Beef Stew

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!

Lisa is an avid home cook who loves to share her favorite recipes with the rest of us. Find all her crock pot recipes at http://www.A-Crock-Cook.com and be sure to try one of her beef crock pot recipes.

Visit : lodge logic pre seasoned 9 quart dutch oven all clad copper core 10 fry pan