Beef Barley Soup--Slow Cooker

 Original recipe found here

•   2 pounds stew meat (nicely marbled beef chunks) 
•   salt and pepper 
•   2 tablespoons oil 
•   8 cups water 
•   2 cups beef broth  
•   2 cups celery, chopped 
•   2 onions, chopped 
•   5 cloves garlic, minced 
•   1 large potato, peeled and shredded, about 2 cups 
•   3-4 large carrots, peeled and shredded, about 2 cups 
•   1 cup pearl barley, rinsed

1. Generously salt and pepper the beef. In frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. When it is very hot, add about 1/3 of the meat. Brown for about 1-2 minutes, then turn to brown the other side. Remove the browned meat to a large slow cooker.
3. Repeat with remaining meat in 2 more batches (if you add it all at once it will steam the meat instead of browning it--not what you want).
4. Add 2 cups of beef broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir up all the browned bits. Add this and the remaining 8 cups of water to the crock pot.
5. Add celery, onions, and garlic to the slow cooker and stir.
6. Cook on low for about 6 hours, or 3 hours on high. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for another hour.
7. 
   
   Add the barley and simmer for another hour or so.

Cowboy Casserole

 Original Recipe here

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef , (85/15)
• 1 cup corn
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 12 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 32 oz tater tots

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until browned.

3. Add the corn, cream of chicken soup, 1 cup cheese, milk, sour cream, onion powder, and bacon to the skillet and mix well.

4. In a 9x13 pan layer the beef mixture, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese on top of the meat mixture, then finally pour tater tots over top. Bake for 40-45 minutes, uncovered.

5. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake another 5 minutes.

Pot Roast--Slow Cooker

 Original recipe here

3-5 lb chuck roast

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

4 cups beef broth

2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

Gravy Slurry (add this at the end once the meat is out of the slow cooker):

2 TBSP cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

1) Place all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (depending on roast size)

2) Remove meat and let it rest while you make gravy slurry (leave slow cooker heat on). Make gravy slurry, and whisk into juices in the slow cooker. Whisk until it thickens. 

3) Shred meat, and serve with mashed potatoes and gravyyyyyyyyy.

Mississippi Roast

Original recipe found here

• 3-6 lbs Chuck Roast, cut into 1 pound chunks of even thickness
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 9 pepperoncinis, whole or chopped
• 2 TBSP pepperoncini juice from the jar
• 3/4 cup Low Sodium Beef Broth
• 1 (1 oz) packet Dry Ranch Dressing Mix
• 1 (1 oz) packet Au Jus
• 1/2 stick of butter

For Gravy

• 3 Tbsp Flour
• 3 Tbsp Softened Butter, unsalted

Brown the meat (this stage is optional):

1. Turn pot on Sauté mode (normal). When the display reads "Hot" add the oil.
2. When oil heats up, place meat in one layer into the pot and don't move it for 5 full minutes (Don't brown for less than that).
3. Turn meat over and cook for another 5 full minutes.
4. Remove the meat to foil or a dish you can cover. Wrap it to keep it warm.
5. Deglaze the pot: Add onion to pot and stir, add a bit of the beef broth or a small amount of water if there is not enough moisture to loosen the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pot until the bottom is free of the stuck on brown bits.
6. Add the pepperoncinis and their juice, beef broth, au jus and ranch packets, and butter. Stir to combine.
7. Turn off the sauté mode.
8. Add the meat back into the pot.
9. Close the pressure cooker lid, and set for 60 minutes on HIGH pressure.
10. When timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes (this just means you just let it sit in the pressure cooker without doing a single thing to it yet). After the 15 minutes, release the rest of the pressure manually. 

11. Open the lid and remove the roast onto a plate and cover.

12. Turn the Sauté function back on.

13. Mix the flour and butter together until well combined.

14. When the liquid is starting to simmer, add the mixture to the pot, stirring well until thickened. Then turn off the pot.

Serve with gravy on the side OR put the roast back into the gravy and shred it. 

Dressed Up Sloppy Joes--Our Best Bites

1 lb. lean ground beef

salt to taste

1 medium onion, minced

1/2 green pepper, minced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

3/4 c. ketchup

1 tsp. mustard

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar

3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Stovetop Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Add in mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns.

Crockpot Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to slow cooker. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve on hamburger buns.

Freezer Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Freeze. When ready to cook, transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low to 3-5 hours. Serve on hamburger buns.