#SlowCookerMeals – Ancho Mama’s Pot Roast Recipe & Tacos!

Taught a class on economical cuts of beef last night – ground beef immediately comes to mind when the word “budget” is tossed around. However, top sirloin and chuck roast are both versatile cuts that can stretch your family’s food allowance and still give you that “mmmmmm” satisfaction that comes along a nice, hearty and yet healthy beef dinner.

win me slow cookerI’ve been in slow-cooker mode for the past few weeks and want to remind you about my giveaway for a programmable slow cooker from Hamilton Beach – this modern convenience will transform your life. I broke in this bad boy with Honey Balsamic Chicken (with 3 recipes) earlier this week.  Typically when I pull the slow cooker out of the cabinet, I think of time-honored comfort foods like a fork-tender, juicy pot roast.

 

jennifer fisher thefitfork beef chuckA chuck roast is THE cut of choice when it comes to fall-apart, fork-tender deliciousness.  This budget-friendly hunk of meat may look intimidating, but there is no way you can mess it up with any type of liquid-based, low-and-slow cooking method like braising or the slow cooker. Chuck roast in the slow cooker will rock your world, just add some chopped up veggies, a little broth, the spices you like and then WALK AWAY. IT’S JUST THAT EASY. I now reclaimed the time I need to manage my crazy life and workout routine —  and even indulge in frivolous hobbies  like gardening, reading and catching up with friends.

If you love southwestern foods, you’ll be all over this slow cooker recipe for Ancho Mama’s Pot Roast.  Ancho is just a dried poblano pepper –  this flavor profile adds a mild heat and smoky flavor to recipes. For convenience, I buy ground ancho chili powder at the market – you can usually find the McCormick brand on the spice aisle.

ancho chili slow cooker pot roast

Ancho Mama’s Pot Roast Recipe for Slow Cooker (aka Crock Pot)

  • 1 2 ½ to 3 lb boneless beef chuck pot roast
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 16-ounce container salsa (I used fresh salsa from produce dept.)
  1. Trim fat from meat and cut down, if needed, to fit into 4 qt. slow cooker.
  2. Add onion and corn to slow cooker and top with meat.
  3. Sprinkle garlic, chili powder, pepper, and salt over meat. Pour salsa over spices.
  4. Cover and cook on low heat in slow cooker for 8 – 10 hours or on high heat for 4 – 5 hours.
  5. Transfer roast to rimmed baking sheet and shred. Top with strained corn, onion and salsa mixture.
  6. Serves 8

So how can you serve this delicious dinner – well, one night we usually have it over rice and the next night is TACO NIGHT!  You can’t beat the leftovers on this recipe for tacos, quesadillas or mixed into a breakfast hash.

shredded ancho chili chuck roast tacos

Also, check out these 23 slow cooker meals from Cooking Light — I love this collection of recipes that represent a healthy, balanced eating plan. Easy to make comfort food CAN be good for you!

slow cooker ideas from cooking light

What would you do with the time saved by preparing dinner in a slow cooker? Please share in the comments.

 

 

 

 

Pomegranate-Balsamic Pot Roast with Baby Bella Mushrooms Recipe {+ Next Day Meal}

Last week I attended a cooking class called “Indulge the Heart,” and indulge I did – but in a healthy way.  The Heart Hospital of Texas in conjunction with the Texas Beef Council showed us all how to make a delicious date-night meal from a healthy lean cut of beef.  Chef Richard Chamberlain of Chamberlain’s Steak & Chop House in Dallas, Texas and cardiologist Dr. Paul Coffeen enlightened the group on the health benefits of beef and shared healthy tips for cooking it up.  I’ve never been shy about my love of lean beef and the role it plays in my training and recovery diet, it’s also no surprise that I get around in beef-circles and I already knew these two beef experts – I’d say they were preaching to the choir!

heart health beef chamberlain coffeen fisher

Our menu included an Italian Post Roast with Sweet Peppers, Olives & Capers from the Healthy Beef Cookbook – it was superb!   Not at all like the stringy meat and mushy carrot pot roasts that I remember from my childhood (not that MY mom ever cooked one like that). It’s hard to believe I’ve never actually cooked a pot roast myself, but the chef and doctor sure sold me on the idea and inspired me to come up with my own recipe. Plus, when I saw that Angus Chuck Roast was on special for $2.97 a pound at Sam’s Club, I couldn’t resist. For us fitness types, it’s reassuring to know that pot roast today is a much leaner hunk of meat than it was back in the day. A three-ounce serving has just 5.7 grams total fat (1.8 grams saturated fat) and falls in the middle of the 29 lean cuts of beef.

jennifer fisher thefitfork beef chuck

So, are you hanging on the edge of your seat wondering what I did with the beef and how I ending up with leftovers that were transformed into an equally delicious meal?  Here’s the skinny – I came up with the recipe Pomegranate-Balsamic Pot Roast with Baby Bella Mushrooms following the master idea from Chef Chamberlain. However, since I can never stick to a recipe and didn’t have any red wine (which his recipe called for), I took my meal in a whole ‘nutha direction. When I was plating the meal, I realized that I should have made a “sopping substance” for the sauce — brown rice, noodles, polenta, riced cauliflower or something!

jennifer fisher thefitfork.com pomegranate balsamic pot roast mushrooms

In any event, the recipe made quite a lot of sauce by design – the meat needs to be completely covered up with liquid to braise properly. While we polished off the beef that night, I still had a stockpot more than half full of sweet-savory, umami-packed sauce. I couldn’t bear the thought of throwing it away so I stuck it in the fridge!  So what happened the next day was genius, if I do say so myself. I added a can of petite-dice tomatoes, a can full of water, a pound of cooked ground beef and a handful of bow-tie noodles to the pot, heated it up until the pasta was cooked – and, viola, a rich (but not fattening), ultra flavorful soup!  No chintzy leftovers here; this salvaged meal made a large amount of hearty soup that fed the entire family with refills!  So what would you name this soup? I need a name, let me know in the comments below!!

jennifer fisher thefitfork.com pot roast soup

This is the surprise soup I made the second day with leftovers!

Pomegranate-Balsamic Pot Roast with Baby Bella Mushrooms Recipe

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 boneless beef chuck shoulder pot roast (approx. 2 lbs)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 8-ounce carton of baby bella mushrooms, sliced (use your favorite variety)
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 ½ cups pomegranate juice (make sure actual juice – not “cocktail”)
  • 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes, with juice
  • 2 cups beef broth (from can, paste or fresh)
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
  • ¼ cup water

In large stock pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat until hot. Place beef in pot and brown evenly on both sides. Remove from pot and season with salt and pepper.

In same pot, add onion and mushrooms and sauté for approximately 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté for 1 additional minute.

Add pomegranate juice to deglaze the pan, stirring until simmering and crusty beef bits have come off the bottom of pot and become incorporated in the sauce.

Add tomatoes, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and crushed red pepper; stir to incorporate.

Return roast to the pot and bring everything to a boil; reduce heat and cover pot with tight-fitting lid. Continue to simmer for approximately 2 hours or until fork tender.

Add sliced carrots and continue to simmer. Stir arrowroot powder into 1/4 cup water to create a slurry. Pour slurry into pot and stir for a couple minutes until sauce is thickened; take care not to overheat.

Remove bay leaves and serve over rice, noodles, polenta or riced cauliflower.

Serves 6 to 8.