Slow cooker beef and broccoli
Chuck roast slow cooks into tender strips in a sweet garlicky soy sauce, then the broccoli goes in at the end so it stays bright.
- 460 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $4.88 a serving
- 690 calories
- Good the next day
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ lb chuck roast
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 4 cups broccoli, florets
- 2 packages microwave rice pouches, 8.8 oz pouches
From your pantry
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water
Each serving has about 690 calories, 41 g protein, 68 g carbs and 29 g fat, and costs about $4.88 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No beef broth? Bone broth works.
- No broccoli? Frozen broccoli works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Cut the chuck roast across the grain into , about ¼ inch thick, and off any big pieces of fat.
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Trim. Trimming means cutting off the parts you don’t eat, like stem ends, tough bits or thick fat. It keeps chewy or bitter bits out of the finished dish.
How you’ll know: What’s left is the good part, with no dry ends, woody stems or thick white fat.
the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger together in the slow cooker.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Add the beef and stir to coat. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours, until the beef is .
Fork-tender. Fork-tender means cooked until a fork slides in with almost no push. It’s how you know potatoes, carrots or slow-cooked meat are soft all the way through.
How you’ll know: The fork slides in and out easily, and meat pulls apart with very little effort.
Timer: 300 min
Dolly’s tip: Chuck needs the long, slow time. At 3 hours it’s cooked but chewy; by 5 it’s soft enough to cut with a spoon.Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth, and stir it into the slow cooker.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Add the broccoli, press it down into the sauce, cover, and cook on high 20 to 30 minutes, until the broccoli is and the sauce has .
Tender-crisp. Tender-crisp means vegetables cooked until just tender but still with a little snap. They keep their bright color and crunch instead of going soft and dull.
How you’ll know: A fork goes in with slight resistance, and the color is bright, not olive or gray.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Timer: 25 min
Heat the rice pouches in the microwave as the package says.
Timer: 1 min 30 sec
Serve the beef and broccoli over the rice with plenty of the sauce.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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