Easiest Fall-Apart Pot Roast (slow cooker)

 

Here's my confession, I was never big on pot roast.  I couldn't understand the attraction.  Then the boyfriend found this recipe on Food Charlatan and made it.  I have now made it again a couple of times and it's the only way I'll make pot roast from now on.  In addition to how good it tastes, it's also really simple!  I am pasting her entire recipe below, but I don't sear it, just skip over those steps and jump to the part where she seasons the meat and adds it right to the slow cooker.  In addition, she has an amazing recipe for mashed potatoes (the boyfriend made them the first time, and I made them again this most recent time) and I will also blog them.   note: the carrots in my picture are roasted as I had to run to work and didn't have a chance to add them to the slow cooker.

The Easiest Fall-Apart Pot Roast (Slow Cooker)

Serves 6    

Super tender, juicy, fall-apart pot roast is not as hard as you think! This slow cooker recipe uses a few simple ingredients (one of them is patience...) to make the most flavorful (yet stupid easy) pot roast ever! Carrots add the perfect touch!

Ingredients

For the roast

• 3 to 4 pound chuck roast*
• copious amounts of salt and pepper (copious I say!)
• 1 tablespoon oil, optional (for browning)
• 1 and 1/2 cups water
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base**
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (1-ounce) packets of onion soup mix
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks

For the gravy

• 2-3 cups of drippings from the meat
• 1-2 cups COLD water
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
• 2 tablespoons butter, optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. First you are going to have to make a choice about whether you want a really good roast, or a really REALLY good roast. Browning the meat before slow cooking makes it extra special. To do that:
2. Heat a wide skillet over medium high heat. Generously salt and pepper all sides of the roast. I would say I use somewhere between 1 and 1/2 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and about a teaspoon of pepper.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the hot pan and swirl around to coat the bottom. It should be shimmery right away if your pan is hot enough.
4. Add the roast to the pan and don't move it for about 1-2 minutes. Check to make sure it is nice and brown, then flip it over and repeat on the other side. Brown every side of your roast that you can. It should not take more than 5-6 minutes.
5. Transfer the roast to your slow cooker (6 quart or larger).
6. Keep the hot pan on the stove and add the water and beef base. Stir, breaking up any brown bits on the pan, until the beef base is dissolved. Pour the liquid into the slow cooker.
7. Sprinkle the roast with the dried thyme or add the fresh thyme. (Just throw the sprig in the pot)
8. Add the bay leaf.
9. Dump the 2 packets of onion soup mix directly on the roast (not in the water). Use your hand to rub the dry powder into the part of the roast that is exposed. Some of it will just fall off into the water, and that's fine.
10. Cover with the lid and set to low heat. Cook for 8-10 hours. If you are a bit short on time, you can turn the slow cooker on to "high" for one hour to get things boiling, then turn back down to low. I do NOT recommend cooking this on high for 4-5 hours. You can if you want, it will be cooked, but it will not be as tender!
11. If you are not browning the meat, it's so easy. Salt and pepper the meat, rub on the thyme and onion soup mix, and place in a slow cooker. You don't need the oil. Add all the other ingredients, set it on low, and you're done!
12. Add the carrots: about 3 hours before you want to eat, add the peeled and chopped carrots. See photos, they don't need to be tiny pieces, I tend to like the bigger chunks myself.
13. When the meat is fork tender and easy to shred, carefully remove it to a cutting board and let rest for a couple minutes. Then shred with two forks or slice with a serrated knife against the grain. Transfer the roast and the carrots to a serving platter and keep warm. (Taste a carrot to see if it needs salt and pepper)
14. To make the gravy: Use a fat separator to get the fat from the top of the drippings. Discard fat and add the drippings to a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to high. (Use all of the drippings that you have, up to 3 cups. You want about 4 cups of liquid going into your gravy, and at least one cup needs to be COLD water to dissolve the flour.)
15. In a measuring cup, whisk together 1-2 cups COLD water (or beef stock, if you're not using beef base) with the flour. Make sure you get rid of all the lumps.
16. When the drippings have heated to a boil, slowly stir in the flour mixture while stirring. Add the beef base and bring the mixture to a low boil.
17. Let the gravy simmer for 3-5 minutes until it has thickened.
18. At this point you can add the butter if you want. It's not necessary, but it does add some richness that I love. Season with salt and pepper. Make sure you taste it first!
19. Devour, preferably with these Famous Creamy Mashed Potatoes. To die for!!

