Meal prep magic
It’s no secret that we’re obsessed with meal prepping around here. It’s literally our secret weapon when it comes to eating healthy despite all the ‘fullness’ our lives have to offer. Having a fridge full of ready-to-cook meals, reheat and eat meals and salads and snacks prepped and ready to go means we don’t have to wonder ‘what’s for dinner?’ or rely on sheer willpower to stay out of the fast food drive-thru. If the idea of meal prepping is new to you – or you’re a seasoned meal prepper who’s strayed from your weekly habit or taken some time off (it happens, especially during the holidays!) – then check out our 7 Steps for Mastering Meal Planning in 2018 to get you started or help you rekindle your meal prep mojo. Now that we’ve got that little PSA out of way, let’s talk about one of my favorite meal prep recipes of all time: Slow Cooker BBQ Beef I love this recipe because:
Makes a huge batch – enough to serve 10-12 – so it’s perfect for batch cooking and for parties or potlucks Uses an less expensive cut of meat Freezes well Can be used several different ways – stuffed in a sweet potato, served over cauliflower rice or a bed of greens, wrapped in lettuce or collard leaves, added to eggs or even served on a gluten-free bun if you’re not doing a Whole30 It’s amily-friendly and kid-approved Requires just 15-20 minutes of prep time – even less if you skip the browning/searing step It’s Whole30-friendly – no sugar, dairy, gluten or soy; just real food ingredients you might already have on hand
If you’re not already convinced that this Slow Cooker BBQ Beef deserves a place on your meal plan, then let me show you just how easy it is. Start with good onions. I prefer the jumbo sweet onions for their flavor and because they cook down nice and soft – which is great if you have little ones who like to pick things out of their food. These onions are nearly indistinguishable from the meat thanks to the acid from the vinegar and tomatoes and the long cooking time.
Wondering if you should purchase grass-fed beef? Learn how to choose quality red meat in this post!
Browning the meat before tossing it in the slow cooker is totally optional. Cutting the roast into smaller chunks makes it easier to handle and also helps the meat cook faster and more evenly (and IMHO, you get a more tender, fall apart product in the end). It’s also easier to handle in the pan if you do choose to brown it first.
Place the onion in the slow cooker, add the beef and then the sauce (which I alluded to earlier, is super simple and you likely have everything already on hand!) Now give it a good stir to coat the meat and onions with the sauce.
Now, put the lid on the slow cooker, set it to low and walk away for 8-10 hours. When you return you’ll have a whole mess of beautiful and super versatile BBQ beef to do with as you please.
I personally love it stuffed into a baked sweet potato and topped with my simple 4-ingredient coleslaw for the ultimate Whole30-friendly comfort meal!
Now it’s your turn.
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