Slow Cooker

Crock pot short ribs on a white platter with a red napkin

Slow Cooker Beer Braised Short Ribs

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about short ribs. Julie Powell talked about them in her book Cleaving. The chefs on Top Chef are always whipping up recipes with them. The Food Network chefs have been using them a lot lately, too. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve never had them.

Which only meant one thing…I had to give them a try! So I scoured my pile of collected recipes, looking for a short ribs recipe. Oddly enough, I found one….on the back of another recipe for Parmesan Pork Roast (that I’m dying to try so stay tuned!) that I had set aside! BINGO! And, this recipe is made in the slow cooker — DOUBLE BINGO!

Slow Cooker Parmesan Pork - this crock pot recipe is ultra tender and it makes a thick, rich sauce. It’s one of my favorite slow cooker recipes pork

Slow Cooker Parmesan Pork

I love Big Red — my slow cooker. She’s a hard worker in my kitchen. I love finding recipes where I can assemble the parts the night before and then throw everything in to Big Red before I leave for work the next morning. This really helps get dinner on the table fast on busy weeknights.

It’s no wonder that “the pile” has a lot of slow cooker recipes. I’ve slowly been working my way through them. Check out my previous slow cooker posts such as Chicken Parm, Beer Braised Short Ribs, Salisbury Steak and Italian Pot Roast. There are some great dinner ideas in there!

Summer Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Summer Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Welcome to my Slow Cookin’ Summer series where I’ll be sharing 12 weeks of easy recipes for a slow cooker! Make sure you subscribe to It’s a Keeper so you don’t miss a single one! Just click here and I will email you as soon as a new recipe is posted.

Slow Cookin Summer: Easy Recipes for a Slow Cooker on It's a KeeperLet’s keep the Slow Cookin’ Summer Series going with this recipe from Crystal from Simply Playful Fare. Here’s her recipe:

Summer may arguably be the best season of the year.  The weather is warm and the days are long.  The season is full of parties, summer BBQs, and get-togethers.  As people strive to soak up all they can of the “sweet days of summer,” it’s no surprise that many search for more efficient ways to cook.

Summer Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

While it doesn’t seem like the time of year to pull out your slow-cooker, a crock pot can actually provide the perfect meal without substantially heating up your home.  It also provides the set-and-forget meal that you are looking for during this busy, yet fun time of year.  You can prep your crock pot the night before, turn it on in the morning, spend the day at the lake, and come home to a delicious meal.

Crock pots are not just for soups and stews.  Branch out and create sandwiches, desserts, appetizers, and more, with your crock pot.  These Summer Crock Pot French Dip sandwiches not only provide big flavor, but also freedom from the kitchen!

Summer Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Summer Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Part of It’s a Keeper’s Slow Cookin’ Summer Series

Ingredients

Makes about 6 servings

  • 2 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast
  • 1 quart beef stock
  • 15 cloves of garlic (about 1 head)
  • 2 tablespoons of beef bouillon concentrate (such as better than bouillon)
  • 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 6 poor boy rolls
  • 6 slices Swiss cheese
  • Garlic salt

Directions

  • Peel the cloves of garlic, but leave them whole.
  • Poke 10 holes in the roast, and stuff the garlic into the holes.  Add the extra 5 cloves to the crock pot.
  • Place the roast and all remaining ingredients into the crock pot.
  • Cook on low for 8 hours.
  • Remove the roast from the crock pot and allow to cool slightly.
  • While the roast cools, strain the broth and add it to a small sauce pan, and bring the liquid to a boil.
  • Boil the liquid for 10 minutes to allow it to reduce.  This will be the Au jus for the sandwiches.
  • While the liquid is boiling, shred the roast either by hand or with forks.
  • Slice the rolls open, butter and salt them with garlic salt, and toast them slightly under a broiler.
  • Add the shredded beef to the rolls and top with Swiss cheese.
  • Return to broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Serve with the Au jus.