Recipe Notes

*Meat options: For this recipe you can use a chuck roast, boneless chuck roast, chuck shoulder pot roast, etc. Look for good marbling! 

**You can omit the water and beef base and just add 1 and 1/2 cups good quality beef stock instead! This goes for the gravy too. (The ratio is 1 teaspoon of base per cup of water.) This is not a sponsored post, I just love how easy it is to keep beef base on hand in the fridge. 

Slow Cooker Pork Chops

This recipe is super easy and very, very good.  It has become our favorite recipe for pork chops!

Click here for the original link on the Taste of Home website.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper blend

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

4 boneless pork loin chops (4 ounces each)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth

Directions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 1/2 cup flour, mustard, garlic pepper and seasoned salt. Add pork chops, one at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown chops in oil on both sides.

Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Place remaining flour in a small bowl; whisk in broth until smooth. Pour over chops. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove pork to a serving plate and keep warm. Whisk cooking liquid until smooth; serve with pork. Yield: 4 servings.

Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon

I've made Julia's version, and you know what?  This is just as good and WAY EASIER!

Click here for the original recipe on the Taste of Home website.

Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon

Ingredients

3 pounds beef stew meat

1-3/4 cups dry red wine

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons dried minced onion

2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 bacon strips, chopped

1 pound whole fresh mushrooms, quartered

24 pearl onions, peeled (about 2 cups)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

Hot cooked whole wheat egg noodles, optional

Directions

Place beef in a large resealable plastic bag; add wine, oil and seasonings. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan.

Add mushrooms and onions to drippings; cook and stir over medium-high heat until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.

Drain beef, reserving marinade; transfer beef to a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle beef with flour and salt; toss to coat. Top with bacon and mushroom mixture. Add reserved marinade.

Cook, covered, on low 8-10 hours or until beef is tender. Remove bay leaf. If desired, serve stew with noodles. Yield: 12 servings (2/3 cup each).

Crockpot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A friend shared this on facebook.  It appears to be a modified version of a recipe that's been posted elsewhere on the internet - sans potatoes.  It went over well - thank goodness, because there's quite a bit leftover.  We ate it with ham and swiss sandwiches.  (Note, copied as is from fb post).

Crockpot Broccoli Cheddar Soup!

32 oz frozen broccoli (fresh doesn't stand up well) 
1 16 oz can of cream of chicken
1 16 oz can of cream of mushroom
1 small sliced yellow onion
2 gloves garlic minced (1.5 tsp)
1 (14 oz) can of chicken broth
1/4 stick butter
1 SMALL block Velvetta cheese
1 Tsp flour
Salt and pepper to taste

mince garlic, slice onion finely, and throw it all in crock along with everything else. Velvetta breaks up best of cut in small blocks. Cook on high for 4-5 hrs ... Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan Soup

This recipe is a home run!  It smelled divine cooking all day, and was well worth the wait when it was FINALLY dinner time!

I found this on Pinterest.  Click here for the original website where it was posted.

I added some chopped tomatoes because I had frozen chopped peppers and tomatoes together that were leftover from a recipe I made at Christmas.  I used dried spices -- 1 tsp basil and about 3/4 tsp oregano.  I had half a red onion so I chopped that instead of a white onion.  I skipped the red pepper flakes.  And I picked gemelli for the pasta because I think it's fun.

It was absolutely fabulous!  I served it with mozzarella stuffed breadsticks from Schwann's (thank you Grandma!) and a salad.

