Tasty Tuesday: Spicy Crockpot Beef and Peppers

It's no secret that I love my crockpot. There's no better feeling than putting in minimal effort to create a delicious, filling meal.

Seriously, though ... I make pretty elaborate, time consuming dinners from time to time. And while I definitely feel a major sense of accomplishment when it all comes together, I don't feel any less accomplished if I just throw a few things together in a crockpot and wait. It may not be a fancy meal, but as long as it tastes good, I'm happy. (Not to mention the fact that instead of slaving away in the kitchen, I have time to do other things like work out, read, work on blog stuff, etc. That's a win in my book!)

I found this recipe while searching Pinterest for healthy crockpot recipes. I barely made any changes to it because it honestly didn't need a bunch of extra stuff. I've also been trying to use the beef we still have from last year's purchase (we'll be buying the same amount from Eric's cousins this year, but we still have a decent amount of meat left in our freezer), so this was perfect.

This is incredibly easy to put together and really good (though my less than stellar photo might make you think otherwise). The Sriracha gives the sauce a nice kick, but it's not overwhelmingly spicy. You can also always use less Sriracha (or more) depending on your tastes.

Spicy Crockpot Beef and Peppers

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Let the Baking Begin.


Ingredient List:

• 1 lb beef stew meat (I might double this next time so we can have more leftovers.)
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into slices and then halved
• 1 large orange bell pepper, cut into slices and then halved
• 1 medium white onion, cut into slices and then halved
• 1 cup beef broth or 1 cup water + 3 beef bullion cubes (I used the water/bullion option.)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp Sriracha (Again, you can use more or less depending on your personal tastes.)
• 4 cups cooked rice (I used basmati rice, but any white or brown rice works.)

Instructions:

1.  Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray.

2.  Add the beef stew meat, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, and white onion to the crockpot.

3.  Sprinkle the garlic salt and black pepper over the meat and vegetable mixture.

4.  Mix the Sriracha with the water and beef bullion cubes (or with the beef broth, if that's what you're using) in a small bowl, and pour over the meat and vegetables in the crockpot.

5.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours.

6.  About 15 minutes before the end of cook time, stir the 1/2 cup water and cornstarch together in a small saucepan.

7.  Add about 1 cup of the liquid from the crockpot to the water and cornstarch, and cook over medium high heat until boiling. Stir constantly to ensure that the cornstarch doesn't get clumpy.

8.  Once the sauce is boiling, allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes. This should help get rid of any cornstarch flavor.

9.  Pour the sauce back into the crockpot, and stir the mixture a few times. 

As I said, I served this over a bed of white basmati rice. I also made a side of green beans, but they didn't make it into the picture.