Last year we went in with another family to buy a portion of grass-fed beef, and now we’re down to only a few cuts left in our freezer. Coming back from the CIA with Bush’s Beans, I’ve been inspired to use more beans and “flavors around the world,” such as tahini, smoked paprika, annatto achiote paste, freshly ground cumin seed and one of my favorites, aleppo chile peppers. I’ve also been excited to be more creative with my cooking, so I stared by defrosting our last chuck roast from the freezer …

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The night before we ate this tasty meal, I sauteed the chuck roast in olive oil for 4 minutes on each side, and then marinated it overnight in a Ziploc bag.

Making the “Red” sauce marinade:

1 4-5 lb. chuck roast (make sure it will fit in your slow cooker)
1 cup red wine
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. Smoked Spanish Paprika
Salt and pepper




In the morning, before I went to work, I removed the meat from the Ziploc bag, browning it 2-3 minutes on each side, then laying it in the slow cooker. I then poured the “Red” sauce into the same sautee pan and added the chicken broth, tomatoes and other spices.

The next day, add:

1 (14-oz.) can low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
2 (15-oz.) cans BUSH’S Black Beans, rinsed and drained

Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Pour on top of the Chuck Roast in the slow cooker and cook on LOW all day long.

That night we shredded the meat (removed the bones for our dog Haggis) and we added 2 cans of BUSH’S Black Beans.

Add more flavor:

1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. Smoked Spanish Paprika

We mixed it together and served on whole wheat pasta from Trader Joe’s, with a dollop of sour cream.

It was de-li-cious! (Oh, and the last of the cherry tomatoes from our garden!)

I’m learning to add different flavors of beans to more and more recipes. They not only add protein and substance to the meal, they add flavor and they stretch the meal to twice as much!

What’s your favorite roast to cook? And do you add beans to slow-cooker meals?

(My son in college benefited from the leftovers. I made him a pan of Roast Beef Enchiladas and froze them in individual servings. A little bit of “home” from afar! And even though I do have a relationship with Bush’s Beans, they did not pay me to write this post today, but they did pay for my trip to the CIA.)

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