Navajo Tacos with Quick Fry Bread

Have you ever had a Navajo taco?? They are truly delicious! I have another recipe for Navajo tacos on this blog, but it uses yeast risen bread dough and this recipe is the quick bread version which uses baking powder. Both are extremely tasty. Fried bread and taco fillings. How can you go wrong really? I probably only make this about once a year, because it involves deep frying and I just don't do that all the time, but whenever I do make these my kids are so happy. And any leftover fry bread can be slathered with butter and honey, which is also amazingly delicious!

Navajo Tacos with Quick Fry Bread

Fry Bread:
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups milk
vegetable or peanut oil for deep frying

Toppings:
1-2 lbs seasoned taco meat
large can refried beans
1 small can El Pato tomato sauce
shredded cheese
guacamole
shredded lettuce
chopped tomato
chopped green onion or red onion
sour cream

Directions for Fry Bread:
In a stand mixer  (or by hand) combine flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. Knead until dough comes together. You may need to add a little more flour so the dough isn't too sticky. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth add flour as needed. Cover with a towel and let rest for 5 minutes.

Pour enough oil into a heavy deep skillet so that the oil is 1 1/2 inches deep. Heat the oil to 375 degrees.

Divide the dough into 12- 20 pieces depending on how big you want your fry bread (I ended up making about 18). Roll out dough with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thickness ovals.

Fry the bread, about 2-3 at a time, until golden, then flip until the other side is golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Top fry bread with refried beans (how to prepare them below), then taco meat and any other toppings. Eat right away. We like to have the leftover fry bread for dessert with butter and honey - yum!

Directions for Refried Beans:
In a saucepan combine refried beans from the can with about 1/2 a can of the El Pato. Stir and heat until it loosens. You might add a little more El Pato until you get the desired consistency. Add a handful of shredded cheese (maybe 1/2 - 1 cup) and heat through until the cheese melts. Serve this spread on the fry bread before topping with other toppings.

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Beef Brisket

This is a great way to cook brisket! It turns out so tender and flavorful! This recipe is from Your Home Based Mom and it is just awesome. I think it will go into regular rotation for our Sunday dinners. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans and it was great!

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Brisket

3-4 lb beef brisket
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Place brisket in crockpot. Mix together remaining ingredients, except for cornstarch, and pour over brisket. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours or 5-6 hours on high.

Remove brisket and slice the meat across the grain. Place on a platter and cover with foil.

Strain the juices from the crockpot into a saucepan. Mix together cornstarch and enough water to just mix it together and make it pourable; add to the juices and heat until boiling. Remove from heat and served thickened sauce over the sliced brisket.

One-Pot American Goulash

This yummy, easy dinner is an American classic. And it's a one pot 30 minute meal. Yay! I have another recipe on here called macaroni and beef which is very close to this, but I love that you can cook this recipe so quickly all in one pot, so I make this one more often. I'm not sure were I got the original recipe, but I have seen so many on Pinterest. I served this with some cheese on top and homemade French bread and my family loved it.

One-Pot American Goulash

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups beef broth or water
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
2 cups elbow macaroni
salt and pepper to taste

In a large, deep skillet brown the ground beef and onion until onion is tender and beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese on top if desired.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Saucy Meatballs

I got this recipe years ago from my friend Brenda. We made crockpots of these meatballs using her recipe for a church activity. Its a great recipe to make in bulk to feed a lot of people because it's so easy. The meatballs taste like a cross between sweet and sour and barbecue meatballs. It comes out super yummy. I used a bag of frozen Swedish style meatballs, but you can also use Italian style meatballs and it tastes great. I served the meatballs and sauce over rice with veggies on the side and it was an easy weeknight meal that my whole family enjoyed.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Saucy Meatballs

2 lbs frozen meatballs
12 oz bottle chili sauce
1 cup grape jelly
cooked rice, for serving

Place frozen meatballs in a non-stick sprayed slow cooker. In a bowl whisk together chili sauce and grape jelly; pour over the meatballs. Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or until hot. Serve meatballs and sauce over rice.

