Slow Cooker Sauerbraten

The other morning, I was frantically looking for my laundry and found it in a business developer's conference room where they were working on payroll....Yes, my brain is still on overload and I am still having the most "off the wall - make no sense" dreams (when I am able to sleep, that is).

I don't know if I am going to make it through high school this second time around and I think I am putting more time, effort and brain power on the upcoming end of season volleyball dinner, more than I did my own wedding.

Once I get through the banquet the middle of next month, then two weeks later our son is coming for Thanksgiving with his family and we are meeting our twin grandbabies for the first time.  Then, two weeks after that is my husband's birthday...then two weeks later is Christmas, then our girls' sweet 16 birthday at year's end.  I can't imagine why it's so hard for me to get a decent night's sleep right now.

Well for now, I'm working on Oktoberfest fun.  I married a German and each year I try to up my German dish repertoire, even though I can barely pronounce some of the recipes.

I had never made Sauerbraten, but I figured anything I can put in a crockpot can't be all that difficult. This was awesome!!  I threw it all together before we all went off to work and school and came home to the most amazing roast dinner.

Slow Cooker Sauerbraten
Courtesy of Taste of Home

1 boneless beef chuck roast or rump roast (3 to 4 pounds)
4 cups water
1 bottle (14 ounces) ketchup
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices
3 bay leaves
1-1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (about 30 cookies)

Gravy:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Cut roast in half. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker; add water. In a
large bowl, combine the ketchup, onion, brown sugar and vinegar;
pour over roast.

Place pickling spices and bay leaves on a double thickness of
cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a
bag. Add spice bag and cookie crumbs to slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove roast and keep warm. Discard spice bag. Strain cooking juices;
transfer 4 cups to a large saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water
until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and

stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice roast; serve with
gravy.

I also served it with the most amazing Spaetzle with Gruyere and Carmelized Onions

One Year Ago:  Weeknight Ravioli Bake

Mustard-Roasted Potatoes and Too Much Fun

And so it has begun, our weekend with Uncle Rick.  He arrived Thursday afternoon and the fun has not stopped.

Mark, Rick and Matt....trouble!!

  Rick and Heather took a detour to Boulder for some shopping on the way to our house.  They stopped for Tequila, Wine and King Kong...yes, I said King Kong (more on that in a minute).

Leave it to my husband to photo bomb.

Everyone came over for our family happy hour and my pot roast, which was a welcomed cozy aroma to come home to after working (or traveling) all day. I accented the pot roast with sauteed mushrooms, mustard-roasted potatoes and glazed baby carrots. Nothing like a home cooked crock pot meal to warm your soul in the Rocky Mountains.

Father and Daughter - so sweet.

Rick did not disappoint with his selections of new vineyards (and some old favorites) for everyone. Mark and Rick spent Friday in Golden touring the Buffalo Bill Museum and Coors Brewery Factory Tour.  It was a beautifully sunny day and perfect weather for their outing and tours.

Just a few selections for the weekend.

So Thursday night I am at the kitchen sink doing dishes and I look up to see King Kong on the Empire State Building staring at me.  Never a dull moment and always the practical jokers around here.

King Kong guarding the new Coors 19 archive recipe.

We are now preparing for Saturday's carnivore fest....stay tuned for that tomorrow.

Mustard-Roasted Potatoes
Courtesy of  Barefoot Contessa

2½ pounds small red potatoes
2 yellow onions
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the potatoes in halves or quarters, depending on their size, and place them on a sheet pan. Remove the ends of the onions, peel them, and cut them in half. Slice them crosswise in ¼-inch-thick slices to make half-rounds. Toss the onions and potatoes together on the sheet pan. Add the olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper and toss them together. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are lightly browned on the outside and tender on the inside. Toss the potatoes from time to time with a metal spatula so they brown evenly.

Serve hot sprinkled with chopped parsley and a little extra salt.

Note: I substituted with fingerling potatoes.

Sunday Night Pot Roast

Every family has their own Sunday night dinner tradition.  My friend Carole always makes pasta for her family.  When my husband was growing up, his mom always made a roasted chicken (or 2) to feed her large crowd.

My mom faithfully made her wonderful pot roast, potatoes, carrots and homemade gravy with Bisquick drop biscuits.  Sunday night family dinners were always a big deal.  This is when the new boyfriend would come to meet the family for the first time and have dinner...or it would be time for a family discussion meeting....or last minute homework would be completed at the dinner table when all the dishes were cleared.

Me and my mom many years ago.

To this day, I cannot nail down my mom's pot roast.  She would flash sear it in her G.E. electric skillet (which by the way she still has to this day), and weighs more than a small child.  Then, let it simmer for hours, which made the house smell so special and inviting.  She diligently peeled the carrots and potatoes and put them in at just the right time.  When that was all done, then came the gravy.  My mom makes the most amazing gravy...and I haven't been able to duplicate that either.  It has to be the special magic in her electric skillet.

Well fast forward to present day, my family and our traditions.  We still like to do the Sunday night pot roast every now and again.  Since I never got my mom's down, my friend Annie gave me one of her recipes from Kansas.

If you have ever been to Disneyland's Carnation Cafe, I am here to tell you the pot roast on their menu is Annie's.  This pot roast literally melts in your mouth and you can cut it with a spoon.  I love, love, love this recipe, and the best part is it couldn't be easier to make, as it simmers in it's own luscious gravy.

When you mix the ingredients together, you think that this cannot be right.  Trust it though...8 hours later your home will have the same special and inviting smell as my home growing up.  Here's the thing though, I don't recommend putting any vegetables in the crock pot - keep it for the meat only and cook the potatoes and carrots separately.

Sunday Night Pot Roast
Courtesy of Annie

(2) Packages of Brown Gravy Mix
(2) Packages of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing/Dip Mix
(2) Packages of Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
1 Cup of Water
3-5 Pound Boneless Chuck Roast

Whisk all the packages of mixes into 1 cup of water.  Put roast into a crock pot and set heat to low.  Pour gravy mixture over the roast.  Cover and and enjoy Sunday night pot roast dinner in 8 hours.  The longer you let it simmer in that amazing gravy, the better.

Tonight, we enjoyed Rascal Pinot Noir from Oregon - great pairing!!