If I'd have known...I'd have crock'd my roast

Today has been one of those days...when I leave my house in the morning, expecting to be home around noon.  Except I spent the afternoon taking my daughter for fun things like x-rays and lab tests.  It was an unexpected sort of day for me (and my needle phobic baby girl), so I didn't crockpot anything for dinner in the morning.  Which means we are stuck eating frozen burger patties, chips and apple slices.  Not exactly my favorite, but my burgerholic boys are, no doubt, giving thanks to the heavens above, so there's your silver lining!  Now I realize being gone all day is the norm for most of America, but since I'm a stay at home, (shockingly mainstream) homeschooling, homebody-type mom...I'm here pretty much all the time.

If I had known I would be removed from my household for the day, at the very least I would have thrown this into my crockpot.  I usually keep a chuck roast in the freezer, and, although manufacturers of 'slow cookers' recommend you don't throw frozen hunks of meat into your crockpot, I will let you in on a little secret.  I do it all the time, and we ain't died yet!  I think they are CYAing to their litigation department's tune.  But that's just me.  You have to decide for yourself.  (See, I can CMA too.)  This is perhaps the most basic a crockpot recipe can get, but it has saved dinner more than once!

Crock'd Roast Beast

1 - 4-5 lb. chuck roast (you can adjust the size accordingly, this feeds our hungry family of 5, with leftovers that make great burritos, tacos, nachos and hot sandwiches for lunch)
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
1/2 cup leftover morning coffee

Season all sides of your roast and put it in your crockpot.  Add the coffee.  Cover and turn on low for all day cooking.  If you happen to have a frozen roast, you might want to turn it on high for an hour before you leave, and then down to low, but it will cook the other way too, just taking a bit longer.

Feel free to slice onions, potatoes, carrots, celery and throw them in there if you like (the roast goes in last).  While that does make a handy ENTIRE meal, my family doesn't like their potatoes and veggies this way.  When I'm really pressed to get dinner on the table a bag of frozen broccoli and loaf of french bread go a long way towards completing a meal.  This is also a great way to use up half empty bottles of sauces, marinades, salsa etc.  Just eliminate the coffee and seasoning salt.  If you have plenty of time, whip up some mashed potatoes, use the pan juices to make gravy and live large.

Well, the siren song of frozen sirloin patties from Sam's Club are calling...

xoxo
~S