Thrifty Thursday and Preparing for Friday's Feast

 

Today is Thrifty Thursday so our dinner tonight is Pot Roast in the Crockpot. Pot Roast is my go to meal when I want to be free to run errands during the day, yet have a healthy and nutritious meal for my family when we get home. I threw it together last night and then plugged it in this morning.  There are many different recipes that I use for Pot Roast but they are all pretty much the same technique.  You can see the technique and one of my other recipes here.  For tonight's Pot Roast I used a Chuck Steak, surrounded it with potatoes, carrots, celery and onions and braised it in V8 juice.

 

 

Pot Roast II

 

1 (3-4 lb.) Chuck Roast

1 T. cooking oil (I use coconut)

1 onion, cut into chunks

3 stalks celery cut into 1" pieces

4 Carrots, cut into 1" pieces or a small bag of baby carrots

6 Red Potatoes, quartered if large, halved if small

1/2 c. red wine 

1 single serving can of V8 Juice

1/2 c. water

 

Dry the roast with paper towel and then season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.  Heat 1 T. of oil in a large skillet.  When oil is hot but not smoking, sear beef on both sides.  While beef is searing place vegetables in bottom of a crock pot.  Place seared beef on top of vegetables.  Deglaze the pan with the wine until slightly reduced, add the V8 juice and continue cooking over med high heat, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Pour this over the meat.  Pour water into pan and swirl releasing any remnants left in the pan and add to the crockpot.  Turn the crockpot to low heat and cook for 8-10 hrs.  Print Recipe

 

So while my Thrifty Meal was cooking I ran out to get the things I needed for our Valentine Dinner Party on Friday.  Friday night's dinner will not be thrifty but it will be much less expensive than if we went out for a dinner of this type.  I will be able to serve all of my guests for what it would cost for Frank and I to go out to a high end restaurant and have a complete dinner including drinks, appetizers, entrée and dessert, as you will see from my menu listed below.

 

 

 

Menu

 

Oysters Rockefeller

Champagne

 

Tomato Bisque

Chardonnay

 

Baby Spinach

with Candied Walnuts, Goat Cheese

and Spiced Pickled Beet Hearts

 

White Blend-Tango

 

 

Filet Mignon with Cabernet Jus

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Steamed Asparagus

Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Individual Cheesecake Hearts

Coffee

 

 

Stop by tomorrow for photos and recipes from our Valentine's Day Dinner Party.