BBQ Beef

Recipe:
3 pounds brisket
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder or cumin
1/2- 1 bottle BBQ sauce

Cut all visible fat off beef. Place in crock pot. Mix water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder. Pour mixture over beef. Cover. Cook 5-6 hours on high or 10-12 on low in crock pot. Take beef out. Shred. Put back in crock pot with BBQ sauce until warm.

Recipe from Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens.

Changes:
Used bottom round beef instead of brisket. We use chili powder. Put 1/2 bottle in with beef and then use more to top beef on buns.

Review:
Great anytime recipe. This recipe is very mild in flavor and can be turned into any kind of shredded beef flavor, if you don't want BBQ.

Next Time:
Make in the smaller crock pot.

Brisket in Ale

Recipe:
1 3-4 lb. beef brisket
2 medium onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1 bay leaf1 12 oz. can of beer
1/4 c. chili sauce1 T. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water

Trim fat from brisket and cut to fit into slow cooker if necessary. Place onions, bay leaf, and brisket into slow cooker.In a medium bowl, combine beer, chili sauce, sugar, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic. Poor over brisket. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours (or high for 5-6).

When brisket is cooked, transfer brisket and onions to a platter and keep warm. Discard bay leaf.To make gravy, skim the fat off the cooking liquid.Measure 2 1/2 c. of the liquid and discard any remaining juices. In a saucepan, stir together the cornstarch and water, and stir in the cooking juices. Cook and stir until thick and bubbling. Serve over brisket.

Recipe from Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens.

Changes:
Instead of chili sauce I used 1/4 cup tomato sauce and 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cooked on high 6 hours.

Review:
Rating 9. So good, very moist. Sweet and good flavor. Served with baked potatoes and made into tacos for left overs- both were delicious.

Next Time:
See if cooking on low 10 hours makes any difference.

Shepherd's Pie

Recipe:
1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups veggies, chopped (carrots, peas, green beans, corn etc)
1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 large ones)
8 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper, other seasonings to taste

Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes)

While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan. Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add Worcestershire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.

Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.

Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Recipe from http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000216easy_shepherds_pie.php

Changes:
Used carrots and corn for veggies. Used 2 t Worcestershire sauce.

Review:
Rating 9. Very tasty- everyone in the family liked it. Good hearty meal. New family favorite.

Next Time:
Get potatoes nice and browned on top- may need to make potatoes slightly milkier to spread on veggies easier.
*better with potatoes not browned, great with green beans included, use at least a T of Worcestershire sauce.

Favorite Beef Pot Roast

Recipe:
2 to 2 1/2 lbs boneless beef check pot roast
1 tablespoon cooking oil
3 medium potatoes, quartered
8 carrots, chopped into 1 in chunks
3 small onions, cut into wedges
2 teaspoons instant beef bullion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon basil or oregano

Trim all visible fat from meat. In large skillet brown all sides of meat in hot oil. Put potatoes, carrots and onion in crock pot. Place browned meat on top. Mix beef bullion, Worcestershire sauce, basil and water. Pour over meat. Cook on low 10-12 hours or on high 5-6 hours.

Recipe from Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens.

Changes:
Used 3 1/2 lbs beef. Used5 med potatoes and left skins on. Used baby carrots- left whole. Used 1 large onion. Used basil. Cut meat up when done cooking and served it stew style.

Review:
Rating 8 1/2 . Great hearty meal. No waste- delicious left overs!

Next Time:
Make again soon.

Beer Brisket

Recipe:
2 1/2 lbs. lean beef brisket
12 oz light beer
1/2 cup ketchup
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp tarragon
1/4 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Trim any visible fat from meat. Place meat in heavy dutch oven. Mix all remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over meat. Cover pan. Cook 3-5 hours or until meat is very tender. Turn meat occasionally and add water if it gets too dry. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Can also be cooked in a crock pot for longer period of time.

Recipe from Mom's Updated Recipe Box by Donna Weihofen

Changes:
Used top round, sliced thick, instead of brisket. Doubled the recipe. Cooked in a crock pot on high for 7 hours- meat was still slightly frozen before cooking.

Review:
Rating 8 1/2. It was really a good flavor for the beef. The beer taste came through, but not too strong. Very tender. Great with mashed potatoes. Leftovers are great! Meat also makes great tacos.

Next Time:
Good recipe. "Meat is good."-Chad

Meat Loaf

Recipe:
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup milk
2/3 cup cracker crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon sage or poultry seasoning

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 5 x 9 loaf pan. In a large bowl combine beef and milk. Add all remaining ingredients. Mix well. Put int loaf pan. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until brown on top and done in middle (165 degrees). Let stand 10- 15 min before serving.

Recipe from Mom's Updated Recipe Box by Donna Weihofen

Changes:
Cooked for 1 1/4 hours. Topped with sauce made of roughly 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tsp mustard and 1 1/2 tbs brown sugar.

Review:
Rating 7. Made this many times- not too wet. not too dry. Really quick to make and tasty to eat.

Next Time:
Same.

Poor Man's Stoganoff

Recipe:
1 1/4 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 small onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 lb. mushrooms sliced
2 TBSP flour
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1 can (10 1/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream

Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add onion and cook until tender. Add garlic and mushrooms, cook until mushrooms are tender. Drain any fat. In a shaker mix flour and chicken broth. Pour into skillet. Add soup, bring to a boil stir constantly until mixture thickens. Add extra water if gravy is too thick. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Heat through. Serve over noodles or potatoes. Serves 6.

Recipe from Mom's Updated Recipe Box by Donna Weihofen

Changes:
We omitted the mushrooms, used chicken broth instead of water and only used 3/4 cup sour cream. We ate over baked potatoes.

Review:
Rating 6. I liked it, have never tasted anything like it. It was good over the potatoes. Chad had a hard time getting use to the sour cream flavor because he is use to his Dad's hamburger gravy which is similar but without sour cream. Would make again, but not thrilled about eating leftovers.

Next Time:
Maybe not so much sour cream.