Chicken Parmesan Soup

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1/2 pound (raw) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chicken broth, plus additional if needed
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
4 ounces (uncooked) dry gemelli or penne pasta
Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

In slow cooker, stir together garlic, bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, chicken, broth, onion, 1/2 cup cheese, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook on high 3-1/2 hours or on low 7 hours.

Transfer chicken breasts to cutting board and coarsely shred; return to slow cooker. Stir in pasta. Cook on high 30 minutes longer or until pasta is cooked al dente. If soup becomes too thick after pasta is cooked, stir in additional broth until desired consistency is reached, and warm through.

Serve garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.

Chicken Fajitas

I put fresh avocado in mine -- delicious!

Last night I tried Chicken Fajitas in the crock pot -- another Crockin' Girls recipe.  This one I found on their website, rather than in the cookbook.  I think it was the recipe of the week last week.  Anyway, it is actually from the Reynolds kitchens, which I assume is a sponsor of Crockin' Girls because they make crock pot liners.

It was really delicious!  But next time I'm cutting WAY back on the seasonings.  It calls for TWO packets of fajita seasoning, and I think one would be plenty.  I also used 1 cup of salsa, because 3/4 cup didn't seem like enough to me.

The best part of this recipe is you can just throw the chicken tenders in without cutting them up raw.  When it's done, you stir up the filling and the chicken breaks apart into large chunks.

Chris topped his with sour cream, and I put fresh avocado inside mine.  I put shredded cheddar inside all of them!

This is what they look like before wrapping them up.  (This one was for Chris -- no avocado!)

 

The filling warmed up on the stove top for lunch leftovers!

Chicken Fajitas

1 Reynolds® Slow Cooker Liner
2 Pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
3/4 Cup chunky salsa
2 Packages (1.4 ounces each) fajita seasoning mix
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
16 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream (optional)



Directions

Open slow cooker liner and place it inside a 5- to 6 1/2 quart slow cooker. Fit liner snugly against the bottom and sides of bowl; pull top of liner over rim of bowl.

Place chicken in slow cooker liner and add onions and bell peppers on top of chicken.

1. 
   Mix salsa, fajita seasoning mix and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over chicken. Place lid on slow cooker.
   
   Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours until chicken is done.
   
   Carefully remove lid to allow steam to escape. Gently stir chicken and sauce with a plastic or wooden slotted spoon. Spoon 1/2 cup of chicken mixture into center of each tortilla; add desired toppings and fold tortilla over filling. Do not lift or transport liner with food inside. Cool slow cooker completely; remove liner and toss.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Tonight we tried another recipe from the Crockin' Girls cookbook -- and it's another winner!

If you like chicken wings, you will LOVE. THIS. SOUP.

I love chicken wings, but I'm not a huge fan of hot food.  If you're like me, you'll want to drink a big glass of milk with this meal!  I might experiment with a little less hot sauce next time -- maybe 3/4 of a cup instead of a whole cup.  I use Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce Buffalo.  It's tangy, and tastes like wings, rather than just a bottle full of hot.

This recipe requires a bit more prep work than other slow cooker recipes, but it is worth it!  One tip about cutting celery.  Take a knife and cut down the entire length of the celery 4 to 5 times, but don't go all the way through to the end so the strips are still attached on one side.  Then slice the strips crosswise to make diced celery.  The strips will stay together nicely as you chop.  Way easier than cutting the rib the other way and trying to cut up each little smiley face piece!

I served it with Awesome and Easy Creamy Corn Casserole.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

1 Tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
2-3 cups cooked chicken, diced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 tsp garlic salt (I used minced garlic instead)
1 cup bottled Buffalo wing sauce (mild or hot)
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese (I used extra sharp NYS cheddar)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and celery and saute for about 5 minutes.  Scrape veggies into the slow cooker.  Add cooked chicken to slow cooker.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat until just foamy.  Whisk in the flour to make a roux, stirring well to incorporate all the flour.*  Cook 1-2 minutes, or until the roux is slightly golden. (This happened in about a minute for me)  Scrape into the slow cooker.

