Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup (slow cooker recipe)

I use a 7 qt slow cooker (crock pot) and place all of the following in at once. This will FILL the crock to the BRIM! You may want to use a size larger or add a little of the cooking liquid later in cooking to allow for room if you don't like working with a VERY FULL crock pot.

2 1/2 lbs stew meat, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
28 oz can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cup frozen green beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
3 1/2 cups water
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp beef bouillon granules

Cook on low in slow cooker for 8 to 9 hours. This long, slow method of cooking enables the broth of the soup to really develop all of the flavors. It also allows the meat to cook through and begin to "fall apart" into the soup, it basically shreds itself as you stir at the end; allowing for a bit of beef in every bite!

This is another great make ahead soup that will keep well in the refrigerator all week for lunches, quick dinners, etc. Enjoy!

Grand Prize Pot Roast

This roast recipe makes its own gravy and comes out fall apart tender every time!

2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 package dry onion soup mix
3 cups water
1 beef bouillon cube
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
5 - 6 lb pot roast
potatoes
Carrots, peeled
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
salt
pepper
corn starch


In large crock pot add the cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix, water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and bouillon cube. Turn crock pot on low and whisk this mixture together until well blended.
Season all sides of the roast with the salt and pepper (trim any fat that needs removed first), and place in the crock pot with soup mixture.
Let cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or low (preferred) for 7 to 8 hours.
Then, add onion, potatoes, and carrots to crock pot and let cook one more hour or until veggies are tender and roast is cooked to desired doneness.
If the soup mixture has not cooked down to the desired thickness for gravy, mix a couple of Tbsp of cornstarch with cool water and then add a small amount of the warm gravy liquid to it and mix thoroughly. Once this cornstarch mixture is well blended, remove roast and veggies from crock pot and mix the cornstarch into the remaining soup mixture. Whisk while crock pot is on high for a couple of minutes. This should thicken the gravy and you are ready to serve!

Note: I have made hundreds of roasts and this is BY FAR my all time FAVE Roast recipe! I love that it makes its own gravy, everything is one pot, and I can put it in and walk away for most of the day.

Use your favorite cut of roast meat, I have noticed that with this recipe and cooking it on the low setting for 8 to 9 hours, I can use cheaper cuts of meat and they still come out very tender.