Crock Pot Cooking With Beef

When it comes to crock pot cooking, Beef is perhaps the easiest and most forgiving of all foods to prepare in a slow cooker. Being a simple matter of unwrapping the meat and placing it in the Crock Pot, it really doesn't get any easier than this. If you're stumped for some ideas for slow cooking meat, here are some suggestions that will tantalize your palate.

Roast Beef is considered the most versatile of meats for Crock Pot cooking as it can be seasoned in so many ways. When cooking roast beef in a slow cooker, it is essential to add some water to aid in the marinating process. Why not cube the beef, add some red wine to the mix and have a delicious and continental Boeuf Bourguignon? Though Boeuf Bourguignon sounds ultra-fancy, it's actually a simple, French dish that we call Beef Stew. The difference is the meat being braised in the red wine. Imagine the delight and surprise of your family or guests when presented with a member of the haute cuisine family? They'll think you slaved for hours and your secret can be that you didn't! Add some egg noodles at the end, or as a base to this dish, serving the meal on top, and it becomes not just heartier but more eye appealing, if that's possible.

Another suggestion for beef is meatballs. Once considered a difficult dish, requiring you to stand over a hot stovetop cooking several meatballs at once, with a slow cooker, this can become one of your favorite dishes, given the ease with which you can prepare them! With a couple pounds of hamburger, season it or not,
shaped into balls, you can create a number of tasty meals for your family and friends, including meatball subs with the simple addition of a jar of spaghetti sauce. Along these lines is an easy recipe for Swedish Meatballs. Mix together hamburger and sausage, some various seasonings, add some mushroom soup and you have a delicious appetizer or main course, served over rice or egg noodles. Make sure to let the kids mix the mixture with their hands. It might seem disgusting but it is great fun for the little ones and they can feel as though they are helping you make dinner,

Chili is probably the simplest of recipes to create in and for a Crock Pot. Everyone has a favorite chili recipe somewhere in the recesses of their mind or recipe box. The nice part is there is no need to pre-cook the meat, leaving you free to leave the house from the moment you combine the ingredients and set the slow cooker on either high or slow-and-low. Not only do you gain the time to do other things but also the meat will take on the wonderful flavors of the spices and sauce in which it is cooked. Chili aficionados will ask for your recipe each time they dine on your chili!

As stated previously, beef is the most forgiving of the mistakes cooks can sometimes make but it is also the most versatile, given its many forms, whether it has chopped, whole, tenderized or ground. There's not much you can't do with beef. So, go ahead, buy your beef with the confidence of knowing both simple and exotic recipes are just a day away with a Crock Pot in your kitchen!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Lisa_Paterson/3776

Quick and Easy Beef Stew Recipes for the Crockpot

With the cold weather facing us, I know you're thinking of what new, easy meals you can prepare for your family! And if you're like most of us, time is of the essence!

I come from Boston, and beef stew was always a cold weather mainstay in our home growing up. The problem, however, was that it never came out the same way twice! Even with a standard handed-down-for-generations recipe, my mother could never get it to come out right consistently.

Years later I had the same recipe, and encountered the same problem. I could never figure out what was going wrong, but loving beef stew the way I did, I was bound and determined to find solutions to being able to whip up a delectable stew that was perfect every time I made it.

The major issue was always the broth and its seasonings. I figured if I could replace the typical "water, flour and fat drippings" with something that was totally fail-safe, I'd be good to go! So that's exactly what I did!
Try these two recipes for yourself and I guarantee you won't be fussing and fuming with homemade broth again!

NOTE: When purchasing stew beef over the years I have noticed that different stores have a few different ways of packaging the meat. Some of the stores prefer selling the cubes in huge chunks that will need to be cut up when you get home, and other stores already have cut the cubes into the appropriate size for simply placing into the crock pot immediately without any further prep work needed.

Also be careful of how you treat the fat content. In order for any meat to really taste good, you need fat. Don't go crazy cutting off all the fat... let it be! Cut off any grizzle you see, but leave the fat.

Beef Stew with Mushrooms
· 2 - 3 pounds of stew beef. (Don't buy the lean beef... you do need a bit of fat just for the flavor)
· 1 family size can of condensed mushroom soup (I've even used store brands and they are quite acceptable)
· Add to slow cooker. Cook for four hours on low. If possible, stir it a few times.

I typically don't add anything else because my family loves this served over mashed potatoes with a side of either a salad or vegetables, but you can adjust any additional ingredients to suit your family's preferences.

Tomato Based Beef Stew
· 2 - 3 pounds of stew beef. (Don't buy the lean beef... you do need a bit of fat just for the flavor)
· 1 family size can of condensed tomato soup (Again, I've even used store brands and they are quite acceptable)
· 1 envelope of instant onion soup
· ½ cup water
· Add to slow cooker. Cook for four hours on low. If possible, stir it a few times.
· About ½ hour before it's done, add a few cans of vegetables. I add peas, carrots, string beans and a can of sliced potatoes. You can add whatever you like best.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Marie_Duffoo/218103