Stir in broth and milk.  Add garlic salt and wing sauce.  Still well.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours.

Stir in cheese about 20 minutes before serving.

* When making a roux, when you first add the flour you will think, "Oh my God!  I've ruined it!"  Don't panic!  Just keep whisking it and it will smooth out!

Little Meats and Gravy (Beef Tips)

Tonight we tried another great recipe from the Crockin' Girls cookbook!

Little Meats and Gravy is really beef tips.  It's almost like a beef stroganoff, minus the onions and mushrooms.  I could hardly believe the cream of chicken soup turned into a rich, brown gravy.  I served it over egg noodles.

A few tips:

It's much easier to cut up a beef roast if it's partially frozen.  Thaw it overnight in the fridge and it will be more firm to cut.  If it's still too frozen, microwave it for a minute or two.  But DO NOT cook it.

If you want to thicken the gravy, as mentioned in the recipe, mix 1/3 cup of COLD water with 4 Tbsp flour in a container with a tight-fitting lid.  Shake until mixed thoroughly.  Stir it into the beef mixture and turn the crock pot up to high while your noodles cook.

Little Meats and Gravy

Ingredients

• 2 Pounds chuck or stew beef, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 Package onion soup mix
• 2 Cans low sodium cream of chicken soup
• 2 soup Cans water
• 1 Package cooked noodles, rice or potatoes for serving                       

Directions

1. Step One

   Combine all ingredients into 6 quart slow cooker; stir.

2. Step Two

   Cover and cook on LOW for 8–12 hours or on HIGH for 5–6 hours. If you've frozen this recipe you can cook it for 10-12 hours on LOW.

3. Step Three

   Thicken, if desired, and serve over noodles, rice, or potatoes.

Angel Chicken

For Christmas this year my sister got me the Crockin Girls cookbook -- what a fantastic collection of recipes for the slow cooker!

I tried the Angel Chicken last night and it was fabulous!  We got home a little later than expected, and the chicken was still not overcooked.  Next time I think I would double the recipe but leave the chicken the same, just to make more of the delicious sauce!

It's not a very photogenic recipe, so I skipped taking a picture.  I found that the chicken shredded rather than cut nicely as shown in the Crockin' Girls photo!  I shredded the chicken and added it back into the crock pot, which created a creamed chicken sort of texture.

Angel Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 Chicken Breasts
• 1/4 Cup Butter (I just cut it up in cubes and mixed it in)                      
• 1/2 Package Dry Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 Can Cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 Cup Dry white wine
• 4 Ounces Cream cheese with onions and chives
• 1 Box penne pasta
• Chives, for garnish                       

Directions

1. Step One

   Put all ingredients in the slow cooker except pasta

2. Step Two

   Cook on low for 7-8 hours

3. Step Three

   When the chicken mixture is done, prepare penne pasta according to package directions; drain

4. Step Four

   Mix pasta with chicken. Serve in a large bowl with chives sprinkled on top

Slow Simmering Beef Bourguignon

Boy am I glad I saw this recipe in the November 2012 issue of Taste of Home!  I've made Julia Child's version before, and I have to say, this is almost as good and WAY easier!  And with its long cooking time, it's perfect for working people.  It won't be overdone when you get home!

Slow Simmering Beef Bourguignon

3 lbs beef stew meat
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups red wine, or additional beef broth, divided
3/4 lb fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 thick sliced bacon strip, chopped (I used a few more than that!)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Italian tomato paste (I always buy plain and add spices myself)
egg noodles

1.  Season beef with salt and pepper.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown beef in batches.  Remove with a slotted spoon to a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker.  Add flour.  Toss to coat.  Add broth and 1 cup of wine.

