One Slow Cooker Recipe: 2 Different Meals: Both Quick and Easy
A member of our Southern Plate Family asked me if I’d put more slow cooker meals on the website with fall coming up. When she posted this on the Southern Plate Family Facebook Page, my wheels started spinning. Who doesn’t love being able to put a meal on the table with a slow cooker? With our Fall schedules in full swing this is the ultimate time saving way to eat well while saving both money and effort.
When we were teenagers, Mama started working outside the home and began relying on our slow cooker on a regular basis. She still managed to put hearty, kid pleasing meals on the table despite spending a fraction of the time at home. This was one of our standbys and its one of my very favorite “convenience” meals because there is virtually no work to be done to get it on the table once you shred your roast!
As with most slow cooker recipes, this one is versatile. Use a beef roast or pork roast, plain water or beef broth, it’ll still turn out great. You also have plenty of room to customize for your own tastes and still end up with two hearty meals and time on your hands.
To get started, you’ll need a roast. Any old roast will do, be it beef or pork.
I was “down in my back” as folks say and unable to go to the grocery store myself so I had my husband make this meal and do this tutorial. He’s in trouble now because he’s proven he can cook. Fortunately, I am the only one who enjoys cooking so he can stick to building space stations and I’ll stick to browning the beef.
I had my husband go to the grocery store and email me pictures of roasts so I could pick out the one I want. Wee bit obsessive? Of course I am! But I don’t just toss out $14 on meat randomly so I wanted to make sure it was a good one.
Normally I look for a good bit of marbling in my roast in order to ensure a good tender outcome but I wanted more lean meat for this so we got one with minimum marbling.
I am using a few beef bouillon cubes in the water for a little more flavor. You can use beef broth as well or just plain water, whatever you prefer.
Place your roast in the slow cooker.
This is an awesome new slow cooker I have, by Hamilton Beach of course! It’s programmable, which is nice, but the neatest thing in my book is that the lid has a rubber lip around it and locks into place for travel without spills.
I like to send things to my husband’s work and this lid is a life saver. Before we had this slow cooker, I always lined a cardboard box with a towel to place the slow cooker in and hoped for the best. He arrived at work with spills every time (bit of a NASCAR fan, that one). With the holidays coming up and us traveling all about with food, this baby is gonna get a lot of love from me!
Add your water.
And your bouillon cubes.
~blinks and looks at the photo~
Okay apparently Ricky saw fit to latch it down like you would for travel. I normally don’t do that at home but maybe he was afraid it was going to blast off or something. Anyway, you can see how it latches.
That groove in the top is for a spoon to stick into, which comes with it.
I cook mine on high all day.
Normally, anytime you are using a slow cooker (regardless of what you are cooking), times are as follows:
If cooking on High: done in 3-4 hours
If cooking on Low: done in 7-8 hours
But since I was cooking this in water only I wanted it to cook at a higher temperature longer to be more tender. It is still slow cooking so this concept works. After seven or eight hours, take out your roast and shred it with two forks, like this. Discard liquid or reserve two cups to use in the next step.
This is the part that takes a little elbow grease and I didn’t mind one bit having someone else do it for a change. Ricky asked me later how he did and I said “You did SUCH a wonderful job that I’m going to let you shred the roast from here on out!”.
Take half of your roast and put it back in the slow cooker. Add about two cups of water (or reserved broth).
Place the other half in a zipper bag or sealed bowl and put in the refrigerator or freezer for our next meal.
Pour Taco seasoning in and give it a good stir.
Put the lid back on and keep slow cooker on just until heated through.
Fill tortillas with shredded meat and favorite taco toppings.
In our family that means cheese.
I prefer cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, onions, lettuce, etc…but the majority rules because I’m not going to buy that stuff just for me.
So…cheese. 
EAT!
The last picture is always the most difficult to take and this was Ricky’s first shot at Food Photography.
I think it turned out pretty well.
Second Meal
The next day, take out the rest of your shredded meat and place in a sauce pot or a microwave safe bowl.
Pour a bottle of Barbecue sauce over it and heat through.
Serve on buns.
Wasn’t that easy?
2 in 1 Meal: Beef Burritos and BBQ Sandwiches
- 1 Large Roast (4-5 pounds)
- 4 beef boullion cubes (optional)
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 bottle BBQ sauce
- Flour tortillas and favorite toppings
- Hamburger buns
Slow cook roast all day on high. Remove from slow cooker and shred with fork. Reserve half of meat for second meal. Pour out liquid in slow cooker and return othe half of meat to crock. Add in taco seasoning and two cups of water, stir. Return lid and cook until heated through. Serve on Tortillas.
