Cooking With Kids Is A Crock!
A Crock-Pot that is!
A Crock-pot, or a slow-cooker, is a seldom used tool in my kitchen. Despite the appeal of having dinner slow cooking for me all day long, I just don’t think to pull it out, dust it off, and load it up with ingredients. Recently, though, I had an epiphany of sorts, as one afternoon I pulled out my crock and a handful of ingredients and my son walked into the kitchen. He asked what I was doing, and when I told him, he asked if he could help. Well of course he could! Why hadn’t I thought of that before! Usually, with crock pot recipes, it’s a matter of simply dumping and mixing together a handful of ingredients - — perfect for my little guy to cook “all by himself”.
We made these Easy Barbecued Beef Sandwiches together in just a few minutes. I cubed and dropped the beef in, while together we measured and poured the rest into the pot. Zander really was bemused by the idea of ketchup and Pepsi going into dinner, but he was really happy to be helping. Even better, later on at the dinner table, he took one bite of his sandwich and declared it a huge success, sharing his thoughts that Pepsi is a great ingredient and we should use it more often. I have to admit myself, this barbecued beef turned out much better than I’d anticipated. It was a touch on the sweet side, but I think that could easily be remedied with a little less cola, or at least a brand that tastes a little less sweet to begin with. Overall, I was very pleased with the dish, and we’ll certainly be making this one again. At least, one of us will be making it again- it may not be me. Don’t let the odd combination of ingredients scare you away, for an effortless meal, this one is a keeper just as it is.
Easy Barbecued Beef Sandwiches
Yield: 24 sandwiches
Prep time: 15 minutes (Ready in 6 hours, 35 minutes)
4 pounds boneless beef round steak, trimmed of fat, cut into pieces 2 cups ketchup 1 cup cola-flavored carbonated beverage 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 24 sandwich buns, splitDirections:
Arrange beef in a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Add all the remaining ingredients, except buns. Mix well.
Cover. Cook on high setting for 5 to 6 hours.
About 30 minutes before serving, shred the beef with 2 forks — remove it from the pot if needed to do this, then slide it back into the juices.
With a slotted spoon, spoon about 1/3 cup beef mixture into each bun. Mixture can be kept warm for several hours on low setting.
