Friday, January 20, 2012

Crockpot Beef Pot Roast

The Crockpot is one useful kitchen appliance. I have had one every since they came out in the 1970’s. I just bought a new one on sale for $15, can you believe that price for a 5 quart one. They make them now with digital displays & fancy timers. I don’t need all that when the recipes say cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. I don’t even need an on light, when the side is hot it’s on! So just a knob switch, with off, warm, low, & high is enough for me.

This is great for working people, and even us lazy old retirees. It only takes about a half hour to throw together most meals. For working people you can get it all ready the night before, store on the fridge, & plug it in before you go to work. When you get home you have a hot meal ready to serve. Another nice feature is you don’t have many pots, pans, or dishes to wash. I use mine mostly in the winter and now when I don’t feel like going out in the cold to cook on my Traeger.

They are great for soups, stews, pot roasts, & chili. My favorite has to be a beef pot roast, and you can do it a lot of ways. A roast, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage and you have a New England boiled dinner, add a bottle of stout beer instead of water & you have an Irish boiled dinner. Oh you gotta have onions in there too. Add some soup & water and you have a stew.

For this dinner I used a 3 lb. chuck roast, that’s my favorite beef roast to use. I sliced an onion in ½ inch thick slices & added to the bottom of the pot, I had coated with some olive oil spray. The roast seasoned with salt & pepper on top of the onions. Added 5 or 6 small red potatoes; trimmed & cut in chunks. Added a couple handfuls of small prewashed carrots, I always wash them too! Added three celery stalks cut in chunks, then a little salt & pepper over all of that. I then added a can of Campbell’s beefy mushroom soup I had mixed a can of water with. I place the lid on & turned on low. Now wasn’t that easy!

About an hour before we were ready to eat I took the roast out trimmed off any fat, sliced & back in the pot. This cooked on low for 8 hours before serving. I did some garlic Ciabata bread to serve with it. Beef was tender and a great warming meal on a cold winter evening.

My Roast


My new Crockpot


Close up of the goodies


My Plate


Smokin Don

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