By Jessica Ivey, RDN
Between work and school, extra-curricular activities, and of course, football season, fall is a busy time for most of us Alabamians, but a full schedule doesn’t have to mean fewer home-cooked meals. A slow cooker is one of my favorite secrets for preparing hot, homemade meals ready when we are. Check out my tips for making the most of this versatile kitchen tool.
- Choose the right cut. Lean cuts of beef, like bottom round roast and shoulder pot roast, become tender when cooked low and slow in a small amount of liquid. Convenient beef stew meat is another good option that can be an economical choice.
- Get rid of excess fat. Before putting your roast into the slow cooker, be sure to trim away the excess fat. For recipes calling for ground beef, brown the beef in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker using a slotted spoon to drain away the fat. This will result in a lower-fat and more appealing final product.
- Include vegetables, beans, and/or whole grains. For a well-balanced complete meal, be sure to add a serving of vegetables to your slow cooker. Heartier vegetables, like potatoes and sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, bell peppers and kale, can be added at the beginning of the cooking time. Add more tender vegetables, like squash, zucchini, and fresh spinach, during the last 30 minutes of cooking to ensure a crisp-tender result. Fiber-rich whole grains and beans are an easy addition to round out a meal and provide additional nutrients.
- Prep ingredients in advance. Cutting meat and chopping vegetables in advance can help set you up for faster meals on especially busy days. Place prepared ingredients in large zip-top plastic bags or air-tight containers, and store in the refrigerator up to three days. If you have a slow cooker with a removable insert, you can even assemble the recipe in the insert and refrigerate the whole thing overnight; in the morning all you have to do is slip the insert into the base and turn it on.
- Reinvent leftovers. Instead of serving the same recipe twice, turn last night’s leftovers into a fun new dish. For example, make this After Work Beef Pot Roast Dinner early in the week, and later stuff the remaining meat and vegetables into a loaf of French bread cut in half lengthwise. Top with slices of provolone or mozzarella cheese and bake until the sandwiches are hot and the cheese is melted.
What’s your favorite beefy slow cooker meal? Let us know in the comments or post a picture of your Crocktober creation on Facebook or Instagram. Be sure to tag @alcattlemen.