Summer Crock Pot French Dip SandwichesSummer Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

After trying these Summer Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches, you’ll have a tough time going back to a  traditional French dip. When the weather gets hot, do you use your crock pot?  If so, what do you cook with it?  Let us know in the comments section.

Find more easy-to-make recipes from Crystal at Simply Playful Fare.

Thanks so much for sharing your great recipe, Crystal! If you like this recipe, please pin it or share it! And, of course make sure you subscribe to It’s a Keeper so you don’t miss a single one!

You can find all of the Slow Cookin’ Summer recipes here along with my favorite easy crock pot recipes and tips for using your slow cooker.

Slow Cookin Summer: Easy Recipes for a Slow Cooker on It's a Keeper
For more recipe inspiration, be sure to check out these pages on It’s a Keeper:

 

Slow Cooker Oats Easy Recipes for a Slow Cooker

Crock Pot Oats

Welcome to my Slow Cookin’ Summer series where I’ll be sharing 12 weeks of easy recipes for a slow cooker!  Make sure you subscribe to It’s a Keeper so you don’t miss a single one!  Just click here and I will email you as soon as a new recipe is posted.

Slow Cookin Summer: Easy Recipes for a Slow Cooker on It's a KeeperLet’s get the Slow Cookin’ Summer Series started with this recipe from Trina from O’Boy! Organic.  Here’s her recipe:

Who doesn’t find it challenging in the mornings, sometimes even getting the kiddos out of bed and dresses is a full time job. So I can imagine that making a healthy breakfast each day can be a bit daunting. One of the things that make my life easier is to start preparing breakfast the night before. One of my favorite things to make is crock pot oats. You can use many different types of oats but I like to use Oat Groats.

Slow Cooker Oats Easy Recipes for a Slow Cooker

I did a bit of research on the web and found out that oat groats are whole, minimally processed oats. Because they have not been extensively processed, they retain a higher nutritional value than regular oats. When oat groats are produced, the oats are hulled, removing the outer husk (sort of like corn) and then you have the whole grain. Most of the time they are processed into a range of products including rolled oats and oat flour or you can buy them as oat groats as I did.

Wondering why I like to use the crock pot? Because it takes FOREVER and it’s so much easier to make this breakfast meal in a crock pot overnight. I make this recipe at least once a week for the family and we all love it. You can out the leftovers in the fridge and just heat over the stove with extra water or milk until it’s hot.

Crock Pot Oats 
Ingredients

2 cups Oat Groats or steel cut oats (don’t buy processed)
6 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raw brown sugar or honey

Directions

Add all ingredients into the crock pot and let cook on low for about 8-10 hours.

I added 1 cup of dried cherries to mine and you could add other dried fruit too or wait and add bananas or fresh fruit after it’s been cooked.

About Trina

Trina from O’Boy! Organic   offers cooking classes for parents and children in the Philadelphia. Through her website and online communities Trina offers real food menu plans, healthy family friendly recipes, sustainable living ideas, plus much more. Connect with Trina online – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram

Thanks so much for sharing your great recipe, Trina!   If you like this recipe, please pin it or share it!  And, of course  make sure you subscribe to It’s a Keeper so you don’t miss a single one!

You can find all of the Slow Cookin’ Summer recipes here along with my favorite easy crock pot recipes and tips for using your slow cooker.

Slow Cookin Summer: Easy Recipes for a Slow Cooker on It's a Keeper
For more recipe inspiration, be sure to check out these pages on It’s a Keeper:

 

Slow Cooker Chicken Parm

A few weeks ago, I featured Crock Pot Chicken Parm by The Rickett Chronicles on my weekly recipe and craft linky — It’s a Keeper Thursday. It looked so good, and I’m a sucker for a new slow cooker recipe!  I’m determined to build up a good stock of delicious recipes that use Big Red (my slow cooker).

Her recipe included a second recipe for Roasted Roma Tomatoes.  I just had to give that a try too!  I’ll be posting that recipe in a day or so — be sure to check back! Trust me…you won’t be sorry you did!

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