French Dip Sandwiches (Slowcooker)

We seem not to eat enough sandwiches for dinner around this house as often as we should. One of my favorite (and super easy) sandwich recipes involves a crock pot, beef and using the juices for a dipping sauce when it's time to chow down.

4 pound Roast
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Rosemary
1 Bay Leaf
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
Beef Broth
1/2 cup Water
1 Beef Bullion Cube
Sandwich rolls
Mozzarella cheese


Place roast in slow cooker. Sprinkle with pepper, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and soy sauce. Add beef broth until the roast is just covered in liquid, then add water and bullion cube. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours (until meat is cooked through). Once cooked, shred the meat and serve on sandwich rolls with cheese. Use the left over drippings for dipping.

Crock Pot Balsamic Roast

This slow cooker recipe is full of flavor. I like to serve it with my Roasted Balsamic Green Beens and Tomatoes and some 'Fancy' Potato Rounds.

3-4 lb Pot Roast
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil (extra virgin)
1/4 cup White Wine
3/4 cup Water
1 Onion, sliced
15 oz can Tomato Sauce
3/4 to 1 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Season both sides of roast generously with paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and sear both sides of the meat (about 4 minutes on each side). Place meat in crock pot- return pan to heat and add the wine and water to deglaze the pan; pour over meat in crock pot. Add onion, tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 4-6 hours. I like to shred my meat once it is cooked to serve.

Crock Pot Beef Burgundy

Another extremely easy, throw-together-and-forget-about-it meal with lots of flavor! I put this recipe together, tried it out, and it is a definite keeper!

1 1/2-2 lb Beef Tips or Stew Meat

Salt, Pepper

Garlic Powder

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

1/3 cup Red Cooking Wine

1 envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix

8 oz fresh sliced Mushrooms (optional)

1 package Egg Noodles (for serving) 

Place meat into Crock Pot. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add soup, wine, dry soup mix, and mushrooms. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours. Serve over egg noodles and ENJOY!

Crock Pot Enchilada Casserole

This was a hit with the family. I am going to create a very similar recipe of this using chicken as well.

1 1/2 lb Ground Beef
Salt, Pepper
Garlic powder
1 Onion (or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried onion flakes)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
1 can red Enchilada sauce
1 small can chopped Green Chilies
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella cheese
5 large flour Tortillas, torn in small pieces

Brown meat and onions in a skillet. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Pour into crock pot; add soups, enchilada sauce and green chilies. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours. 1 hour before done, add shredded cheese and torn tortillas.

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans Soup)

One of my favorite soups! My favorite way to eat this soup is next to a nice italian salad.

2 lbs Ground Beef
1 Onion (or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried chopped onion flakes)
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon Garlic powder
5 Carrots, chopped
4 stalks Celery, chopped
2 (28 oz) cans diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 oz) cans Red Kidney Beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can White Kidney Beans, drained
1 box (32 oz) Beef Stock
1 tablespoon Oregano
2 teaspoons Pepper
2 tablespoons Parsley
1 tablespoon Thyme
2 Bay leaves
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (at least- I add more to taste after cooking is complete)
1 (20 oz) jar Traditional spaghetti sauce
8 oz pasta (Ditalini is best)
Water

Brown beef in large stock pot with onion. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add all ingredients except pasta and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours. As soup reduces you will need to add a few cups of water to add to broth. During the last 30 minutes add pasta, turn heat to a slow boil and cook until tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

This is one of my favorite crock pot recipes. My husband will even throw this together and is so proud of his work. Definitely a recipe that is kept in rotation in this house. Make sure to cut the veggies nice and thick so they stay nice and hearty through cooking.

4 lb. Roast
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
1 onion, sliced thick
5 cloves of Garlic, chopped in large chunks
5 stalks of Celery, cut in slices
1 bag Baby Carrots, cut in halves
1 bag small Golden Potatoes, cut in halves
1 box Chicken Stock

Season roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder; place in crock pot. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes and chicken stock. Sprinkle more salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.


(My husband likes to make cuts in his roast and slip pieces of garlic into the meat. It is good that way as well!)

Savory Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

My favorite way to eat this meal is over a big bowl of egg noodles. Yum!!

3 lbs Beef Stew Meat

3 cups Beef Broth

1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 Onion,cut into wedges

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (28oz) can Crushed Tomatoes, undrained

large bag Wide Egg Noodles

1/4 cup cold Water

2 Tablespoons Corn Starch

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. Add beef, broth, squash, onion, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.

Cook noodles as directed for serving.

After the stew has cooked for 8-10 hours on Low, in a cup or bowl add water and cornstarch; stir to mix very well. Add mixture to the slow cooker and cook on High for 15-30 minutes to thicken. Serve over the hot noodles.

Classic Southern Style Beef Stew

When it is chilly outside I love this dish. We always ate our stew over rice but this is so good I love a big old warm bowl all by itself as well. I like my food well seasoned and flavorful, so be ready!

Olive oil
1/2 cup Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Pepper
1-2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 lbs Beef Stew Meat
1 Onion, chopped
4 cloves of Garlic, minced
2 cartons Beef stock (32 oz each)
4 1/2 cups Water
2 Tablespoons Beef Granules
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
1 teaspoon dried Basil
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Celery seed
3-4 Bay Leaves
1 lb Baby Carrots, cut into chunks
6 Red Potatoes (with skin), cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup Milk
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch

In a bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and 1-2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning; stir to blend well. Pat meat dry and coat in flour mixture.

Heat olive oil in large skillet and sear meat in batches, placing them in a large pot as they are done. In same skillet you seared the meat, keep all of the drippings and add onion. Add more oil if needed. Cook until the onion starts to gain a golden color and stir in the garlic. Heat for about a minute and then add a small amount of beef stock to gather up the bits on the bottom of your skillet. Pour this into the pot with the waiting meat. Add remaining beef stock, water and beef granules; bring to boil. Add thyme, basil, Cajun seasoning, paprika, celery seed and bay leaves. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours.

Add carrots and potatoes, bring back to a boil and cook for about 15-20 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together milk and corn starch until well blended; then add to the stew and stir. Cook another few minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are tender.