Crock Pot Beef Roast

All in favor of crock pots, say *I*!!! Me, too. I just love the darn thing. As a matter of fact, I recently entered a giveaway on the Fix-It and Forget-It blog and, out of almost 1,800 entries, I was the lucky winner of all 7 of the cookbooks in their collection and a beeeeeeautiful, shiney, new fancy-schmancy All-Clad 6.5 quart crock pot! It just came & I am so giddy to pull the big guy out & put it to work! It's gonna give all my other kitchen appliances a inferior complex. This meal was not made in the new cooker - but it's definitely worthy of a spot in it! I've made this exact roast probably 100 times in my life. However, this time I added one simple ingredient that has never been in it before - and it changed the flavor quite a bit! Liquid smoke. Ever cooked with it? I bought a bottle a while back & it's been patiently waiting on my shelf for it's chance to shine - and it finally came. The roast was as delicious as it usually is with an added depth of smokey flavor - very similar to the warmth you get in a bite of beef jerky. It was really yummy! And Hubby approved.

You'll need:


A chunk of beef, carrots, celery, potatoes, onion - all the good root veggies! Plus a packet of onion soup mix, liquid smoke & water.

First step, of course, would be to prep your produce. Peel the potatoes & carrots - and I suppose you'd 'peel' the onion, too! And, did you know you can also peel celery!? It's true. Run the peeler down the back edge & it'll take off that layer of strings that sometimes make it a tricky snack. I wouldn't bother doing that with cooked celery - it gets soft. But maybe something to consider next time you go for raw sticks!

Sorry - I got distracted.... now chunk up your veggies. Leave them fairly large - about 1-inch cubes on the onion, potato & celery, nice sticks on the carrots.

Load them into the crock pot first.


Now mix together the water & liquid smoke.


Place the roast on top of the veggies, sprinkle the soup mix on top of that & then pour the liquid smoke mixture over that.


Now just cover it, set it to low & find something else to do for 8 hours!

Come back & remove the roast & let it rest for maybe 5 minutes on the cutting board before you cut it. If you don't the juices will run out & you'll have less-juicy meat!


Now just serve it up with some scrumptious sides & you're done!


That's my Cranberry Pineapple Jell-o Stuff sitting beside it (yes, that is it's real name! LOL).

Can I be honest with you guys real quick? As much as I love a good roast, the veggies that result from a day of cooking alongside a roast are probably my *favorite* part of this whole thing! Sorry - it's the German in me - I LOVE potatoes!

Give it a shot - add a smidge of liquid smoke to your next roast & see what a difference it makes. I promise - you'll love it!

Crock Pot Beef Roast:

2-pound beef roast
2 ribs of celery, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes
2 onions - cut in half, then quartered
3 carrots, peeled & cut into strips
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 TBsp liquid smoke
1 1/2 cups water

Put your veggies into the slow cooker. Place roast on top of veggies. Sprinkle roast with dry soup mix. In a bowl, combine water & liquid smoke. Pour over the top of roast.

Cover & cook on low for 7-8 hours. Let roast rest on cutting board for about 5 minutes before slicing.

Teriyaki Coke Beef [Marinade]

HUH!!?? I've heard of Cherry Coke, Vanilla Coke - Coke with Lime, but Teriyaki Coke!!?? YES! Don't worry, you're not gonna drink the stuff. But, surprisingly, when you mix the two together they make a pretty wonderful marinade for your beef! The original recipe said to use London Broil but Top Sirloin was on sale for half the price of the LB so that's what we went with!

You'll need:


Meat, Coke & Teriyaki sauce (not the thick basting glaze - the thinner stuff. The bottle will say sauce or marinade).

Mix your teriyaki & Coke. Pour it over your meat.


Let it sit for a minute until the bubbles all settle down.


Cover & stick in the fridge overnight, flipping once in the morning. Ideally, this should soak for about 24 hours, so put it in the fridge at dinner time the night before.

Next up I should be posting the picture of the actual cooking of your meat, but Hubby cooked this one for me because I have ZERO grilling skills.... and I never ran out there to get the picture so this will have to do!! LOL


Ta da! The grill. Just get it cooked up to your perfect level of done.

Let it sit for about 10 minutes before you cut into it so the juices can redistribute back into the meat. Never cut your meat immediately off the grill. Always let it rest. Always.


Slice into strips....
(if you ask Hubby, this meat is ruined - way too done, If you ask me it's just right!)


And serve it up!


Happy grilling, Happy summer.

Teriyaki Coke Beef [Marinade]:

1 12-oz can of Coke
1 10-oz bottle of Teriyaki marinade
2 1/2 - 3 pounds of London Broil

Combine Coke & teriyaki sauce. Pour over meat (either in a marinating container or a Ziplock bag) and refrigerate overnight (about 24 hours) turning occasionally.

