Slow cooker round steak

This is an easy meal to make in the morning before work and come home to a meal ready to serve. It was tender and tasty in a rich tasting gravy with vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 2 pounds boneless round steak
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 3/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes, onion, and carrots in slow cooker. Cut steak into six pieces, then place the meat on top of vegetables. In a mixing bowl, combine the soup mix, soup, and water; pour over beef.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 7 to 10 hours.

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

While Tim was growing up, his mom made stuffed green peppers. He hated that meal. He said if I ever made that meal he would divorce me. I know he was just kidding around. For the past couple of months I have been hearing people rave about stuffed green pepper soup. Knowing Tim hates green peppers, I found a soup from Rachael Ray that used cabbage. I served it with some fresh bread that I made that afternoon. Great meal.

4 T olive oil, divided
1 C raw rice
1 quart plus 2 cups chicken stock, divided
1 1/2 pounds of meatloaf mix
1/2 t allspice
1 1/2 t coriander
2 t smoked paprika (i used just the regular paprika)
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 3/4 Savory cabbage, thinly sliced (savory cabbage is the wrinkly cabbage)
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 T dill, finely chopped

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the raw rice and toss to coat in oil. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and bring to simmer, cover and cook for 16-18 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Heat a deep pot over medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil, add meat and begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the meat with allspice, coriander, paprika, salt and pepper. Add bay leaf, onions, and garlic. Cook veggies 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften them, then add cabbage and wilt it down a bit. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and remaining stock and cover the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, add to the soup and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in parsley and dill, adjust salt and pepper to your taste and serve.

FYI: The original recipe does not say to drain grease after browning meat, I did.

Great Chili

This recipe is a knock off of Wendy's famous chili. I will usually go to Wild Oats or another health food store and buy dried beans (soup mix or chili mix). The night before making my chili I will take one cup of beans and mix in two cups of water into a bowl, cover and put overnight into the frig. The next morning drain any excess water out of the beans and use in this recipe along with the other beans. This makes a healthy recipe if you use the ground turkey instead of the ground beef. Tim likes a little pasta in his chili so I will cook up a small amount for him to mix in with his bowl. Sprinkle a little cheddar cheese on top and serve with a slice of focaccia bread dipped in olive oil.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
  
• 2 29-ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 29-ounce can of kidney beans
• 1 29-ounce can of pinto beans
• 1 diced green pepper
• 1 diced medium onion
• 1/2 cup diced mild green chiles
• 1 to 6 diced jalapeno peppers (if heat desired)
• 1 29-ounce can diced tomatoes or 3 chopped medium tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• if too thick had a little water
  

PREPARATION:

1. Brown the beef in skillet or microwave and drain off the fat.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a crockpot.
3. Cook on low for 3-10 hours.
4. Leftovers can be frozen and kept for months.

Roast Beef with pepperoncini

Roast beef cooked in a slow cooker with garlic and pepperoncini makes a delicious and simple sandwich served on a hoagie roll. Top the meat with provolone or mozzarella cheese zap in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the cheese. Don't forget to use the pepperoncini in the sandwiches. Great recipe if your entertaining.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini

DIRECTIONS

1. Make small cuts in roast, and insert garlic slices in cuts. Place roast in the slow cooker, and pour the entire contents of the jar of pepperoncini, including liquid, over meat.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Three bean potluck casserole

This a great dish for a crowd, can be doubled or tripled. Ingredients can be kept on hand and preparation is simple and fast! Also can be made in slow cooker.

1/2 pound bacon
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 (16 ounce) can baked beans
1 (15.25 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can butter beans

Directions
1 Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, break into medium pieces and set aside. In same skillet, brown beef and onion.
Drain fat.
2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3 Place bacon/beef mixture in a large bowl and stir in the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, mustard, baked beans, kidney beans (with liquid) and butter beans (with liquid). Mix well.
4 Spoon casserole mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, uncovered

Slow cooker French Dip

Easy Slow Cooker French Dip

4 pounds rump roast
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
6 French rolls
2 tablespoons butter

Trim excess fat from the rump roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, onion soup and beer. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Split French rolls, and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through. Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping.