Mexican Shredded Beef

After the "race to the finish line" with the cookbook, I was exhausted.  I literally took 2 weeks of from any cooking whatsoever!  My husband is a saint.  He took care of it all for me.  

When I got back to cooking (finally!) I decided something super easy was a great way to dip my toes back in ;)  So, I came up with this SUPER easy Mexican Shredded Beef!

You throw a few ingredients in your crock, shred the beef when it's done and dinner is ready!  This beef is so versatile you can eat it many different ways.  You can eat it on nachos, in tacos, burritos, on a salad, over rice, over quinoa, etc.

Did I mention it's only 4 ingredients????  Just sayin'!

Servings: 10-12 

Ingredients:
3-4 lb. boneless chuck roast
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies (hot or mild)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 cups salsa

Directions: (Use a 3-4 Quart slow cooker)

Place the roast into your crock and pour the contents of the green chilies (juices too) over the roast and add the garlic.

Pour the salsa over the top.

Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, r on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

After the cook time is up, remove the beef and shred it between 2 forks.  Stir it back through the juices or for a lower fat version, just remove the beef, shred it and add in just a little juice. (That's what we did)

Serve this however you would like!

Enjoy!

Homemade Barbecue Shredded Beef over Sweet Potatoes

Since I've been on this health kick, it's been a while since I've had anything barbecue at all!  I missed it!  Barbecue sauce is high in sugar and if I want to cut down on belly fat, I have to keep my sugar intake to a minimum.  I didn't feel guilty eating this barbecue sauce because I know EXACTLY what's in it and I could control it.  I'm here to tell you it doesn't lack flavor AT ALL!  It is equally, if not more delicious than using a store-bought barbecue sauce.  And honestly, it wasn't that hard.  It maybe took me a whole 5 extra minutes.  Maybe.  Without stopping to take pictures, it would have taken me less time.

If I can do this, YOU CAN TOO!  You know I'm going to walk you through it!  Take a risk and WOW your family with a homemade barbecue pulled beef!  We had guests over and they loved it too!  

I served this beef over baked sweet potatoes because honestly, I don't care very much for gluten-free bread.  Sweet potatoes are a very healthy alternative and are naturally sweet, making this even more delicious.  Pair this with a nice salad with 1/4 of an avocado sliced on top and a nice balsamic vinegar dressing and you have yourself one amazingly healthy and delicious meal!  

If you're not gluten-free, my husband suggests this over sub buns with some provolone cheese melted on top!

Servings: 10-14

Ingredients:

6 lb. beef roast (I had this giant guy in my freezer from my cookbook photo shoot-you can use smaller if you need!)

15 oz. can tomato sauce

12. oz. can tomato paste

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup organic maple syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 onion, minced

Directions:( Use a 6-7 Quart slow cooker for this recipe)

In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion.

Place the beef roast in your crock.

Pour your homemade barbecue sauce over the top.

Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

Shred the beef with two forks and work it back through the sauce.

Serve over baked sweet potatoes.

Enjoy!