Grill over medium heat 10-15 minutes, to desired doneness. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Source: Your Homebased Mom

Dad Did Dinner - Again: Sloppy Joes

I gave Zac the reins in the kitchen again - this time he whipped up a batch of Sloppy Joes! Generally speaking I'm a Manwich girl (they just know what they're doing, right!!?) but he wanted to make up a pan from scratch. And you know I'm not gonna stop him if he wants to go for it! this is what he made:

You'll need:


Tomato sauce, tomato paste, ground beef, onion, green bell pepper, red wine vinegar, Tabasco sauce, chili powder, brown sugar & Worcestershire sauce.

First you're gonna get your pan heated over medium. Drizzle in the oil & add the onions & peppers. Sweat the veggies for about 2 minutes then add in the meat.


Once the meat has cooked through add the remaining ingredients.



Simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavors all come together.



And, because I forgot to take a picture of it all dished up on a bun, today's "ta da" picture is just a close up of the slop in the pan!! LOL


It's great! i think I'm still a Manwich girl at my core but anytime Hubby says he wants to cook these up I will certainly not turn him down!! I hope you try them & like them!

Sloppy Joes

1/2 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper
1 lb ground beef/turkey
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
2 TBSP tomato paste
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/2 TBSP chili powder
12 shakes of Tobasco sauce
salt & pepper, to taste

Heat a pan with oil over medium heat. Add peppers & onions; saute for 2 minutes.

Add ground meat & cook through. Once meat is cooked, add remaining ingredients & simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve on hamburger buns.

Source: Cook This, Not That

Dad Does Dinner - Blue Cheese Crusted Steaks

There's a food blog I love called UCreate: Foods & she has this challenge every month called Dad Does Dinner where you're supposed to have your man cook & then blog the meal, just like you would if you'd done it all. Mom gets the night off! Sounds like a good deal, right!? I've been meaning to participate for the past 3 months but keep running out of days in the month. Well, this month she asked for suggestions for the theme for March's challenge & she choose mine (have our hunks cook a hunk of meat!) so now I had to make SURE we got it done! And now, here it is March 28 - only 2 days left in the month, and I'm finally doing it! Whew! Nothing like the last minute, right moms!!? Zac asked if I'd do the typing & he'll just dictate - his stuff will be in the standard type - if I add anything to it it'll be in italics! Let's begin!

Zac starts here: This one's a fan favorite at the station (Hubby's a fire fighter & does the majority of the cooking at the station... because he;s pretty dang good at it!) - it's quick & easy. I got it out of a cook book Michelle got me for Christmas. It's got a great flavor & only takes about 10 minutes. For us, we use petite sirloins, but you can use whatever cut of meat you want. The better the cut of meat the better it'll taste! We enjoy the heck out of it with the cheap-o steaks, but if you're going for gourmet spend the extra money.

Steaks, seasoned bread crumbs, fresh parsley, crumbled blue cheese, salt & pepper (and fresh rosemary but Zac completely forgot about it tonight!)

Start by preheating the oven to 450. Then you're gonna mix the bread crumbs, blue cheese & parsley (finely chopped) in a bowl & set it aside.

Then take a whatchamacallit (yes, he really said that! LOL He's defeating bad guys on the XBox as he's talking so he's totally not focused!) pan on high heat & put a little olive oil in it. Let it get hot. While it's getting there season the meat with generous amounts of salt & pepper on both sides. Put the meat in your hot pan anywhere for about 4 minutes per side to sear the meat. Depends on how done you like your meat. Don't burn it - just sear it. (He likes a lot of bright pink in there so maybe go a little longer if you don't like as much color.) It'll be going in the oven so just try to get a nice brown on it - don't cook it all the way.


Once you're done with the sear put the steaks onto a cookie sheet (or any oven safe pan) and generously top with crumb mixture. If you have a cast iron skillet you can just do it all in the same pan from stove top to oven.


Put it in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until the crumbles start to brown.


Let them rest for a little bit to lock in the moisture & then enjoy the crap out of them!




Thanks, Babe! Enjoy the crap for sure! These puppies were really yummy... and I don't even like blue cheese! To go with theses he also made his famous (at work, anyway) brown sugar green beans, garlic bread & a berry salad.

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I hope you all enjoyed this edition of Dad Does Dinner & maybe even feel a little inspired to get your man in there helping out!

Blue Cheese Crusted Steak:

1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 TBsp chopped fresh parsley
1tsp chopped fresh rosemary (Zac forgot to put this in there today!)
1 TBsp olive oil
4 sirloins, 4-6 oz each
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Combine bread crumbs, cheese, parsley & rosemary in a bowl; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet. Season steaks all over with salt & plenty of black pepper. Sear each side of the meat for about 4 minutes to get a good brown on the outside.