Pioneer Woman Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is the best spaghetti and meatballs recipe I have ever tried so it totally makes sense that it came from Pioneer Woman. I swear, her recipes are just so great! This recipe actually came from the back of one of her "Charlie" children's books, but I also think it's on her website. The meatballs are moist and flavorful and the sauce it super yummy. We have spaghetti all the time - which is why I have so many spaghetti recipes on my blog - and I think this spaghetti will go in to our regular rotation. I served it with Caesar salad and garlic bread and it was a fabulous dinner.

Pioneer Woman Spaghetti & Meatballs

Meatball Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup bread crumbs (about 2 pieces of thick bread processed in a food processor)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
splash milk

Sauce Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1, 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1, 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
8 whole basil leaves, chopped finely

To make meatballs combine meat, garlic, bread crumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and a splash of milk. Mix together well. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a foil-lined, non-stick sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pot. Add onion and cook for a few minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Pour in whole tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. Add salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. At this point I used an immersion blender to blend up some of the bigger chunks of tomatoes. Add meatballs and stir gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring gently a few times during the simmer. Just before serving, stir in finely chopped basil. Serve over cooked spaghetti with grated Parmesan on individual servings.

Kid Friendly Spaghetti Sauce

I am updating this wonderful spaghetti sauce recipe from Lil Luna because I doubled it according to our taste preferences and it turned out great! This is now my go-to spaghetti sauce recipe. My kids love it and I love it. It's mild, beefy, and tasty - the perfect spaghetti sauce in my opinion.

Kid-Friendly Spaghetti Sauce

1 1/2  lbs ground beef
2, 15 oz can tomato sauce
2, 6 oz can tomato paste
4 cups hot water
4 beef bouillon cubes or 4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Brown ground beef in a large deep skillet. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, hot water, bouillon, sugar, garlic salt, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over spaghetti or other pasta with Parmesan cheese on individual servings.

Traditional Beef Stroganoff

Stroganoff is a wonderful comfort food dinner and this is a great traditional recipe. No condensed soups or ground beef in this one. It's tender sliced steak in a creamy mushroom sauce. My family really liked this meal (some of my mushroom haters picked out the mushrooms, but they still liked it!). I got this recipe from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner cookbook and modified it just slightly. I served it with egg noodles and hot buttered peas and it was delicious!

Traditional Beef Stroganoff

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 lbs beef sirloin, cut into thin strips
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 cups beef broth (1 can)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granuales or 2 cubes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup cream
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook and stir until soft. Add beef and stir and cook unitl browned. Add mushrooms, broth, salt, nutmeg, beef bouillon, basil, cayenne, and pepper. Bring to a boil and immediately decrease heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes. Stir the cream and sour cream into the mixture. Stir in the cornstarch mixed with water and cook for about a minute until thickened. Season with salt and pepper and serve over cooked egg noodles.

My Favorite Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

I love French Dip sandwiches! I have a number of recipes for French Dips on this blog, but this is my favorite. I love the au jus - it has the perfect flavor to me. I got the recipe from Your Home Based Mom and it's great! I served it on French Rolls with provolone cheese. A side of carrot sticks and mixed berries and it was a great week night meal. I love meals were my slow cooker does most of the work.

My Favorite Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches 

1, 3-4 lb chuck roast
Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 teaspoons oil (I like using avocado oil)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
4 whole black peppercorns
2 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
8 French Rolls
8 slices provolone cheese

Sprinkle roast with Montreal Steak Seasoning on both sides. Heat oil in a skillet until hot. Brown roast in the hot oil on both sides. Place browned roast in Crock Pot. In a bowl mix together soy sauce, water, peppercorns, broth, rosemary, thyme, minced onion, and garlic. Pour mixture over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours, until tender and easy to shred.

Remove roast and shred with 2 forks, discarding fat. Strain remaining juices from the crock pot into saucepan and heat to a simmer (this is the au jus for dipping). Place a slice of provolone on each roll and top with shredded meat. Ladel heated au jus into ramakins or small bowls to dip sandwiches in.

