Shredded Southwest Beef Tacos {Crock Pot} w/ Chipotle Coleslaw

These tacos were a delightful little addition to our taco repertoire. I usually lean more towards the chicken variety, but every now and then it's nice to have some beef and one of the great things about these, aside from the crock pot of course, is that they make a large quantity of southwest flavored, shredded beef that I imagine could be easily frozen and used in any number of other applications. Homemade baked taquitos, smothered burritos, quesadillas, or some seriously filling nachos come to mind. But what I loved the most about them was the cool, smoky chipotle flavored coleslaw to serve on top. I loved how the crispy, cool, creamy coleslaw offset the warm, somewhat spicy beef. A fabulous texture party going on in my mouth. I definitely recommend trying these and loving all the left over meat options you'll have because of it.

Shredded Southwest Beef Tacos {Crock Pot} w/ Chipotle Coleslaw

{recipe from Cooking like a Champion via Smitten Kitchen}

3 pounds beef brisket or bottom round Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 1 spanish or yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups water 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled or petite diced tomatoes, with their juices 1 to 2 whole canned chipotle chiles in adobo 2 bay leaves 1/4 cup molasses (optional, I left this out-thought it sounded kinda gross) To serve: Corn or flour tortillas Chipotle Slaw, recipe follows Season all sides of beef roast with salt and pepper. Heat veggie oil in skillet on med-high heat just shy of smoking. Sear meat on all sides. Place in slow cooker. To drippings in pan add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander and cumin and stir until fragrant about a minute. Add vinegar and scrape up bits from bottom of skillet. Stir in water, tomatoes (crushing them if using whole), chipotles, and bay leaves. Pour all of the mixture over meat in slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred beef and add back into crock pot juices a little while before serving. Serve on tortillas topped with chipotles coleslaw. Chipotle Coleslaw 2 t finely chopped canned chipotles in adobo 1/2 cup mayo 2 T honey 1 T fresh lime juice 1/2 pound (about 2 cups) shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion Combine chipotle, mayo, honey, and lime juice in large bowl. Add cabbage and onions, tossing to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Beef Stroganoff {Crock Pot}

Boy do we love classic comfort food recipes, especially in the winter. And white, powdered sugar snow winter is precisely what I see out my window. I think that stroganoff lends itself very well to a crock pot meal and you know by now that we love those too. The meat is tender, fall apart goodness and the sauce is little bit tangy and a lot creamy. Serve this over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles and try not to lick your plate.

Beef Stroganoff {Crock Pot}

{Recipe source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe, where else?!}

2-3 lbs stew meat

1 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1 medium onion, diced

1/4 t garlic salt

1 T worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 T ketchup

1/3 cup flour

6 T apple juice (or water)

4-8 ozs mushrooms, sauteed until mostly soft in butter

1/2 cup sour cream

Place stew meat, salt, pepper, and onion in slow cooker. Stir to distribute seasonings. In another bowl mix garlic salt, worcestershire sauce, beef broth and ketchup and pour over meat. Cook 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 on high. About 30 minutes before serving, whisk apple juice and flour together really well and pour into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to prevent lumps. Add sauteed mushrooms too. Cook on high for 30 minutes and then stir in 1/2 cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over rice, noodles, or potatoes.

Can freeze and reheat on the stove or crock pot.

French Dip Sandwiches {Crock Pot}

Talk about a throw back to my childhood. We often had roast for Sunday dinner growing up and my grandma would sometimes use the left over meat for french dip sandwiches afterwards. I loved them. This is my interpretation of one of my favorite childhood dinners. And you know, I think it's safe to say it's becoming a childhood favorite for my kids too!

The au jus is so flavorful thanks to the roast imparting it's juices all day long and the meat itself is fall apart tender and juicy. Broil up some good crusty rolls and melt some provolone or any other white cheese you like and you have sandwich dipping heaven. And some of the most outlandishly good leftovers one could ever hope for.

French Dip Sandwiches {Crock Pot}

1 2-1/2 pound beef roast, trimmed of excess fat

1 carton (32 oz.) beef broth

1 package au jus mix

1/2 a package onion soup mix

garlic salt

black pepper

veggie oil

Heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet on med-high heat until piping hot. Meanwhile sprinkle roast with garlic salt and black pepper. Sear on all sides. Pour beef broth and mixes into medium crock pot (it's best of the crock pot style allows for the roast to be mostly submerged). Whisk together and add some fresh ground pepper. Once roast is seared gently place in broth mixture and cook on low 8-10 hours. 30 minutes to an hour before serving remove roast, shred, and place back in broth. Serve meat on toasted rolls with melted cheese (we just put ours under the broiler for a bit) with a generous bowl of au jus for dipping. Delicious!

Sweet & Savory Grilled Flank Steak

Please make this despite the shoddy picture...It is so good! I freely admit that I'm not a big steak fan, or a big red meat fan for that matter. BUT, occasionally I do enjoy it and this recipe is a good reason why. Flank steak is perfect for marinating and grilling. It's easy to cook to a more well-done stage, if that's what you like, and not completely ruin it. But if the medium rare route is your thing, it's medium rare on a smaller scale as opposed to some nasty chunk of raw meat! (Can you tell I have undercooked meat issues?!)

Flank steak is also generally cut into thin pieces, which is far better for me than a huge thick slab of beef on my plate. The marinade is one of the best I've had, sweet from the pineapple juice and brown sugar and savory thanks to the soy sauce and garlic. And, if you've yet to discover the joy of fresh ginger--use this recipe to get acquainted. Fresh ginger is amazing!

Nothing says summer like grilled meats and this one is right up there at the top of my list...

Sweet & Savory Grilled Flank Steak

1 2-lb or so flank steak

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 (6 oz) can pineapple juice

1 T freshly grated ginger

4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced

Combine the brown sugar on down for the marinade. Whisk until combined. Remove 1/4 cup and set aside.

Score the flank steak diagonally both ways and on both sides. Use the tip of sharp knife to do it and only cut about 1/8 inch deep. We're not trying to cut it into a million pieces here! This will help to tenderize the meat, it's a necessary step.

Place scored steak into a large ziploc and pour in marinade. Remember to leave the 1/4 cup out. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. (I've done 6 hours with great success). About 30 minutes before grilling, remove steak from fridge. Heat grill to a fairly high heat. Place steak on grill and cook about 5-10 per side, depending on desired doneness. During the last few minutes of grilling brush steak with the reserved 1/4 cup of marinade. (I also brush it again once it's cut and just before serving with more marinade)

Let cooked steak rest at least 5 minutes before cutting. Cut against the grain and on a bias (slightly diagonal) into a thin slices and serve.

Serves 4 adults, maybe more...maybe. !