The Next day (or meal), take remaining meat and add bottle of BBQ sauce. Heat through on stove top or in microwave. Serve on buns.
*Each of these meals fed our family of four with some to spare.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve been a little under the weather (in body, not spirit!) and am just now getting back up to par. Thank you all for your understanding as I work to get caught up. I really appreciate you taking the time to read Southern plate and hope you know that your comments mean the world to me!
Gratefully,
Christy
P.S. Dr Bailey of Bailey Chiropractic is my new best friend!
Learn From Yesterday,
Live for Today,
Hope For Tomorrow.Submitted by Dawn. Submit your quote here.
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This looks de-lish…and oh so easy! Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you so much, Amy! The leftovers are good, too (I had a burrito for breakfast after I got the kids off to school today!)
heehee
Let me know if you get to try it!
Gratefully,
christy
I always make beef BBQ sandwiches with leftover roast exactly the same way – just shred and heat with BBQ sauce right from the bottle. Sometimes I add more vinegar because I like a little more tang and less sweet.
Thanks for the recipes.
Oooh Allison, you’re after my heart! I love the vinegar “bite” to bbq sauce. I even like to add a little extra vinegar to my ketchup from time to time!
LOVE your profile pic!!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
Gosh, I love a slow cooker, and mine has been getting a workout recently! Just last night we had pot roast hash using half of a shredded roast that I’d slow-cooked last week…Yum! Feel better Christy!
Now you’re a handy one!! I just love getting to reuse things!
Thank you so much. I’m working on the getting better part. I just need my back to cooperate!
It’s all good though, mentally I feel fabulous
Gratefully,
Christy
How do you make hash? I’ve heard people talk about it, but never had it.
I too would like to know how to make the hash being talked about. My usual c.p. meal is beef roast with carrots, potatoes and onions. Good, but gets boring. I tried your steak tips (with only 2 ingredients) over rice and have to say it was delicious. Couldn’t believe how easy it was to be so good. Will be making this regularly, but would love to add the hash to my c.p. recipe collection.
I know how it is to have back trouble. I feel for you and wish you a speedy recovery.
Thanks for all your great recipes. You’re a jewel in the southern cuisine crown.
I LOVE my slow cooker! I use mine at least once a week. I was so excited to see this recipe. I will have to try it soon.
Ooh me too. I don’t use mine often enough but I’m going to try to use it more as I do my best to remember to bring y’all some more slow cooker recipes in the future!
I just get on these kicks and tend to wander away from it but now I’m ambling back! lol
Gratefully,
Christy
i will have to try it soon and thank for the recipes.
Thank you, Tia!
I too enjoy the additional taco toppings (sans onions). I normally use ground beef, but since we have a two-fer here, I’ll give it a whirl. And I hope you feel better!
Now you know I’m the ground beef princess! lol I love ground beef for its versatility and frugal prices.
This is always a treat though. The texture of shredded beef just can’t be beat!
Thank you so much for your well wishes! This is the oddest thing, I get to feeling better one day and the next day its like it knocks me flat again.
I will be victorious eventually though! lol
Gratefully,
Christy
I work at home most weeks but I still need to invest in a slow cooker…working at home doesn’t necessarily means that I have time to cook…P.S. Hope you feel better!!!!
I know just what you mean about working at home and still not having time to cook!
I consider myself more of a work at home mom these days and its amazing how little time you have for anything. Work, get pulled away for kids, work, get pulled away for housework (oh, guess folks are going to expect clean clothes tomorrow…), etc.
LOVE my slow cooker. Pop some stuff in first thing in the morning, supper magically appears
Thank you, DJ!! Always good to see you!
Gratefully,
Christy
Sauer’s Barbeque Sauce is the key if you want a good, Eastern NC style barbeque.
Whereas I am too lazy to create my own sauce, I adore it with my pork roast.
Aren’t bottled sauces awesome?
I’ll have to look for that brand, I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen it before.
Is this what NC bbq is like?
I meant to tell folks that this is nothing like Alabama bbq but its just a really good “general” type bbq.
Now I have to go find that sauce and I also need to make a point to get to NC so I can try your native BBQ!
