with sauce.

Top each bun half with meat mixture.

Tangy BBQ Sandwiches

This recipe came from my Taste of Home Slow Cooker Favorites Cookbook. In the picture in the cookbook, this is served on a hamburger bun, but we toasted our french bread and I think it was a good idea! A hamburger bun would have ended up very soggy with this recipe.

Brian and I both gave this 4+ stars....super easy and yummy!

I made this at my last freezer cooking day so freezer directions are at the very bottom.


3 cups chopped celery (we omitted)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 to 4 pounds), trimmed and cut in half (mine was 2.5 lbs so I didn't cut in half)
14 to 18 hamburger buns, split (Use toasted french bread instead!!)

Directions
In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. Add roast. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook 7-8 hours longer or until meat is tender.
Remove roast; cool. Shred meat and return to sauce; heat through. Using a slotted spoon, fill each bun with about 1/2 cup of meat mixture. Yield: 14-18 servings.

Tracy's Freezer Suggestions:
In a large ziplock bag I combine all of the ingredients except the roast and the hamburger buns (obviously!). I squished and shook the bag to combine all of the ingredients. Then I added the roast to the bag and froze. I took it out of the freezer 2 days before serving and let it thaw in the fridge. This morning I dumped the whole thing in the crockpot and cooked on low for 10 hours.

Another yummy shredded beef

Brian and I tried a recipe from the 30 Day Gourmet Cookbook tonight called Crock-Pot Beef Sandwiches.  It was super easy and very yummy!!  No picture this time...we started eating it too quickly.  : )  Needless to say we gave it 4 1/2 stars. 

2 1/2 lbs beef roast, chuck roast or thick chuck steak (fat trimmed and discarded)

2 packets of ranch salad dressing mix

1 c water

Hamburger buns or french bread (strongly suggest the french bread, or at least toast the buns so they aren't so soggy)

In a cold crockpot place the beef roast.  Mix the salad dressing packets and water, then pour over the roast.  Cover and cook on low 8-10+ hours or until fork tender (or on high for 6 hours).  Shred roast with a fork.  We put it in a bowl and poured the "juice" over it so it stayed moist.   Mmmm.....

Grilled Flank Steak

Grilled Flank Steak (next time I'll get a picture!)
1 large flank steak
Salt and pepper to taste

Marinade:
1/2 c reduced sodium soy sauce
4 cloves minced garlic
1 T. hot sauce (we omitted)

Put the steak in a large ziplock and add the marinade ingredients.  Marinate for at least 12 hours, preferably longer (We only did it for 6 and it was fine.  Although we will marinate longer next time.)
When the steak is done marinating, sprinkle w/salt and pepper.

Grill for 5-7 min on each side.  When the steak is done, wrap it tightly in foil and let it sit for 10 minutes.  Cut into thin strips before serving.

Another way to make pot roast

Sorry, no picture this time, I forgot to take one because we started eating it right away!  This one cooked all day while I was at work and smelled delicious when I walked in the door.  Mmmmm.  What a way to end your work day!  I found this recipe in my fix-it and forget it cookbook. 

Easy Pot Roast and Veggies
Serves 4
2.5 lb chuck roast
4 medium potatoes, quartered
Baby carrots and celery (as much as you like)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
3 c water
Put potatoes, carrots and celery on the bottom of the slow cooker.  Put the roast on top. 
Add onion soup mix and water.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Brian and I both gave this 4 1/2 stars.  This is 1 pt per oz of meat (not including veggies or potatoes)

Easy Peasy Beef Burritos

Now this is my kind of cooking! I had two ingredients and that's it...WOOHOO like the lady from the O.C. This smelled great as soon as I walked in the door. I honestly forgot about it while at school and then on the ride home...the what's for dinner conversation started in my head...then I remembered it was done and in the slow cooker! This recipe was taken from http://www.365daysofcrockpot.blogspot.com/

1 boneless beef chuck roast (2-3 pounds) Mine was only 1.78 pounds

1 can (28 oz) green enchilada sauce I used mild.

4-6 (8 inch) flour tortillas I used a high carb one for 1 pt each and Curt used hard shell.

