Weeknight Dinner Made Easy – Beef Brisket

Yes briskets take a long time to cook but I made this one easy. Not only that but i made it during the week and in the summer and didn’t kill my AC doing it.

My brother makes a great beef brisket but he is more dedicated to the meat than I can be. I like it easier. Now this did not taste like his (and I will have to get the recipe for his) but it did have a great taste and the family loved it. Now keep in mind that I doubled this for us, it made dinner for all of us including Dad and his lunch the next day and enough for Michael to take out of town for two (2) dinners. There was even enough left over for me to either just eat the next day or turn into BBQ.

Menu:

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
Mashed Potatoes
Salad
Cherry Cobbler

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

Ingredients:

1 (3 – to 4 -lb.) beef brisket, or a size that fits inside your slow cooker
Salt and Pepper
1 2-oz envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Put the brisket in the slow cooker fat side up (keeps the meat moist and will let the fat juices sink into the meat to give more flavor)
2. Season the beef brisket with salt and pepper
3. In a small bowl, dissolve the soup mix and gravy mix in the water, then pour the mixture over the brisket
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until brisket is done.
5. To serve, remove brisket and place fat side up. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes then carve it diagonally across the grain in thin slices.

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 half and half

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes and cut into quarters
2. Place potatoes in pan and fill water to cover
3. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender
4. Drain potatoes
5. In a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes add butter and cream
6. Mix with hand blender
7. If potatoes are too stiff/thick add half and half a little at a time.

Salad

Ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce
red bell pepper
yellow bell pepper
orange bell pepper
cucumber

Directions:

1. Just chop up what you think you will need or make more for lunch tomorrow.

Cherry Cobbler (in a slow cooker)

Ingredients:

2 21-oz can cherry pie filling

1 box yellow cake mix

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Put the pie filling in the slow cooker and spread it out evenly.

In a medium size bowl, stir the cake mix and melted butter until a crumbly mixture forms, then sprinkle the mixture over the pie filling.

Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on High for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Extras:

To make gravy from the juice. In a sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and add about 1/8 cup flour. Brown the flour making a rue (just about 5 to 6 minutes on medium high heat) stir constantly. Take several cups of the juice from the brisket and once the flour is browned (light) add about a cup of juice and whisk until smooth. If the gravy is too thick just keep add juice till it is as thin as you desire.