Italian Beef au Jus

Oh crock pot, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.

I find as I try to save on our grocery budget, I have been pulling my crock pot out more and more.  Not only does it turn cheap cuts of meat into masterpieces, it is just such a time saver.  I love being able to get dinner started in the morning, do the dishes, and know that I can be playing with the kids right up until dinner time.  Plus, whenever I cook in the slow cooker, I always have leftovers!

A few weeks ago I found a crock pot cookbook at Costco titled:  Fix it and Forget it Big Cookbook:  1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes.  I used it for the first time yesterday to make Roast Beef Sandwiches au Jus and was so pleased.  It was easy, inexpensive, the boys loved it, and I shredded the leftover beef, added some barbecue sauce and we will have barbecue beef sandwiches sometime this week for another super easy supper.   One cheap cut of meat, one easy day of crock pot cooking, two delicious dinners.  A stay-at-home mom's dream come true.

Italian Beef au Jus  modified by Joie de vivre from Fix it and Forget it Big Cookbook

3-5 lb. boneless beef roast

10 oz. package dry au jus mix (found with the other one package mixes)

1 package dry Italian salad dressing mix

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1.  Place the beef in the slow cooker insert.

2.  Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the roast.

3.  Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours

4.  When ready to serve, slice the meat and place on hamburger buns or kaiser rolls to make sandwiches.  Strain the liquid in the slow cooker and spoon off the fat or place in a fat separator to keep only the beef juice.  Ladle the juice into small bowls and serve alongside for dipping.

*Leftover ideas*

Shred any leftover roast with two forks and mix with barbecue sauce until a good, saucy consistency.  Serve the next day on hamburger buns.