We need to go on a bbq road trip and just sample bbq from all over the country. I’m sure I wouldn’t meet one that I didn’t love!
Gratefully,
Christy
Looks so delicious. You could probably do this with a chicken too, right? We tend to do chicken more often than beef or pork ’cause it costs less. But yum, I never thought to do crock pot shredded meat for burritos, it looks so yummy.
I hope you get to feeling all the way better real soon, it’s no fun being sick.
You could definitely do that with chicken. I would use chicken broth or bouillon instead of beef. I cook chicken for BBQ or burritos quite often.
This would be EXCELLENT with chicken, no doubt about it!!
Micha, thank you so much for putting that link up here. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help!! ~hugs~
Hope you enjoy the chocolate cobbler, Stephanie!
Y’all have a great weekend!
Gratefully,
Christy
i have never tried the taco seasoning, that’s gonna be on the menu soon. I like to cook a roast in the crockpot with a can of beef gravy and a 4 oz. can of chopped green chiles. Good burrito filling! I might try throwing in some taco seasoning next time, you got my little wheels a-turnin’! Hope your back straightens up, that can be so painful.
Hey Mama Jane! Oh now I love chopped green chilies so I gotta try that!
Isn’t it fun when our wheels get a goin’? lol
Me and my back are having it out and I’m determined to be the more stubborn one in the end. Thank you so much for your well wishes!
Gratefully,
Christy
I hope you are feeling better and give hubby our thanks so we would not be deprived of our Southern Plate. The meat looks wonderful, but you have to know me to realize I would be in the midst of a “tizzy” to pay $14.00 for a piece of meat. Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas ham might get a rare splurge. I guess I would just have to try to remember that one plate of eating out would be that much and you are going to get two meals and many servings so I need to keep it all in perspective. Don’t over do-I know you seldom slow dowmn .Spoken like a true mama!!!!
Hey Elaine!
~leans in and whispers~ You know what was cool about sending hubby to buy that roast? He paid for it! ~giggles~ So it didn’t come out of my grocery budget! I can sneak things like this in on him from time to time and he doesn’t notice.
It’s always hard to pick out meat at the grocery store for the very reason you stated, its just so expensive! I always say that if I ever “come into some money” we’re going to have a big old pot roast every single week!
I love Thanksgiving turkey sales. I try my best to buy two turkeys in that season just to have all of that wonderful meat. Wish I knew a deer hunter!
We actually ended up getting two full meals and several lunches out of this so it was a good deal in the end, but I know exactly what you mean!
Thank you for your well wishes! It’s so hard being a mom and being sick or down and out. Who do we call in sick to? lol
Hope your week has been wonderful!
Gratefully,
Christy
I hope you are feeling better and give hubby our thanks so we would not be deprived of our Southern Plate. The meat looks wonderful, but you have to know me to realize I would be in the midst of a “tizzy” to pay $14.00 for a piece of meat. Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas ham might get a rare splurge. I guess I would just have to try to remember that one plate of eating out would be that much and you are going to get two meals and many servings so I need to keep it all in perspective. Don’t over do-I know you seldom slow down. Spoken like a true mama!!!!
These both look delicious, and EASY! I know my roast-beef-loving husband will adore both. Especially the BBQ. Can’t wait to try them!
Thank you so much, Lisa! I hope he enjoys them as much as my husband does!
Love your cute little profile pic!
Gratefully,
Christy
I use my slow cooker in the summer too! I’m just as busy in the summer and hate to heat up my kitchen.
Congrats to Ricky for a job well done – and congrats to you, Christy, for handing over the control – I’m a bit like you and it ain’t easy to do.
Mission accomplished – now I’m really hungry!
Hey Carol,
Ooooh so you know how hard that was? lol Its funny how we get territorial over our kitchens, isn’t it? But I imagine he’d have a cow fit if I were to go into his office and start messing around. No, I am positive he’d have a cow fit because he is extremely organized and meticulous and I’m more of a throw-it-up-in-the-air-and-see-where-it-lands type of gal! hehehe
Gratefully,
Christy
Looks great…as always!
Thank you so much!! Great seeing you!
I have never tried roast beef with taco sauce for tacos, I always use ground beef. BUT – this looks really good and I think my boys would love trying something different for a change. The BBQ sandwich looks great too!! Hope your feeling 100% soon!
Thank you so much, Debbie!!
I’m working on the feeling better part. Fortunately, I’m pretty stubborn!
