Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

I love discovering things, even small things like a five dollar bill I forgot that I put in my pocket, my favorite clothing store having a sale, or an ingredient that inspires a completely new and utterly delicious recipe. It is these unexpected surprises that make life interesting. One such recent discovery of mine is a crock pot that was stored in the upper most shelf of the pantry at my townhouse. Neither of my roommates bought the crock pot, so I can only figure previous tenants stored it there and forgot about it. While some people might not think twice about a slightly used crock pot, it certainly made my day! Promptly after discovering this hidden gem, I went online and searched for crock pot recipes.

I found a simple Beef and Broccoli recipe from one of my trusty go-to blogs, Chef in Training. While this recipe might not be the prettiest to photograph, it is a cinch to make and uber delicious. I was fully expecting something similar to the common Chinese dinner, but this recipe far exceeds anything that I've had at a restaurant. The meat is very tender and moist, the broccoli is flavorful from absorbing just enough of the other ingredients to make it far from bland, and the sauce is the right balance between sweet and savory, minus the standard overload of soy sauce that most restaurants gravitate towards. If you find yourself needing a new discovery, try this recipe. You and your taste buds will be pleasantly surprised.

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli (adapted from Chef in Training)
(4-6 servings)

1 lb cubed stew beef (or boneless beef chuck roast, cubed)
1 1/4 cups low sodium beef broth
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 tsp minced garlic
1 lb bag frozen broccoli florets
2 Tbsp all purpose flour (or 1 Tbsp cornstarch)

Add cubed beef to crock pot. In a bowl, mix beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic. Add to crock pot. Cover and cook over low heat for 6-8 hours.

In a small bowl, mix together flour and 1/4 cup of sauce from crock pot. Stir together and add to crock pot. Add frozen broccoli florets and stir ingredients together. Cover and cook over low heat for another hour, or until broccoli is cooked through.

Note: If you want a thicker sauce, double the amount of flour/cornstarch used.

Print recipe here!

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 308.2
Total Fat: 14.9 g
Cholesterol: 45.3 mg
Sodium: 545.4 mg
Total Carbs: 22.8 g
Fiber: 2.3 g
Sugars: 17.5 g
Protein: 24.8 g

Pros:
-Very easy to make
-One dish dinner
-Delicious (better than anything you'll find from a restaurant)
-Great leftovers

Cons:
-High in sodium

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5