2.  In the same skillet, add the mushrooms, carrots, onion and bacon.  Cook and stir over medium heat until carrots are tender.  Add garlic, cook one minute longer.  Add remaining wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan.  Stir in tomato paste.  Transfer to slow cooker.

3.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until beef is tender.  Serve over hot noodles.

Homemade Rotisserie Chicken

The second time I made it, I baked it in the oven.  It came out just like the ones you buy at the store!  But they are cheaper in the long run, because those chickens are always teeny.  We boiled this one for soup and it made a delicious chicken stock too.

This recipe smells and tastes just like a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store! 

The only thing missing is the crunchy skin, since you make it in the crock pot.  You could probably use the same spice blend and roast the chicken to get that skin though.  Next time I'll try it in the oven in a Reynolds bag.  (UPDATE:  I did -- see photo.  It was fabulous!!)

I didn't flip it like the recipe suggests -- I put it breast side down to begin with, to keep the white meat moist.  For the spice blend, I skipped the cayenne and I used dried minced onion because I didn't have any onion powder.

Make sure the chicken is REALLY dry.  And don't overpat the spices.  I ended up with more on my hands than on the chicken at one point!

This recipe comes from one of the Food Wrtiers at the Canton Repository.  (The first person comments are hers, not mine)

Slow-Cooker Roast Chicken

3 tablespoons spice blend*

1 (5-pound) chicken

Large onion

Remove packet from inside chicken, rinse. Rub spices over skin. Pull up skin over breast a bit and rub spices under it. Let sit, refrigerated, for one to 12 hours.

Slice onion and cover bottom of slow cooker. Set chicken on top; cook on low for five to seven hours, depending on how hot your slow cooker gets and how many times you lift the lid. Do not add water.
I turned the chicken breast-side-down halfway through the cooking time to ensure it didn’t get dry, but don’t do this if you want a crisp skin. Use thermometer to determine if chicken is done.

If desired, add a slurry of flour and water to the juices and onion, and bring to boil, stirring, to create gravy.

Variations: Add carrots to the onions on the bottom of slow cooker, or tuck half a lemon inside chicken.

* Spice blend: This recipe makes enough for three chickens. Measure out what you need and store the rest in a container with a tight lid.

Blend 3 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground rosemary. You can adapt this to fit your own tastes.  [I also add celery seeds]

Creamy Beef Stroganoff

Another recipe from Gooseberry Patch's "What's for Dinner". There are tons of versions of this, but I liked how simple it was. And it smelled wonderful throughout the day while it was cooking. Another time I might add a can of mushrooms to it, but it was tasty without.

1 lb stew beef, cubed
2 (10 -3/4) oz cans cream of mushroom soup
1-1/2 oz pkg onion soup mix
4-oz pkg cream cheese
8 oz pkg egg noodles, prepared

Combine beef, soup and soup mix in slow cooker; heat on low setting for 8 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving; serve over noodles. Makes 4 servings.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

I tried this crock pot soup tonight so we'd have something hot and ready for dinner when we came in from passing out trick-or-treat candy from the bed of our '51 Chevy!  It was FANTASTIC.

The recipe comes from a Taste of Home cookbook from 2008 called Heartwarming Soups.  I served it with cornbread based on the recipe for Mini Corn Muffins I posted awhile ago.

This soup is zesty, without being spicy.  We loved it, and I will definitely be making it again!

Southwestern Chicken Soup

1 1/4 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz each)
1 pkg frozen corn, thawed (16 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can chopped green chilies (4 oz)
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp cumin (skipped this since I don't like it)
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Saute chicken in oil in a large skillet until lightly browned.  Transfer to slow cooker with slotted spoon.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on low.

Chicken Supreme

We have been making this recipe for years!  It is delicious and simple, but tastes fancy and complicated.  My only complaint is the crock pot timing -- it's only 3-4 hours, which means you can't make it while you're at work all day.

The recipe comes from Pillsbury's Slow Cooker Recipes, January 2002.

