This delicious meal is simple to throw together and it tastes better than Take Out!
Hey, y'all! Welcome to my latest series on the blog; Make Ahead Mondays! Let me tell you, meal planning and meal prepping has been a game changer for me. Recently, our family grew from a family of 2 to a family of 5 when our latest group of foster children joined us.
Before, when it was just the two of us, I'd meal plan- meaning I'd sit down on the weekends and figure out what meals I was going to prepare throughout the week. I'd jot down a grocery list and head to the store to stock up for the week. Now that we're moms to a 5-year-old and 1 1/2-year-old twin boys, I had to switch over to meal prepping. Meal prepping, for me, means planning out our menu, grocery shopping, and then spending a couple of hours 1 day a week whipping up all of our meals for the week and tossing them into the freezer until we're ready to use them. Ya'll, I have so much more time on my hands doing things this way AND there's a hell of a lot less dishes.
Throughout this series, I'm going to share with you the recipes I use to on these meal prep days. Hang on tight, your life is about to get so much easier! This week, I'm highlighting my Crock Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli.
Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli is so incredibly easy to prepare. Simply toss all of the ingredients into the crock pot and let the machine do it's magic. The end result is full of flavor! Enjoy it alone or serve it with your favorite rice.
Tips for Making Freezer Crock Pot Meals:
- Keep an eye on your grocery stores sale flyers and stock up on meat when it's on sale.
- Print off recipes your family likes so you don't have to hunt them down or create a special Pinterest board with all of your favorite freezer meals.
- Label each Ziploc bag with the name of the meal, simple directions and cooking time.
- Make sure you have all of the essentials before you get started- bag holders, gallon size bags, quart size bags, permanent markers, bag holders, and slow cooker liners are great to have on hand.
Kitchen Essentials:
Ingredients:
2 lb beef, thinly sliced (flank steak is best but any cut will work)
1 can beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp corn starch
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
To Enjoy Now:
1. Place sliced beef in the bottom of a crock pot.
2. Mix together broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and sesame oil. Pour over the beef.
3. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
4. Remove 1/4 cup of the sauce from the crock pot. Mix it with 2 tbsp corn starch. Stir back into the crock pot. Add broccoli. Stir. Cook for an additional 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare rice according to package instructions.
To Enjoy Later (as a freezer meal):
1. Label a gallon size Ziploc bag with the meals name, directions and cook time. Set aside for step 3.
2. Place broccoli in a separate gallon size bag, or leave it in it's original packaging.
3. Place the beef and marinade bag and the bag of broccoli in the labeled bag.
4. Place in the freezer until ready to prepare.
5. Thaw overnight or for 24 hours.
6. Add the beef and marinade mixture to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
7. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
8. Remove 1/4 cup of the sauce from the crock pot. Mix it with 2 tbsp corn starch. Stir back into the crock pot. Add broccoli. Stir. Cook for an additional 30 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, prepare rice according to package instructions.
Be sure to save this yummy pin for later! Give me a like on Facebook or follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more delicious, easy to make recipes. You can also subscribe to the blog to have the recipes delivered straight to your inbox. See you next time!
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