slow cooker | reluctantentertainer.com Reluctant Entertainer I Sandy Coughlin - Lifestyle, Entertaining, Food, Recipes, Hospitality and Gardening

Gathering.

Coming together.

To me Autumn says “gather.”

Whether it be your immediate family, or extended, or neighbors and friends. Or strangers.

Autumn’s a different season for those who have college kids, so gathering during this time may vary from home to home.

It may be a Sunday, a week day, whatever you choose, but make this one day a week a special day for your family to come together to enjoy a hearty meal.

Start simple, creating one main dish that’s liked by everyone.

Use your slow cooker if it makes “the day” more slower paced and easy.

With the recipe I’m sharing today, I’ve prepared the meat the day before in the slow cooker, and then the day of “gathering,” I reached into my pantry to pair Bush’s Black Beans and Bush’s Cannellini Beans (or Bush’s Great Northern Beans work very well, too) together in to a chili.

A simple gathering of pantry items.

For a simple, robust, hearty Autumn meal.

Easy dinners.

Bringing people together.

Gathering.

Do you have one day a week where you prepare supper for everyone?

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chuck Roast with Savory Carrots {ReluctantEntertainer.com}

Ingredients

3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup red wine
4 shots espresso (1/2 cup strong coffee)
32 oz. beef broth
1 tablespoon chili pepper, salt, and pepper to taste
8-10 carrots

Instructions

Saute onions and garlic in 2 T. olive oil until caramelized. Place in the bottom of sprayed (PAM) slow cooker.
Brown the chuck roast on both sides, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Place in the slow cooker on top of the onion mixture.
Add the wine, coffee, broth, and seasoning to the same saute pan (scrape the drippings from the roast). Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Place the whole carrots on top of the roast.
Pour the broth mixture over the roast.
Cook on HI 6-8 hours, turning the roast over several times during the day.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 7 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

Recipe: Bush’s Beans Chuck Roast Chili {ReluctantEntertainer.com}

Ingredients

4-6 cups Chuck Roast and Carrots, cooked and shredded
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tablespoon ground cumin
2 cans (28 ounces) peeled, whole tomatoes with juice, cut in small pieces
2-4 cups of your favorite salsa (depending on how much spice you like)
2 cans Bush’s Cannellini Beans (or Bush’s Great Northern Beans), drained and rinsed
2 cans Bush’s Black Beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper for seasoning throughout

Instructions

Shred the pre-cooked chuck roast. Add all ingredients together and heat to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
This recipe tastes great made a day ahead. The extra day allows for the all the flavors to settle in.
Serve the chili on top of rice or quinoa. Top with shredded cheddar and colby jack cheese and sour cream and chopped cilantro.
For a bit of contrast, squeeze fresh lime and top with pickled jalapeños.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 30 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8