Beef and Mushroom for Family and Guests

My dad sent me this recipe when I was a new bride (almost 37 years ago) and I have been making it for that long. It is perfect for family and for guests, just like the title says.

I would make it for my in-laws when they visited from Wisconsin - it makes the house smell fab and needs very little attention so you can serve it whenever it suits you. This feature also makes it perfect for guests, especially people who arrive late (never be late for a dinner party by the way it is too rude) because you can leave it in the oven or crockpot for a long time. Here you go:

3 lb. beef roast ( I have used eye of round, boneless rump roast and even sirloin tip roast. It need not be exactly 3 lbs. and since it will braise for so long it can be a very inexpensive cut too, although I would stay away from using a chuck roast since it is so fatty)
One envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
One can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup
One soup can of dry sherry (go to the liquor store and buy a bottle and don’t spend more than $6.00).
½ can beef broth (save the other ½ in case you need to thin out the mixture the next day if there are any leftovers)
12-15 mushrooms sliced thinly

Cut the meat into bite-sized chunks – don’t make them so big you cannot fit them in your mouth. Place meat and mushrooms in a crockpot or dutch oven pan. In a separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. Pour over meat and mushrooms and stir.

If you are using your crockpot set in on low for about 10 hours. Sometimes I mix it all up, refrigerate it and then put it in the crockpot early the next morning.

If you are using a dutch oven pan, cover and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours.

Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes with a nice green veggie and salad.

The best thing about this recipe is you do not need to brown the meat first as you do with so many crockpot meals – I mean if you have to go to all the trouble of browning the meat why bother with the crockpot anyway? Seriously, try this recipe. I know some of the ingredients are ones you may have used before, but adding the sherry and broth make this very, very good.

Debbie B's Marvelous Meatballs

This is such a great, easy to make appetizer recipe that I just had to share it. I am not really a meatball eater – I never understand those crazy sauces that all start with grape jelly (which no one I know eats unless they are in grade school), BUT this has a sweet-sour layer of flavor and it is terrific. Perfect for a crowd since it makes a lot.

Get out your crockpot! In the pot, layer one large package of plain frozen meatballs (NOT in sauce and NOT those Swedish ones), alternating with a 16 0z. can of sauerkraut, drained.

Now, in a bowl, mix together one bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce, one bottle of water (use the empty sauce bottle), ¾ c. brown sugar, and one can of whole berry cranberry sauce. Mix until the jellied part of the sauce is smooth.

Pour onto the meatballs, and mix it all around a bit so the sauce coats it all. Put the lid on your crockpot and cook this mixture all day on low. Really, about 8-9 hours. If you don’t do it long enough the meatballs taste rubbery.

When ready to serve, they will stay hot in a bowl or chafing dish, or at some gatherings people serve them directly from the pot.

*Becky Knows Everything: When you start to eat these, be sure to stand next to your husband or a friend and put all your used toothpicks on their plate so you don’t look like you devoured the whole thing. (This is also a good tip for those tiny smoky wieners my sister makes).