Favorite Beef Enchiladas

Here's another enchilada recipe for you! Every Tuesday we have "Taco Tuesday" which just means we either have Chipotle (I love a good barbacoa bowl!) or I make a Mexican dish at home. My family really likes enchiladas and this is now my favorite beef enchilada recipe. It's simple and flavorful. You can dress it up by serving it with sliced avocado or guacamole and sour cream.

Favorite Beef Enchiladas

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1, 4.5 oz can green chilies
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1, 28 oz can mild red enchilada sauce
1, 8 count package flour tortillas, burrito size
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
1, 4.5 oz can sliced olives
1/4 cup sliced green onions
sour cream, optional
sliced avocados or guacamole, optional

Pre-heat oven to 350.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Add in the onions, bell peppers, green chilies, salt, cumin, and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Place half of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture into the center of a tortilla. Top with a handful of cheddar cheese and then roll up. Place the open edge side down in the pan. Repeat with all remaining tortillas. Top with remaining enchilada sauce, remaining cheddar cheese (if you have any left), and shredded pepper jack cheese. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan, uncover, and top with olives. Place back in oven to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, uncovered. Once cheese bubbly and hot, remove and sprinkle with green onions. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving to make it easier. Serve with sour cream and avocado or guacamole if desired.

Crock Pot Round Steak

This is another version of a crockpot roast dinner. This time I used individual round steaks, which is an inexpensive cut of meat compared to chuck roasts. I used the juices to make a gravy and served it over the meat and mashed potatoes. My family loves having roast on Sundays and this dinner fits the bill. It made everyone happy.

Crock Pot Round Steak

3-4 lbs individual round steaks
2 onions, cuts into large chunks
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 cup water
1 packet dry onion soup mix

Place large onion chunks in the bottom of slow cooker. Place round steaks on top. In a bowl combine soups, water, and onion soup mix; pour over the steaks. Cook on low for 8 hours.

When you are ready to serve remove round steaks, place on a platter and cover with foil to keep hot. Strain juices from slow cooker into a pot. Bring to a boil. Serve this gravy over the round steaks and mashed potatoes if desired.

Crock Pot Beef Tips & Gravy

This is such a great and delicious crockpot meal! It tastes like beef stroganoff without the mushrooms so my kids absolutely loved it (when will they start liking mushrooms - probably never). It is so good served over mashed potatoes, but you could serve it over rice or egg noodles also. This is definitely one of my new favorite Sunday dinner recipes.

Crock Pot Beef Tips & Gravy

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat, or chuck roast cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
14 oz can low sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour

Place cubed beef in slow cooker and sprinkle evenly with lemon pepper. In a large bowl whisk together dry onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, and beef broth; pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove meat from crockpot with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl, and cover with foil. Set aside for now. In a large saucepan melt butter. Add flour and whisk well. Cook for about a minute. Whisk in the gravy/juices from the crockpot and heat until thickened and heated all the way through. Add in the set aside beef and simmer for a few minutes. Serve the beef tips and gravy over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

Mini Meatloaves

So this meatloaf recipe is awesome! It's from hugsandcookiesxoxo.com and it's just a nice change from your standard meatloaf. The flavors all mix well together. And my kids all loved the individual mini-loaves. If you don't have a mini-loaves pan, you can make this mixture into a regular loaf and then just bake it longer. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans and it was a great comfort food dinner.

Mini Meatloaves

Meatloaf Mixture:
2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 eggs
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder
ground black pepper
1 cup quick oates

Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all the meatloaf ingredients together in a large bowl. Take small handfuls and shape into mini loaves and place in an 8 mini-loaves pan.

Mix together topping ingredients. Place a heaping tablespoonful of the topping and spread on each mini loaf.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until meat loaves internal temp is 160 degrees. Remove from oven and let sit about 5 minutes before removing from pan and serving.

