Slow cookers have been around since 1940, but it wasn’t until the design was sold to Rival Manufacturing Company in 1970 that the invention was mass marketed as a “Crock-Pot”. “Cooks all day while the cook’s away” appealed to time-stressed working mothers that still needed to put a home-cooked meal on the table for their families at the end of the day. Slow cookers (Crock-Pot is a brand name like Kleenex or Band-Aid, although crockpot has become the generic term for slow cookers) were used to roast inexpensive cuts of meat to tenderness slowly, over low heat, while using less energy. It was a popular, affordable tool in a period of intense inflation in energy and food prices. While sales of slow cookers died down a little in the 1980s (coinciding with the rise of the microwave) today, they are once again popular. 4.4 million slow cookers were sold in 2014. The basic pot, glass lid & heating element remain the same, but the recipes we use in them are no longer a tough cut of meat, a can of cream soup and a packet of onion soup mix. Today’s cooks are more geared towards healthy fare made with fewer processed ingredients. Count me in on that!
Slow cooker meals ease some of the stress of today’s hectic schedules when you have little time but still have to feed the crowd. The kinds of days where family members are in & out at different times and everyone needs to grab something good & filling & fast, before rushing off to the next thing, say Trick-or-Treating!
Shredded Beef
Shredded Beef Sandwiches (adapted from tasteofhome.com)
Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 8 hours Serves: 12
Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 pounds beef sirloin tip roast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons celery seed
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 12 kaiser rolls, split
Directions:
Sprinkle the roast with the salt and pepper. In a nonstick skillet, brown the roast in the oil on all sides over medium-high heat, then drain the meat.
Brown the roast on all sides.
Combine the ketchup, broth, onion, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, celery seed and chili powder in a small bowl and combine it well.
Mix up the BBQ sauce.
Transfer the roast to a 5-quart slow cooker and pour the sauce over the roast.
Pour the sauce over the roast in the slow cooker.
Cover the pot and cook it on low for 7-8 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. If a thicker sauce is desired, transfer the sauce to a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat until it reaches the desired consistency. Return the shredded beef to the sauce and spoon 1/2 cup of the meat mixture onto each roll. Serve with coleslaw or your favorite sides.
Another slow cooker winner!
My Rival Crock-Pot is still going strong after almost 30 years! ~Linda
Shredded Beef Sandwiches (adapted from tasteofhome.com)
Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 8 hours Serves: 12
Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 pounds beef sirloin tip roast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons celery seed
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 12 kaiser rolls, split
Directions:
Sprinkle the roast with the salt and pepper. In a nonstick skillet, brown the roast in the oil on all sides over medium-high heat, then drain the meat.
Transfer the roast to a 5-quart slow cooker. Combine the ketchup, broth, onion, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, celery seed and chili powder in a small bowl, combine it well, then pour it all over the roast.
Cover the pot and cook it on low for 7-8 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and, shred it with two forks. If a thicker sauce is desired, transfer the sauce to a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat until it reaches the desired consistency. Return the shredded beef to the sauce and spoon 1/2 cup of the meat mixture onto each roll. Serve with coleslaw or your favorite sides.