Slow Cooker Beef & Veggie Autumn Stew

Beef Stew is great for late September and super easy to make. My mother always made beef stew with beef, carrots, and potatoes - the end. For mine, I added some squash, sweet potatoes, and more veggies! Without further ado...

THE 18 ITEMS:

Crock Pot and Liner not Pictured

 THE DETAILS:



My crockpot is full of delicious veggies and beef as we speak! As always, I didn't measure anything out, I just threw it all in until it looked ample! I used my measuring cup to throw in some water, but it really could have been any ole cup since I didn't look twice at the lines. Here comes are the rough estimates of what you'll need...

1.5 lbs Beef Stew Meat
4-5 Russet or Sweet Potatoes (I used both)
1/3 large sweet onion
6 carrots
5 celery sticks
3 - 4 cans beef broth/water with beef base added *
3/4 cup butternut squash
1 handful fresh green beans
1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

 **(I only had one can of broth so I just added water and beef base as necessary. If I had enough broth I could have omitted the beef base.)

DIRECTIONS:

• Cut potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery into desired thickness and add to slow cooker.
• Add enough beef broth (or water and beef base) to cover the ingredients. 
• Add beef to pot. If there is not enough broth to cover the meat, add a little water to top it off. 
• Season to taste! Add in as much garlic, pepper, and salt as you want. For those trying to watch their waistlines go easy on the salt especially! 
• Set the timer for 2 - 3 hours. After about 2 hours I added my green beans and squash. Squash tends to, well, squish, once it is cooked too long, so I added these elements closer to dinner time to ensure they retained the desired texture. If you're not adding the butternut squash you can certainly just leave the crock pot to do it's job! I love squash so I've been adding it to many meals lately!
  
  

 ENJOY!

Melted Peanut Butter & Honey Banana Breakfast Wrap (SIX ITEMS)

In no way is this rocket science, and I know it has been done before in similar ways... but it is oh so good, so it deserves to be shared in all it's glory! It is quick, filling, and tasty. What more could you want in a breakfast wrap?! The best part is that you only have to wash one little butter knife when you're finished! (And a plate if you're picky ;)

SIX ITEMS:

knife not pictured

 WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:

THE DETAILS:

1 Multi-Grain Tortilla Shell
1 small to medium sized banana
2 Tbsp Natural Chunky Peanut Butter
1 tsp honey
1 dash cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat shell for 10 seconds (wrap in a paper towel if you want, I did not)
• Spread about 2 Tbsp of peanut butter on shell (I prefer more texture so I used chunky peanut butter)
• Slice a banana in the middle of shell
• Drizzle honey and sprinkle some cinnamon over the top of the banana
• Heat for 45 seconds in the microwave (time will vary depending on microwave)

ENJOY!

 

Slow Cooker Sweet Apple Pork Tenderloin & Potatoes (TWELVE ITEMS)

TWELVE ITEMS:

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE:

(sweet potato, water, and crock pot not pictured)

THE DETAILS:

I'm only feeding two so I cut the loin in half and froze the second half. I'm sure these same amounts could be used with a whole loin since I was just fine with having leftover veggies and apples. I don't do precise measurements (for the most part) so feel free to tweak this recipe to fit your needs!

1/2 Hormel brand Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin
1/3 bag of Butternut Squash Cubes
3 Russet Potatoes
1 Sweet Potato
4 Small Apples
1/4 Large Onion
1 Tbsp honey  (approximately, I just drizzled from the bottle!)
2 tsp cinnamon (again, a light shake is all it took)
1 Cup Water (I suggest using cider or juice instead)

DIRECTIONS:

• Prepare veggies and 1/2 of the apples by cutting into bite size pieces. I prefer a variety of shapes so I sliced my apples and diced my potatoes :)
• Pour water, cider, or juice over veggies and apples. NOTE: You may want to wait to add the butternut squash later, as I found that it did not stay together after hours of cooking. If you're hoping for hearty chunks of squash, it is best to add this in later. Some slow cookers hold in more moisture than other. I lost my favorite crock pot in a flood so I added 1 cup of water just in case this cheaper model did not hold in as much moisture as the loin deserved. Likely, you could use less water and still have a juicy loin!

• Drizzle half of the honey and cinnamon over mixture.
• Slice the other half of the apples which will rest atop the Pork Tenderloin.
• If desired, cut slits into the loin vertically and place apple slices between these cuts. Surround the loin with apple slices!
• Drizzle the other half of the honey and cinnamon on top of the pork.

• Cook on low for  4 - 6 hours (Six turned out to be too long for us! The loin lost some of the tenderness from being cooked too long!)

Thankfully I only used a single knife and cutting board, so clean up took just a few minutes! Which is always nice!

Every few hours I took a wooden spoon and mixed the ingredients up a bit, but I wish I hadn't checked it so often. The moisture escapes when the lid is opened, so leave it shut as much as possible. (I'm not very good at just letting things simmer! I'm always checking on my work... especially with a new recipe!)

 

 

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS:

1. To ensure a more flavorful stew, use a cider or juice, rather than water. 
2. If you aren't keen on a sweet stew, use less apples and add some spices!
3. Consider caramelizing the onions a bit first! I love caramelized onions, but I didn't think to do this before hand. 

Let me know what you think if you give this one a try! I'd love to hear how it works out for others!