I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but I haven’t been cooking a lot recently….to be honest, I’ve been doing a lot of easy slow-cooker meals lately, most that I wouldn’t even bother posting. This one is an exception though….this came out really well and is very tasty! Also, it’s great for a cold winter night. This recipe makes plenty, which is a good thing, because as with most soups and stews the leftovers get tastier and tastier.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast Stew (serves 4)
- 2 1/2 pounds chuck eye boneless round roast
- 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 cup beef broth (about half a can of broth)
- 3 small white potatoes diced
- 1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 large carrots)
- 1 large onion
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
Put broth on bottom of slow cooker. Add potatoes, season with salt and pepper, then add carrots and onions. Cut up roast into 1 inch cubes and place on top of vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and add cream of mushroom soup on top. Add bay leaf and cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Remove bay leaf and serve.
Now you will notice that there isn’t any garlic in the stew, and that’s very odd for me to not cook with garlic….that’s because if you put fresh garlic in a slow cooker, it turns bitter. Ya see, garlic has a very interesting property…it has to be either cooked only slightly, or for a very long time (like roasted) in order to taste good. Anything in between results in garlic tasting bitter. When fresh garlic is added to slow cooker recipes, it cooks waaay longer than the “short” cooking limit and it doesn’t roast because slow cookers don’t get hot enough….the result: bitter garlic! You could use garlic powder, this works fine in slow cookers, but I found another way to sneak garlic into this meal. I served this stew with garlic crostinis. To make these, take a day old french baguette, cut into 1 inch diagonal slices. Arrange on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake in a 500°F oven until crispy, about 10 minutes. Take a garlic clove and rub over bread when it comes fresh out of the oven. Ta da!
