Cath's Meal Plan 25 - 31 October 2015

Over the last few weeks we've been eating out of the freezer, in the hopes of a decent meat sale. I'm still waiting, and freezer stocks are dwindling. There's not a whole lot of variety in there at the moment, so this week I've had to be creative and use what I have for dinner.

I found a piece of beef at the bottom of the roast bag, so it is scheduled for Wednesday night as a slow cooker roast because I'm busy all day Wednesday. The slow cooker isn't only for soups and stews, it does a great roast too - and not just in winter! It's also good for summer cooking - you get a lovely roast without having to heat the house up with the oven. I usually add the veggies to the slow cooker a couple of hours before the roast is ready and it becomes a one pot dinner. Can't get an easier roast dinner than that.

Slow Cooker Roast

I brown the roast on all sides, then cover it in a mixture of wholegrain mustard, garlic and ground pepper. I don't measure the garlic or pepper, but usually two cloves of garlic crushed is enough for our tastes. The browning gives the roast a nice colour (which it won't get in the slowcooker).

Put the browned meat onto a roasting or cake rack and pop the lot into the slow cooker. The rack out of my small roaster is the right size for my slow cooker. If you don't have a rack use an upside down bread and butter plate. This simple step keeps the roast up out of any juices and lets the meat actually roast rather than stew.  Pour a cup of water into the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 8 - 10 hours (depends on the size of the roast and the slow cooker - some cook faster and hotter than others).

After about six hours place your peeled and chopped veggies around the meat and let them cook while the meat is finishing.

When the meat and veggies are cooked remove them from the slow cooker. Remove the roasting rack or bread and butter plate and use the juices to make the gravy.

This week we will be eating:

Sunday: Roast Chicken

Monday: BBQ kransky, hot potato salad, coleslaw

Tuesday: Sweet-n-sour chicken, fried rice

Wednesday: Slow cooker pot roast, mashed potato, peas, corn, gravy

Thursday: MOO Pizza

Friday: Rissoles, mashed potato, steamed carrots & beans

Saturday: Haystacks