Move steaks to a baking sheet & top each with 1/4 of the crumb mixture; press gently into the meat with your fingers. Bake in preheated oven for 6-10 minutes or until crumb mixture has a nice golden color. Let it rest before serving.

Source: Cook This, Not That

Fry Bread Tacos (aka: Indian or Navajo Tacos)

Twelve years ago I had the chance to have a roommate that grew up on one of the Navajo reservations down in Arizona. She introduced my to fry bread. That act alone has earned her enough good karma to make it through life with blessings to spare!! LOL It was fun to watch her make it, too - no measuring at all. Just 2 handfuls of this, a few pinches of that, keep adding things until the texture is right in her hands. And it was always delicious. Me? Well - this is probably as inauthentic as possible, but sometimes you gotta take the easy route, right!? And frankly, my little white kids will never know the difference (until they spread their wings and find a friend to make the real stuff for them!) Ha! Pillsbury dough is all they get for now!

I flaked out on the ingredients photo, sorry. But all you need for the bread is a can of the classic Pillsbury Buttermilk biscuits. None of the fancy stuff.

You can have them as a treat with a little honey and/or powdered sugar and/or jam.

If you're making tacos you'll need some ground beef, cooked up like you would for tacos. And a can of chili beans - not chili - just chili beans. Lettuce, cheese, tomatoes - some of that, too!

Step 1: POP open that can & separate out the biscuits. Use a rolling pin to smash them flat. Go for 5-6 inch circles. They'll shrink back down a little when they hit the oil.


Heat about 1/2" of oil in a skillet & get it good & hot. Do you know how to check if your oil is ready to fry with? Get your fingers wet & flick some water into the pan. If it sizzles & spits back at you it's ready. If it takes a minute to crackle or if it doesn't crackle at all give it another minute to heat.

Add the dough, one or two at a time. Don't crowd the pan.


If your pan is really hot they'll only take like 30 seconds per side. If not, you'll need a little longer. Just watch them - don't let it burn!


Set them on paper towels to let the oil drip down. That's it for the bread! Wanna turn them into tacos!?!

First layer is some of the taco meat. Then the beans.


Next comes the cheese - if you put it against the hot stuff it'll melt!

Top with lettuce, cheese & whatever else you want. I usually just add salsa to that list.


ENJOY!! Yum, yum, YUM!

Fry Bread Tacos:

Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits
Oil for frying
----------
Taco meat, prepared
Chili beans, from a can/heated
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Salsa/diced tomatoes

Open biscuits, separate dough into individual biscuits. Use a rolling pin to flatten dough into 5-6 inch circles.

Fill a skillet with 1/2" of oil & heat until flicked water spits back at you. Fry flattened dough on each side until golden; 30-60 seconds per side.

Top with meat, beans, lettuce, cheese & salsa!

Sick Day Flash Back! - Spaghetti Sauce

Hey guys. I have to apologize for the drought on my blog! I've had a house full of sick kids (and all the extra laundry that comes from *that* kind of sick in the middle of the night!) topped off by getting the bug myself. So, as we finally turn a corner towards being well again it's time to get the house back in order! I hope you enjoy a peek back at a favorite I posted in the early days of my blog! I promise - I'll make it back into the kitchen this week!!

Spaghetti Sauce:

I make spaghetti sauce once a year - and when I make it, I go big! I made enough today for 14 dinners & my freezer is now full & ready to serve us a tasty, preservative-free, QUICK dinner on the nights where I've either forgotten to thaw any meat or am craving a baked spaghetti.... like we had tonight! You could make this as a single batch, but really, it's just as easy to double it, triple it, or, in my case times-5 it!! LOL

Here are your ingredients:

Diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, bell peppers, parsley, lots of spices & some ground beef. Generally speaking I'm not brand specific about many things, but I think Contadina is the best sauce to use in this.

Dice up your parsley, garlic, onions & bell peppers. The size you cut them is the size your chunks will be so if you don't like big pieces of onion/peppers be sure to go for a finer dice.


Next, just pour everything - except the ground beef - into the pot. Or, as Rachael Ray would say, everyone goes into the hot tub together! LOL Don't forget the spices!!


Bring that to a boil over high heat, then cover & reduce the heat to low. Simmer it for an hour, stirring once or twice. About a half hour into it you should get your beef browning.


Then when the hour is up add it to the pot. I mentioned I "times-5'd" this recipe... perhaps I should have just times-4'd it!! LOL I had to pull a little liquid out of the pot to fit all the meat! (This pic is just the first scoop!)


If you think it smelled good simmering without the meat wait 'til you get a whiff of it with the meat! Divine!

