Crock Pot~ Pot Roast

I love pot roast, this version was fairly good but could have been cooked a little bit longer. I loved the combination of veggies from the pot and oven new potatoes!

Italian Pot-Roast

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours on LOW
2-3 pounds beef roast (some like chuck, I prefer even leaner roast so your choice)
freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion , finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots , peeled and sliced
1 cup red wine
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
 [1] Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or sauté pan with sides, over medium-heat. Add the meat and cook, turning for 10 minutes until browned on all sides.
[2] While meat is cooking add all veggies and wine into the slow cooker, once meat is finished add to slow cooker.
[3] Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours until the meat is tender. Garnish with parsley.

I make the potatoes on the plate all the time. Basically cut up potatoes put them on a cookie sheet, pour over some olive oil, liberally use salt and pepper over all potatoes then sprinkle about 1 tsp of garlic powder and chili powder over the potatoes. Using your hands toss the potatoes until they are all covered evenly with spices and oil and pop in the oven. About 350 for 25 minutes, and whatever you do don't touch them. Leave them be! Seriously, put them in the oven and walk away, once your timer goes off in 25 minutes pull them out of the oven and using a good spatula scrape them all off the pan. If you leave them alone they will develop a great crunchy golden brown crust on the one side that was on the pan and be butter smooth on the inside. Best potatoes EVER!

Crock Pot Taco Soup -great for lunch leftovers!

Made this on Sunday and we will be having it for at least two lunches throughout this week! Great flavor, once again there was something in this Relish recipe that I questioned but I still do it, I have learned it is what makes this dish at this point. The ingredient in question this time, ranch dressing mix, and like the lettuce wraps my daughter LOVED this meal. She ate her whole bowl! FANTASTIC FLAVOR!

 

Crock Pot Taco Soup

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 red onion , chopped

1 packet taco seasoning

1 1-ounce envelope ranch dressing mix

2 11-ounce cans corn, undrained

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, undrained

1 15-ounce can black beans, undrained

2 10-ounce cans Rotel tomatoes with chilies, undrained

 TOPPINGS

1/4 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack

1/4 cup sour cream

1 2.25-ounce can sliced black olives

4 green onions , chopped

[1] Cook the beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain.

[2] Combine the meat mixture and taco seasoning with the ranch dressing mix, corn, pinto beans, black beans, tomatoes in a slow cooker.
[3] Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve warm with the toppings.

 Linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table,  & Tasty Tuesdays.

Irish Dinner

I didn't have this exactly on St. Patty's day but we had it around the right time. I surprisingly have never cooked corned beef and cabbage, it was good, tender, I am thinking though that it would be good to figure out a way to get it to be less salty. I mean I know that they brine it and everything but the sodium intake alone will kill ya! Needless to say Molly LOVED IT! She really likes the meat, could care about the veggies in this dish but loved the meat. The veggies cooked with it in my slow cooker but the recipe I followed called for a bottle of Irish Amber beer. The beer I used was a little hoppy, so I am thinking that could be the aversion. Next year might go for Colcannon, it is one of my favorites! Maybe if we get the garden planted soon we could even do it with some of our home grown potatoes! You can also see a bit of my Irish soda bread there in the left hand corner, it was tasty. I probably could have cooked it a bit longer but overall it was a stick to your ribs kind of dinner. I was full super quick, as was Brian.