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Does anyone else wander around their kitchen opening cabinets and the refrigerator repeatedly hoping that something would jump out and say, “Fix me for dinner, everyone will love it?” It seems like lately that is all I have done, constantly seeking something easy, new, different but nothing has inspired me. I love to cook and I cook a lot. I usually cook all during the week, every Sunday, and sometimes Saturday too. So you can imagine my frustration about eating the same things over and over. Well today I woke up feeling tired so I’m not looking for new and exciting, I’m looking for EASY. 🙂 I know you were hoping for some inspiring recipe but it isn’t happening today. 😯
After zero inspiration in the new and exciting department I fell back on a trusted, easy to make slow cooker recipe. There is no name for this because I haven’t really thought about naming what I cook … maybe I should start doing that. Anyway, I found a package of Round Steak (you can substitute any inexpensive cut of beef) in the freezer, popped it into my microwave for a couple of minutes to begin defrosting it. Then I went to the pantry and dug out a vast assortment of seasonings, a can of Ro-Tel Tomatoes (my family likes spicy) and some beef broth. I decided to take a picture of the seasonings to make it a little easier. There was one seasoning that I failed to photograph and that was Bay Leaf.
Seasonings for Easy Beef Slow Cooker Meal
I also added the onion and a couple of potatoes into the pic. If your family doesn’t like spicy then instead of the Ro-Tel Tomatoes I would use a can of Seasoned Diced Tomatoes. After gathering all the spices I removed the fat from the round steak, because my family of all girls freak out when there is any sign of fat in their dinner.:o If the fat doesn’t bother your family I say leave it on it adds more flavor. Next I just place the round steak into the slow cooker
and season with everything above except the Italian seasoning.
Beef Round Steak Heavily Seasoned for Slow Cooker Meal
Then I pour in some beef broth, I would estimate around 3/4 of a cup (remember I NEVER measure), throw in some chopped onion (I used about 1/3 of the onion in the photo), add the Ro-Tel Tomatoes, some Italian Seasoning, and a Bay Leaf. Turn the slow cooker
on high and let it cook for at least 4 to 5 hours. Your slow cooker
may cook faster or slower so this will be left up to your judgement. I don’t add my potatoes at the beginning because I like mine a little firmer. Generally I wait a couple of hours then peel the potatoes, cut up into cubes, and add them to the slow cooker. However, you can add yours at the beginning if that is easier for you. I usually stir everything after adding the potatoes and look to see if I might need to add a little more beef broth.
Now I know there are people reading this who are saying, “How in the heck am I supposed to make this, there are no measurements.” For me I learned to cook by watching my Mom, my Grandma, and by just doing it. I feel like it is more of an art and not a science so every time I cook there are slight variations and that’s okay. Art should be different every time someone creates something, if it wasn’t it wouldn’t be considered art. 🙂 This is just my opinion and I’m not saying its right or wrong, but cooking should be an outward expression of your love for those eating it. Cooking should be a place where you can experiment with ideas to see what works for you and yes there will be “fails” but it’s just food! Rarely is something so disgusting that no one can eat it. I encourage you to loosen up and go with it, you might be pleasantly surprised. After everything has cooked for several hours and the seasonings have infused together you can make a pot of rice, a green vegetable as a side, and dinner is served. Below I have summarized the recipe for you to make it easier to gather your ingredients.
Instructions for Easy Beef Slow Cooker Meal:
- Beef Round Steak (or other inexpensive meat) about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds
- 1 Can of Ro-Tel Tomatoes (or substitute diced tomatoes)
- Beef Broth about 3/4 to 1 cup
- Onion (use as much as your family likes) Chopped
- Potatoes about 1 to 2 (base it on your family’s preference) Peeled and cubed
- Seasonings (Garlic Powder, Mrs. Dash, Creole Seasoning, Steak and Chop Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, Bay Leaf or whatever you like to add)
Add beef to slow cooker
and season heavily. Next add tomatoes, beef broth, onion, bay leaf, and Italian Seasoning. Potatoes can be added now or a couple of hours later. Cook for about 4-5 hours on high depending upon your slow cooker
. Serve over rice or pasta. Enjoy!
Till Next Time,
Romona
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