Place roast in slow cooker. Cover with enchilada sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until beef begins to fall apart. Mine was closer to 9 hours and it was fun. Shred beef and serve in tortillas with lettuce, cilantro, tomato, cheese and sour cream, if desired. I so desired and did. These were great; 4 stars from me and 5 from Curt. That guy loves steak and tacos so this rocked his world! So 3 oz beef equals 4 pts. The enchilada sauce was 0 pts for 1/4 cup. The whole can was 5 but since it just soaked in this and I didn't use any on the meat I don't know what to count it as...any ideas??? So your burrito could be anywhere from 3 to ??? points depending on the goodies you put on.

A thumbs up and a thumbs down (sort of) from our family

Tonight we had Jaime's Philly Cheese Steaks and Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese.  I couldn't find flank steak so I used flat steak (I think!) instead.  I made a similar marinate to what Jaime used and let it marinate for about 6 hours, then we grilled our meat.  We both gave our sandwiches 4 stars, but felt that the meat was still a little too tough for our liking.  I've got to work on finding a different cut of meat, or prepare it differently next time.  They were good though!  And as you can tell from the picture I did not use light hot dog buns.  It was delicious on the french bread!  We agreed we will definitely make that again.  (I'll post the marinade below)

Unfortunately neither of us enjoyed the butternut squash mac and cheese, although I liked it more than Brian did, and Chloe loved it!!  (Don't worry Jaime, we're going to try again!)  No one knew it had squash in it.  (Shhh, don't tell Brian) I could only tell because I could see it in the cheese, but that's only because I knew it was there.  Had I not made it, I wouldn't have known.  Sadly Allison wouldn't eat it, and Brian and I both gave this 2 stars....however we are going to make it again with some adjustments.  First, I WAY over cooked the noodles.  That made a HUGE impact on the taste.  I didn't like the taste of the nutmeg, it  took away the authentic mac and cheese taste.  So next time I wil omit it.  Finally, I put some crushed saltine crackers on top to give it some crunch and texture, and they went soft.  That didn't add anything to it, that's for sure.  Next time I will add it to half of the pan (just in case, and so we can compare) and only add it at the very end of the cooking time. 

Here is the marinade I used (found it online, sorry I can't remember where):
1/3 c soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp worchester sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 small onion, chopped fine (these pretty much cooked off because they were so small, Brian never knew they were there)

Pot Roast (aka the world's easiest meal to prepare)

Please notice that it is 5:30 pm and not only is my dinner made, but we are already done eating and cleaned up the kitchen. That is why I LOVE my crockpot!


Tonight I made Pot Roast...which should also be called "the world's easiest meal to prepare."

I put it all together last night and just put it on the counter and turned it on before I left for work this morning. EASY! Brian gives this recipe 5 stars; Allison gives it a 1 (she ate a few bites of potato); and I give it a 4 (in my opinion, unless it is soft shelled corn tacos from a Mexican restaurant, it probably won't get a 5).


I've had this recipe for a very long time! Sorry that I can't give credit to the original creator because I cut it out of a magazine when I was in college in hopes of preparing it for my future family. Mission accomplished!


It claims to serve 6-8 people...realistically I'd say 4. Either that, or Brian and I are just pigs. It made enough for us both to eat dinner and for Brian to have leftovers for lunch for the next two days.


3-4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1/2 c water
(I also made mine w/potatoes, carrots and onion).


Wash the potatoes and cut into quarters, or relatively large bite size pieces. If you cut them too small you will pretty much be eating mashed potatoes with dinner. I cut 3 pretty big potatoes, but put in whatever you want. I also cut up carrots (again don't worry about being too big) and threw those in too, but a handful (or bag!) of baby carrots would be fine and super easy.


Throw the potatoes and carrots into the slow cooker. Quarter an onion and toss it in for extra flavor. Place the chuck roast on top. Now if you are preparing this the night before, stop here! Do the rest in the morning.


In a small bowl combine the salad dressings and gravy mix. Stir in the water. Pour over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until tender. (I cooked mine for over 9 hours, so don't worry if you'll be gone longer).


That's it! It'll be ready when you get home from work. Brian said when he got home he was going to the mailbox and smelled some one's dinner. He thought it smelled good...and was happily surprised when he walked in and realized that delicious dinner was coming from our house! Aah, I love him more for that!

WW points: I count this as 2 pt per oz (for the meat). When I serve it, I cut off every possible piece of fat, so I'm not worried about that. In my opinion, carrots = 0 (I don't care if WW changed their minds on that a while ago). And the potatoes are usually 2 pts per. Enjoy ~Tracy