Italian Beef/Chicken and Veggies
Slow Cooker Italian Beef
This slow cooker Italian Beef is the most delicious, fall-apart tender, flavorful, low-carb/keto meal just waiting to be devoured!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 hours 15 minutes
Total Time6 hours 25 minutes
Ingredients
4 pound boneless beef chuck roast, fat trimmed and cut into large 6 inch x 6 inch chunks
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces whole pepperoncini peppers and their juice (one 12-ounce jar)
2 cups beef stock
1 large onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced
5 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasonings (I used McCormick "Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning," which is gluten-free)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 bay leaf
Instructions
First, turn the slow cooker on high and add the beef stock, pepperoncini peppers, onion, garlic, onion powder, bay leaf, and Italian seasonings. Stir these ingredients to combine them. (You will turn the crock pot down to low after the beef has been added.)
Cut the beef into evenly sized 6-inch chunks and cut off any fat you see. Season the pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Add olive oil to a large skillet and turn the heat to high. When the pan is hot, carefully add the meat to the pan and sear on all sides, rotating every 2-3 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and add it to the slow cooker, along with any pan juices from searing the meat. Try to get all the meat into a single layer in the liquid, and cover with the lid.
Turn the slow cooker down to low, and cook for 6 hours.
Remove the lid and turn the slow cooker down to warm. Drain off the cooking liquid into a bowl (there should be around 3-4 cups). Remove any of the oily fat you can. Then pour the cooking liquid through a strainer to remove any bits and pieces. Add the liquid to saute pan, bring to a simmer on the stovetop, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Transfer the reduced cooking liquid to a serving bowl (or gravy bowl).
Remove the Italian beef from the crock pot and pull or shred it using two forks. Place it on a large plate or platter, then transfer onions and pepperoncini onto the platter. Remove any stems from the pepperoncini, then top with some shredded provolone, mozzarella, or Italian blend cheese. If needed, heat the plate in the microwave to melt the cheese, and enjoy!
Serve with the reduced cooking liquid as a dipping sauce, and pair with your favorite veggies like cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, or zucchini noodles. Or if you are not following a low carb diet, you can use your favorite sandwich roll to create sub sandwiches, sliders, hoagies, etc.
Frozen Crockpot Italian Beef/Chicken and Veggies
Yields: One gallon-sized freezer bag with six servings (I doubled this recipe and made two bags – one with beef and one with chicken)
INGREDIENTS
• 2 pounds of meat, fat trimmed (I made one bag with boneless chicken breasts and one bag with a boneless beef chuck shoulder roast) • 16oz bag of California mix vegetables (broccoli/cauliflower/carrots) • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 teaspoon each: onion powder, thyme, basil, oregano • ½ teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon pepper
MATERIALS
• 1 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag PREP 1. Label your freezer bag. 2. To your gallon-sized freezer bag, add all ingredients. 3. Remove as much air from the gallon-sized freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.
COOK 1. The night before cooking, move frozen bag to your refrigerator to thaw. 2. The morning of cooking, pour contents of gallon-sized freezer bag into your crockpot and cook on low setting for 6 hours (chicken) or 8 hours (beef), or until meat is tender. 3. If using beef, shred meat before serving.