Now cover it again & let it go another 20-30 minutes.

MMMMmmmmmmm......


DO YOU SMELL THAT!!!???

Spaghetti Sauce

2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 small bay leaves
1 - 1 1/2 pounds ground beef

In a stock pot combine all ingredients except for the beef. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low & let simmer, covered, for an hour.

Crumble beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until fully cooked - no pink remaining. Drain the fat & add to the pot. Cover & simmer an additional 20-30 minutes.

French Onion Roast

I love the crock pot. I love being able to throw stuff in it in the morning & just have it magically ready when it's dinner time! This is the roast we had for dinner tonight. I'm always on the look out for new way to prepare a big hunk of beef in the crock pot so if you have a recipe that you love, please feel free to share it in the comments! This one was a very onion heavy roast - and I mean that as a good thing! Of course the kids opted to have their minus the onion, but Hubby & I laid them atop our meat & enjoyed! And, if you're a lover of French Onion Soup, the broth left behind from this roast is an excellent base!

What you'll need:


A roast - I actually used a London Broil I had in the freezer, onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, beer (optional).

I had every intention of making this with the beer, but we're not beer drinkers here & you can't just buy a single beer at the grocery store. I kept meaning to grab one at the gas station quick mart but forgot - so we went without it tonight. And it was still good. The beer really does give it good flavor, though - and don't worry, the alcohol cooks off so it's still totally kid friendly!


Start out by getting a pan nice & hot. Add a little olive oil - like 2 passes of the pan. Salt & pepper your meat & add it in. Make sure it's really hot before adding your meat. We're searing it to try & keep the juices locked inside. If you put it in the pan before it's good & hot you'll just kinda steam the meat & waste your time.


While that is going (total of about 10 minutes - be sure to get all sides!) slice your onions into rings & pop them into your crock pot. YES, I use the liners - and if you haven't tried them yet WHY NOT!!? I cannot sing their praises enough (as I'm sure you've noticed!!) Love them.


Again, while your meat is still searing, mix up your broth, sugar, mustard & vinegar. If you're using the beer add it in here. If you're not, use more broth in its place.

Set the beef on top of the bed of onions then pour the liquid down over it.


Put on the lid, set it to low & walk away for a solid 8 hours... maybe 9, maybe 10. When it's done pull it out & let it rest for a few minutes.


Slice it up & serve it with a generous heap of onions. For the broth, you can either just spoon on the liquid as is or you can thicken it up with some flour or cornstarch & make a gravy of it.





Mmmmm...... Enjoy!

French Onion Roast:

1 boneless roast, about 3-4 pounds
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
4 onions
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup beer (optional - if omitted use more broth)

Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Salt & pepper the meat and add it to the hot pan. Sear all sides for a total of about 10 minutes.

While the meat is searing, slice onions into rings and place in the bottom of crock pot.

In a bowl, mix broth, beer, brown sugar, mustard & cider vinegar.

Once meat is seared place on top of onions in crock pot. Pour broth mixture over the top. Cover, set to low & allow to cook for 8-10 hours.


Slow Cooker

Meatball Subs

This is seriously one of the easiest but still super delicious dinners we do around here. I suppose you could make it more complicated by doing homemade marinara & meatballs from scratch but that kinda kills the quick-and-easy appeal of this one! Just toss your fixings in the crock post around lunch time & by dinner all you have to do is serve it up!

The shopping list:


Frozen meatballs (I get the enormous bag of Italian Style from Costco), a jar of your favorite marinara (my absolute all-time favorite jarred sauce has to be Newman's Own Sockarooni!), some hoagie rolls & shredded Parmesan (not the powdered kind - you want something that will melt down over it). Provolone or Mozzarella slices would also be great!

Throw the meatballs & sauce in the crock pot. I use about 8 meatballs per sub (this time that was 32 - one jar of sauce is the perfect amount for this many meatballs, resulting in 4 full-sized subs).


Give them a stir, put the lid on & walk away for about 6 hours (on low). Stir them a time or two as they go. This isn't totally essential, though, so if you've got somewhere to be just ignore them altogether! They won't mind.


When you're ready to eat just toast up your buns & add the meatballs.


Add some cheese & either just close it & let the heat melt it a bit or pop it under the broiler for a minute to get a good, gooey melt!


Now wasn't that easy!!??

Dinner is SERVED!

Meatball Subs:
(to make 4 full-sized subs)

32 frozen meatballs
1 jar of non-meat spaghetti sauce
4 hogie rolls
Shredded Parmesan or sliced Provolone or Mozzarella

Put meatballs & sauce into the crockpot, set on low. Stir well, cover & cook for 6 hours.

Toast the rolls. Add 8 meatballs per roll, top with cheese.

Slow Cooker