Slow-Cooker Meals for a Busy Day
Beef Stew
Beef and Beer Stew
Fix it and then forget about it! Start dinner in the morning, go to work, run errands, and return home to a hot meal. The recipes that make use of a slow cooker make life so much easier.
Ingredients
- 2 - 2 1/2 lb trimmed boneless chuck roast cut into 2-inch cubes
- 3 medium onions sliced
- 1 lb carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 lb baby potatoes cut in halve
- 6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 1/4 cups beef stock
- 1 bottle dark beer 12 oz
- 1 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, evenly sprinkled over the beef. Swirl 1 1/2 teaspoon's oil into the pan to coat.
- Cook for 6 minutes, turning once until the beef is well browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pan.
- Repeat with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and beef; remove beef and any juices from the pan.
- Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to coat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 4 minutes.
- Scrape the pan to loosen browned bits before adding beer. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup stock, the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Pour the mixture into a 6-quart electric slow cooker with care. Combine the beef, potatoes, carrots, thyme, and bay leaves in a large mixing bowl.
- Cook on LOW for 7 hours, covered.
- Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup stock and the flour. Stir the flour mixture into the stew and cook for 15 minutes, or until thickened.
- Mix in the mustard and vinegar. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Garnish with parsley.
Notes
Nutritional Information: 386 calories | Fat - 17.9g | Saturated fat - 5.9g | Protein - 25.1g | Fiber - 3.5g | Cholesterol - 86mg | Sodium - 509mg
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Short Ribs Barbecued
BBQ Short Ribs (Slow-cook)
Ingredients
- 2 racks short beef back ribs
- 1 sliced onion
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup BBQ sauce your favorite one
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Notes
Nutrition Information: Calories - 499kcal (25%) | Carbohydrates - 33g (11%) | Protein - 41g (82%) | Fat - 22g (34%) | Saturated Fat - 9g (45%) | Cholesterol - 122mg (41%) | Sodium - 4362mg (182%) | Fiber - 2g (8%)
Casserole With Wild Rice And Chicken
Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces of 3/4-inch
- 1 cup wild rice uncooked
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 can cream of chicken soup 10 3/4 oz
- 2 cans 4 oz. sliced mushrooms, drained
- 6 Fully Cooked Bacon Slicings crumbled about 1/4 cup
- 1 1/4 cup water
- salt and black pepper for taste optional
Instructions
- Set aside the seasoning envelope and pour the dry rice into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Place the chicken on top of the dry rice.
- Sprinkle mushroom slices on top of the chicken.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the soup, water, and seasoning envelope contents.
- Pour over the mixture in the crockpot.
- Garnish with bacon slices.
- Cook for 3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Notes
Nutritional Information: Calories - 263kcal | Carbohydrates - 26g | Protein - 24g | Fat - 6g | Saturated Fat - 1g | Cholesterol - 56mg | Sodium - 531mg | Potassium - 568mg | Fiber - 2g
Sandwiches With Shredded Beef
Shredded Beef Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 to 4 lbs boneless beef chuck shoulder pot roast
- 1 cup beef broth low sodium
- 1 thinly sliced small white or yellow onion
- 2 thinly sliced bell peppers
- 8 ounces chopped cremini brown button mushrooms
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 8 rolls of hoagie
Instructions
- Remove excess fat from the roast and cut it into 3 or 4 large chunks. Put everything in the slow cooker.
- Wrap the roast in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic pepper, and salt to taste.
- Cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or until the beef is easily shredded.
- Skim the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid and discard it (see note below for my tips).
- Shred the beef into the cooking liquid with two forks. Maintain your body temperature.
- Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat when ready to serve. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, or until the onion and bell peppers have softened slightly.
- Cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened, with the garlic. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked vegetables and shredded beef to the slow cooker.
- Load hoagie rolls with beef and vegetables and a slice of provolone cheese, then broil until the cheese melts and the bread is lightly toasted.
Notes
Because chuck roast is a fatty cut of beef, I like to cook it a day ahead of time to remove as much of the fat as possible from the cooking liquid. After the initial cooking time, I allow the beef to cool before shredding it and then refrigerate it overnight in the slow cooker insert. The fat will have accumulated on the surface of the liquid by the next morning and will be very easy to remove. Then I return the insert to the slow cooker, shred the beef, and continue with the recipe as written.
Nutritional Information: Calories - 1032kcal | Carbohydrates - 26g | Protein - 95g | Fat - 61g | Saturated Fat - 28g | Cholesterol - 320mg | Sodium - 1052mg | Potassium - 1755mg | Fiber - 2g