Chicken Supreme

2 slices bacon
6 boneless chicken breast halves
1 small can mushrooms, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 Tbsp dry sherry, if desired (I've made it both ways and honestly I can't tell the difference!)
3 oz sliced Swiss cheese
1 Tbsp chopped chives

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Add chicken to bacon drippings and brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes.

Transfer chicken to slow cooker.  Top with mushrooms and soup.  Cook 3-4 hours on low.

Top mixture with cheese, crumbled bacon, and chives.  Cover and cook an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted..

Burgundy Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings

This is my traditional "Thanksgiving Eve" dish.  It's our last chance to eat red meat before the onslaught of turkey leftovers! 

It's also an easy thing to prepare the night before, so when we get home from work dinner is waiting for us and Chris's parents, who come for Thanksgiving every year.  There are some things for Thanksgiving we prepare the night before, so this stew frees up a lot of time.

The unique part of this recipe is the dumplings.  It makes this thick beef stew even hardier.  Traditionally dumplings are served with chicken dishes.

The other great thing about this recipe is it cooks for 8-10 hours, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner when you're at work all day.

It comes from the Betty Crocker cookbook Slow Cooker Meals, February 2000.

Burgundy Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings

Stew

2 lbs beef boneless bottom or top round, cut in 1-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, cut into slices (4 cups)
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
2 medium onions, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup red wine or beef broth (I've made it both ways with good results)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 and 1/8 cup water (I added water from the original recipe)
4 1/2 Tbsp flour (I added flour from the original recipe)

Herb Dumplings

1 1/2 cups Bisquick
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
1/2 cup milk

Mix all ingredients for stew except water and flour in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

Mix water and flour together (I put them in an air tight container and SHAKE!).  Gradually stir into beef mixture.

Prepare herb dumplings.  Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot beef mixture.  Cover and increase temperature to HIGH for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of dumplings come out clean.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Stew

I've been hunting for a recipe similar to a dish I had at a friend's years ago. I found this Knorr one and although I can't even recall what my friend's tasted like now, I think this came out pretty tasty. The boyfriend put it together as I had to dash off to work unexpectedly. He thought maybe adding some corn would be nice another time.

PREP TIME: 15 Minute(s)

COOK TIME: 4 Hour(s)

INGREDIENTS

3 cups water 3 medium carrots, chopped 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed 1 medium onion, chopped 2 ribs celery, chopped 1 cup dried lentils 3 Knorr® Vegetarian Vegetable Bouillon Cube, crumbled 1/2 tsp. curry powder or ground cumin (optional)

PREPARATION

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook covered on LOW 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH 4 to 6 hours. Serve, if desired, with sour cream, yogurt and/or chopped fresh cilantro.

Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

This yummy recipe is perfect for a hot summer day when you don't want to turn on the stove!  It comes from the June/July issue of Simple & Delicious magazine.

Very Best Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

1 boneless chuck roast (3-4 pounds)
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 celery seed (I skipped this)
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cold water
12 rolls

Cut roast in half.  Place in 5-quart slow cooker.  In small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients EXCEPT cornstarch and cold water.  Cover meat and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove meat.  Skim fat from cooking juices.  Transfer to large saucepan.  Bring to a boil (this will happen FAST!).  Combine cornstarch and water until smooth.  Gradually stir into juices.  Return to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Shred meat with two forks.  Return to slow cooker and stir in sauce mixture.  Serve on rolls.

BBQ Beef

A very simple slow cooker recipe for VERY good BBQ beef.

4# roast (I used Eye of Round this attempt)

1 can/bottle of beer

2 T Worcesteshire sauce

Garlic to taste (2 little cloves worked well)

3-4 drops of Liquid smoke

From here, it's just your typical slow cooker recipe. Dump everything in, cook 6 hours on low. Drain the liquid from the pot, break up the beef and use your favorite BBQ sauce cooking maybe another one half to an hour.