Hope your hungry boys gobble this up with glee!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
I loooooove my slow cooker. I have 2 now; one is huge and I use it when I’m making food to take to others and want leftovers for us. The other one I use most of the time since there are only 2 of us. I usually do a beef roast with vegetables that we eat on one meal; then the roast alone for sandwiches and if there is any left over, I use the vegetables, broth and meat along with some additional vegetables as a soup (which I have in my refridgerator right now). This time when I made the soup I used your recipe and put in the Spicy V8 instead of tomato sauce and I have to say it was a big hit. Thank for more good ideas! I’ll have to try the burritos with the next roast.
Carol,
You are a woman after my own heart! Congratulations to you and your lucky family for you being so thrifty and creative in making these delicious meals! All of your food sounds heavenly.
Smart, smart, smart woman!!! I wanna be like you when I grow up!
Gratefully,
Christy
Today was SUPPOSE to be a crockpot day. I was going to put a boston butt in for supper, but started my day and forgot until lunch time. DH went out of town anyway, so he said to go ahead and cook it and we will make BBQ when he gets back. Great minds think alike!
I love making my grass-fed beef roasts and stews in the crockpot. I started doing it when my daughter was just learning to eat real-people food. I would start a stew at breakfast and it was tender enough for almost-toothless baby at suppertime.
Feel better soon. We love our chiropractor too!
Yum! I love using my crockpot in the fall and winter so this is right up my alley.I think I will do these 2 recipes for the upcoming weekend.Thanks!
Aren’t slow cookers just great? I can’t wait to try this.
I’m so glad you are feeling better. It is not fun to try working while you are under the weather. I pray you continue to get better.
Ricky…You’re hired!! I’ll bet that is what the CEO (chief entree’ organizer) of Southern Plate said. You did a great job and it was funny that Christy had you taking pictures of roasts at the meat cooler……wish I could’ve watched the faces of store customers near you. I have used Christy’s slow cooker recipes and have a 100% success rate, just ask my family. Thank you for all you do on SP, sweet friend. I hope your back gets better soon and I think Dr. Bailey has some pecan pie muffins and monkey bread in his near future tee hee. Love ya!
Ricky…. hang on dude…. I hear that we’ll get the right to vote come next election.
$14.00…. I assure you that a $14.00 roast is not obtainable at my local Piggly Wiggly grocery store…. maybe an $8.00 blade in….LOL
But I do like the hint to use beef roast (not just pork)… I would never have thought to try a ‘pulled pork’ sandwich with beef… but it sounds marvelous…. thanks to both of you…. hope you’re better soon Christy.
YUM I will have to try this!!
Tomorrow I am making your crockpot chicken that you put a coke in. SO good over rice!!!
OK, that’s easy. Now I’m hungry for some beef! Good job, Mr. Rick.
deli!!!!!! and so easy tks
Yeah Ricky, you done a fantastic job. Sorry to hear about your back Christy hope it is better soon. This is another fine meal from SP. What would we do without you. I found another great blogger and I must say she has also inspired me as you have. I have accepted a challenge from my neighbor (her family loves it when I try your recipes because it just taste better when you share :>)I will not be buying any meat until I have used all that is in my freezer.
I even take my crockpot on the road with us when we go to the beach for an extended amount of time! I love coming in from the pool/beach to the yummy smell of BBQ awaiting us!
Thanks for the crock-pot cooking times! That’s going to help me a lot!
Stephy
Thank you to you and Ricky for this great crock pot post! I love to use my crock pot on busy days and these recipes look gooood!!
Hope you are feeling tip-top real soon! Thanks for “feeding” us even when you’re not feeling your best!
Bountiful Blessings!
I like to serve mine with carrots and mashed potatoes the first day and use the rest to put in beef vegetable stew/soup (whatever you want to call it. It’s stew at our house!)
Christy,
Wonderful job! Looks yummy–I just love a flour tortilla! Smack something yummy in it with some cheese and I’m in heaven.
Listen—
You are of NO GOOD to all of us if you don’t take care of yourself. Please take it easy, and honestly: a day off now and then is fine, I don’t think anyone is keeping score. You aren’t invincible and with all that you have been up to–a little rest is well deserved!
OMG- i thought I was the ONLY one who had hubby send me photos on his cell to make sure the has the right thing on the list!!!!!
this is my mother’s to-go recipe- never fails. we usually put ours on overnight that way when we get up, it’s ready to shread. course the smell overnight drives everybody nuts….
we also add salsa to ours when making mexican, adds some kick,..