Easy Beef Enchiladas

This is a simple beef enchilada recipe that tastes great!I make chicken enchiladas all the time, but this was a nice change and I loved the flavors - cheesy and just a little spicy. Yum! I served it with a green salad and after I took the picture above I topped individual servings with sour cream and guacamole. Even my two year old gobbled this dinner up.

Easy Beef Enchiladas

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups shredded cheese, divided
1, 20 oz can red enchilada sauce
corn tortillas (can also use flour if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown ground beef and onions in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add 1 cup of enchilada sauce and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Mix well until combined.

Heat tortillas in the microwave for about a minute to soften. Put a large spoonful of meat in the center of tortillas and roll up and place seam down in a non-stick sprayed 9x13 baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve with guacamole and sour cream if desired.

Easy Hamburger Stroganoff

Have I ever mentioned how much I love stroganoff? It's a perfect comfort food meal to me. I love the creamy, beefy, mushroom taste. So good. This is the short cut version of stroganoff using ground beef instead of cubed steak and cream soup and it's still so good. That might seem like cheating, but it makes stroganoff into a 30 minute meal and sometimes that's all I have time for. So yay for delicious stroganoff in a hurry. I served it over egg noodles with a quick steamable mixed veggie and it was on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Easy Hamburger Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet brown gravy mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
egg noodles

Brown ground beef with chopped onion and season with salt and pepper. Drain fat, but leave a little to saute mushrooms in. Add mushrooms and saute until softened. Add cream of mushroom soup, gravy mix, and 1 cup of water; stir and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in sour cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over egg noodles or carb of choice.

Crock Pot Pasta e Fagioli Soup

This is my pasta e fagioli soup recipe that I posted last year, just updated to be made in the crockpot and it is just great fixed in the crockpot! I really liked being able to throw it all together in the morning and not have to worry about dinner during our busy late afternoon. I served it with bread sticks and it was a great Olive Garden-ish dinner at home.

Crock Pot Pasta e Fagioli Soup

1 lb hamburger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
3 teaspoons minced garlic
11.5 oz can spicy V8 juice
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
15 oz can tomato sauce
4 cups chicken stock
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules (or 4 cubes)
15 oz can dark red kidney beans, undrained
15 oz can great northern beans, undrained
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta
grated Parmesan

In a large skillet brown ground beef until almost cooked through. Add kosher salt, pepper to taste, chopped onion, chopped carrots, chopped celery, and minced garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Pour this into a large slow cooker. Add V8, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, beef bouillon, kidney beans, great northern beans, vinegar, basil, oregano, and thyme. Cook on low for 6 hours. Add ditalini pasta and cook on low for another 45 minutes - 1 hour. Serve individual servings with grated Parmesan.

Oven Roasted Sausage, Potatoes, and Peppers

This is a very easy dinner to throw together and it tastes great! It smells so good as it's roasting away and tastes even better. My whole family loved this one. I created the recipe by modifying my roasted red potatoes recipe by adding onions, peppers, and some shredded cheddar at the end. I served it with French bread and canned pears and it was oh so yummy.

Oven Roasted Sausage, Potatoes, and Peppers

3 lbs red potatoes
14 - 16 oz package smoked sausage, cut into slices
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt
pepper
1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and cut potatoes into fourths lengthwise, then slice the other way into triangular pieces. Place into a pot with water covering by an inch or so. Bring to a boil and boil for 6 minutes. Drain and place into a large bowl. Add sliced sausage, onions, bell pepper, melted butter, garlic, garlic salt, parsley, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss to mix it all well. Pour into a baking tray with an edge or into a half sheet cake pan (that's what I used). Place into the oven and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are golden brown. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake for another few minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

The Duggar's Tater Tot Casserole

I'm a fan of 19 Kids and Counting. I like the Duggars. I think they have a fascinating reality show what with managing all their children, homeschooling, courtships, marriages, etc. It's just interesting to me. I especially love whenever they share a family recipe and this is one of those recipes, though it's been scaled down to a smaller family size. I think this recipe was on their first TLC special when they had 16 or 17 kids. Anywho, this recipe all over the internet/Pinterest so I finally decided to try it. I have my own version of this casserole that I posted quite a while ago, but I really like this version too. I served it with a green salad and a quick fruit salad.

