The other day I was looking at summer travel ideas and came across. . . crock pot cooking. What??? Apparently, it’s a thing for those who travel in RV’s and I think it’s quite brilliant. After a day of camping, sightseeing or generally vacationing, you come back to your home-away-from-home and dinner is ready and waiting for you.  See – BRILLIANT! Slow cookers are also perfect for home cooking all summer because they don’t heat up the house like your oven does. It’s already in the 90’s every day here so let’s test the last crock pot recipe that I saw on Pinterest; Slow Cooker Balsamic Glazed Roast Beef by Kevin of Closet Cooking.

Since it had only been a few months since my first roast (remember the Chuck Roast with Balsamic and Dijon post?) and we were so happy with the end result, I wanted to stay with similar flavors so Kevin’s recipe sounded like just the thing.

The Pintesting:

The main ingredients are pretty similar to those in the Chuck Roast with Balsamic and Dijon recipe with a few exceptions.

First, sear the roast. . .

. . .on both sides.

Remove the roast (I put it right in the slow cooker), then saute the onions and garlic.

Add the onions, sauce ingredients, and beef broth to the crock pot.

Then add the potatoes and carrots. Cook for 8 hours on low.

On the Chuck Roast with Balsamic and Dijon, I added the peas as a side dish. Even though they were not in the recipe, this time I added the peas to cook with the rest during the last 1/2 hour of cooking time.

Remove the meat and veggies then make the gravy.

Strain the liquid into a pot and bring it to a simmer. Make a slurry with cornstarch and water (I used some of the beef broth) and add it to the simmering liquid.

Voilà, dinner is done!

I think if you’re on vacation and eating like this the right term is “Glamping” not camping. Brilliant.

The Pintesting Results:

Overall Results: 4.4 Pins

Accuracy: This Slow Cooker Balsamic Glazed Roast Beef recipe delivered. The roast was flavorful and so tender it was falling apart. The veggies were perfect. The gravy was an extra step but a delicious bonus. 5 Pins

Difficulty:  There wasn’t anything hard about the recipe as far as cooking techniques, but since the juices were poured from the crock pot and strained into a sauce pan I’m giving this 4 Pins.

Time: The preparation time for this was fairly quick but there are 8 1/2 hours of cook time. 3 Pins

Cost: The roast was the most expensive ingredient at about $15. On the other hand, the potatoes were buy-one-get-one-free and the organic carrots were on sale. We had Sunday dinner and 2 meals of leftovers for a total of 6 servings. Since most of the ingredients were kitchen staples, the cost per serving was less than $5. 4 Pins

Practicality: Whether you’re camping or cooking at home, on vacation, busy weeknight, or for a weekend dinner, this recipe won’t disappoint. I’ll be making this again! 5 Pins