Nicole, you have me giggling now, hearing that there are 2 women that ask their husbands to take pictures at the grocery store. Thx for my grins today.
Another winner as always!
Thank you so much for posting the crockpot recipes, Christy! You already gave me dinner for Wednesday and Thursday. Between my two jobs and going to school full time, I rely on my crockpot very heavily and I get tired of my old recipes! Continue to feel better! (PS If you don’t have a hot tub or a spa, now is the perfect time to convince hubby that you need one! :_) Good luck with that!)
We recently moved and I am so thrilled that in the new place on my counter I have a place for my crock pot and KitchenAid mixer to sit out. Before I was constantly rearranging and moving things around to make room when I wanted to use them.
I have never done this with beef before but do pork roast. First night we have a regular pork roast dinner and next night pulled BBQ sandwiches. Think maybe I need to get a roast out of the freezer to cook this week.
Christy, I forgot to add I sure hope your back gets better soon. Sending healing prayers your way
Christy,
OMG!! I know just what you mean when you say down in your back!! My mom still says that and you guessed it! I do, too!! It took my Italian husband about 5 years to understand all of our talk!! I hope you feel better soon. BTW, my hubby won a KitchenAid slow cooker at a golf outing this last summer and I love it!! Thanks, Ricky for your great recipe. Now maybe I’ll have to get down in my back for my hubby to try to use our new slow cooker!
Veronica
I got this crockpot as a gift from a friend, I had not used it yet because I didn’t really know how,it is larger than any I had every used and wasn’t sure how to convert my recipes. Thanks for the beef recipe, this will help me to get started.
I love using my slow cooker! This is a great money saving recpe as well! Thanks Christy this one is on my must try list!
I make a roast like this too sort of. I put in my roast, add a packett of onion soup mix and a can or rotel. Cook on low for 10 hours or until i come home after work. I take the roast out of the crock pot and discard the liquid, I then shred this and put some on tortillas with lettuce, cheese, etc. Next meal all i do is heat up the shredded beef and add some bbq sauce, and it has a great taste since it was cooked previously using onion soup and rotel.
Really need to invest in a slow cooker. Those look so good! And I love how easy they are!
hello, I just wanted to know how much water to put in the slow cooker at the start with the roast.
thanks for the ideas so I can give my husband some other foods to eat.
I don’t use water in my roast if i cook it for bbq and beef tacos, the can of rotel is enough and the roast makes it own liquid. If I am making pot roast in the crock pot i put a very small amount of water in, like maybe 3 ounces if that.
I just love to see you on channel 31, please give me the chocolate cobbler recipe or where to find it, please.
http://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/how-to-make-chocolate-cobbler.html is the link with the recipe.
Excellent idea. Shredded Beef tacos and burritos are marvy, and who doesn’t like a BBQ Sandwich or platter.
We will be doing this next week.
This sounds great! The only thing I would do differently is to use beef Better Than Bouillion instead of bouillion cubes. It’s a very thick paste that comes in a jar. You can find it by the regular bouillion in the grocery store. It has a much better beef flavor than bouillion cubes.
Denise
Dallas, TX
Dear Christy,
Love the site. Sorry to hear you are down in the back. I have had back problems since I was in my 30’s, I am a tall girl and taller people over 5′8 do have more back problems. I have something for you that will be your bestest friend for the rest of your life, it has saved me time and many thousands of $$$$. It is called the Teeter Inversion Table (Hang Up’s). It is really easy to use and you may find a used one at a used sporting goods store, like play it again sports.Since it is at your home you can use it anytime and after you get use to it about 5 min’s aday will do….I bought mine on HSN, it has been a Blessing to me and many of my friends.I promise it really does work…
Thanks so much for all that you do.
Stephanie
Southern Plate
Your recipes are delicious and easy thanks for all your help.
I’m looking forward to trying this tomorrow, but being a newer cook (I’m a newlywed!), I have no idea how much water or broth to add.
I read the recipe 4 times, but I didn’t see it anywhere. I’m using a 3 pound pork roast.
Thank you!
I’m sorry about that, Taylor!
I added four cups of water initially, along with four bouillon cubes.
I hope this helps!
Gratefully,
Christy
P.S. I’m sorry I didn’t list the amount of water, not that you’re a newlywed! lol
CONGRATULATIONS!!! And I know you’re a fabulous cook!!
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