Empirical Baker

Easy slow cooker recipe. As I am at the end of my financial aid, and, frankly, broke until I get my Fall money, I have to use the stuff in my fridge and freezer. Which, since I try to buy as frugally as I can. When I see a good deal, I get a lot :)

I originally got the bottom round roast for chili, as I prefer mine with beef chunks (as they are better able to stand up to multiple hours of cooking). But, I had an extra.

So, this is my very simple recipe. Laugh if you want, it tastes great and feeds me for a few days.

One Bottom Round Roast
One package onion soup mix
One can condensed cream of mushroom soup
One tsp dried minced garlic
salt and pepper

I salted the roast, and browned it in a large skillet. I put the roast in the slow cooker, and deglazed the pan with about a half cup of water. Poured this over the roast, and topped it with pepper, the onion soup mix, and the can of mushroom soup. I was very careful with the mushroom soup, as I wanted most of it to cook on top of the roast, rather than on the bottom where it could burn.

High for 6 hours, or low for 8-10. I cooked it in roast form on High for 4 Hours, then cut the roast and let it simmer in the sauce for another hour.

Serve with Bread. (And, yes, I made this bread almost specifically for sopping up the sauce made by this dish.)

I am not sure where I learned this technique, but it saved me quite a bit of money.

In Texas, I could get chicken leg and thigh quarters for less than 49 cents a pound, in a two pound bag. Cheap! Its about twice as much here in Brooklyn, but this technique still saves time and money.

Take a bulk pack of chicken quarters, legs, or thighs. (This time around, I used chicken thighs, because they are easier to work with.) Remove the skin, and either discard or use to make schmaltz (next attempt!).

Place the chicken parts into a crock pot. You can add some salt and pepper if you want, but the chicken is good how it is. Cook for a few hours on high or low, until the chicken is done. I typically dont worry about it until it starts making the apartment smell yummy :) I check to make sure that all the chicken is done before pulling it out.

During this time, the chicken will have given off a lot of liquid. Keep this in the crock pot. As the chicken cools, remove the meat from the bones, and then put the bones back into the crockpot. When all of the meat is of the bone, and all of the bones are back in the crockpot, you can add water and salt. I then let this cook, usually until I am about to go to bed. :) Cheap stock, and yummy.

I tend to freeze the meat in small pieces, and in about one to two cup portions (depending on what storage containers I have available.)