The Duggar's Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb ground beef
2 lb bag frozen tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup (you can make these both cream of mushroom)
1, 12 oz can evaporated milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Brown and drain the ground beef. Spread cooked ground beef into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Top with frozen tater tots. In a bowl combine the soups and evaporated milk; pour this over the tater tots. Top with shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until bubbly and baked through.

Crock Pot Lasagna Soup

This is such a great soup - lasagna in soup form and it's delicious! A huge bonus is that it takes such little effort. It really does taste like lasagna. I served it with homemade Italian bread and it was a hit. I think everyone had seconds. The melty cheese on top is the best! I combined a couple of recipes I found on Pinterest to create this recipe and it turned out great. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Crock Pot Lasagna Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
28 oz can petite diced tomatoes (I used Hunts)
6 oz can tomato paste (I used Hunts)
1 cup spicy V8 juice
2 cups uncooked shell pasta
salt and pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella, for topping

Brown ground beef with onion. Pour ground beef and onions into a slow cooker. Add beef broth, garlic, parsley, basil, tomatoes, tomato paste, and V8 juice. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours. Add uncooked shell pasta and cook on low for an additional 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with shredded mozzarella on individual servings.

Souper Easy Crock Pot Roast and Gravy

This year we have church from 1:00pm - 4:00pm. It really feels late when we get home from church, especially on fast Sundays (when we abstain from eating or drinking until dinnertime). So almost every Sunday I am making slow cooker meals, so that when we get home dinner is ready. Yay. I made this super easy crock pot roast recently because I just didn't feel like chopping up a lot of veggies and this recipe also makes it's own gravy, another time saver. It's probably going to be my go-to roast recipe this year. I served it with slow-cooker mashed potatoes, recipe coming later this week, the gravy made from the juices and soups in the recipe, and steamed, buttered peas. It was a great, easy, comfort food meal.

Souper Easy Crock Pot Roast and Gravy

3-4 lb pot roast
Montreal steak seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 cup water
1 packet dry onion soup mix

Spray the inside of your crock pot with non-stick spray. Season both sides of pot roast with Montreal steak seasoning. Place pot roast in crock pot. In a bowl combine soups, water, and onion soup mix. Pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

When you are ready to serve remove roast and pull apart into big serving size chunks. Cover with foil to keep hot. Strain juices from crock pot into a pot and skim off some of the fat (or you can use a gravy fat separator), and bring to a boil. Serve this gravy over the roast and potatoes.

Crock Pot Beef and Barley Soup

I love this beef and barley soup! It is so yummy! It is beefy and rich and wonderful. You know, I think I like this soup better than beef stew, which it reminds me of, because I love the barley and the flavor from the mushrooms. I myself love mushrooms, but I have a family full of mushroom haters and they all loved this soup anyway. The mushrooms cook down and just add a great depth of beefy flavor to the soup. The mushroom haters in your family won't even know they're in there. I got this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and changed it just slightly. I served it with my 60 Minute French Bread and it was a delicious dinner for a cold February night.

Crock Pot Beef and Barley Soup

2 tablespoons oil
2 lbs beef stew meat, or a chuck roast cubed
salt and pepper
4 medium carrots, chopped
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean and finely diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1, 14 oz can low sodium chicken broth
4 cups low sodium beef broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2/3 cup pearled barley (not quick cooking)

In a large skillet heat oil until hot. Add beef and season with salt and pepper, cooking for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Scoop meat, using a slotted spoon, into the slow cooker, leaving as much liquid as possible in the skillet. Add the carrots, onions, and mushrooms to the skillet with the liquid in it. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables start to soften. Add garlic and cook another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme and cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker. Add beef broth, soy sauce, and barley. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 - 6 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed before serving.