As always, our goal at CalmHealthySexy is to help you, as a busy wife and mom, live a calmer, healthier and sexier life. And one thing we do to help you live that kind of life is encourage you to eat healthy, real food and avoid processed food most of the time.
The trick, though, is to do it without spending all of your money at the grocery store or all of your time in the kitchen – because spending money or using time you don’t have definitely does not help you create a calm and sexy life! (Includes affiliate links)
This recipe, Tex-Mex Shredded Beef, though, while not sexy, is an easy and healthy family dinner that helps you eat well while saving time and money. You take 5 minutes to put it together in the morning, let it cook all day in a large CrockPot, and shred it when you get home from work. It couldn’t be easier. (I use this programmable CrockPot. You could also make this in an InstantPot, although I haven’t done that yet.)
In addition, you can serve it several ways – in shredded beef tacos, on whole wheat rolls, or with sides such as brown rice, spicy beans or salad. It’s adaptable to all kinds of eaters (even picky ones). Kids can make it into a simple taco with cheese, big eaters can turn it into a burrito, and those who don’t want carbs can eat it with a big salad or some grilled or roasted vegetables on the side.
I’ve found that I can make everyone in my family happy with this meal, which makes me very happy. Plus I love that it makes a lot, so we have plenty for lunches or a second meal. And it freezes well. It’s a winner all the way around. (Make sure that you have a good supply of food storage containers.)
What are your tips for cooking real food while managing your time and budget? Please share your ideas in the Comments – I would love to hear from you.
Tex-Mex Shredded Beef
Print recipe
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Cook time | 8 hours |
| Total time | 8 hours, 5 minutes |
| Meal type | Main Dish |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot |
Ingredients
- 2 To[ round London broil roasts (2-3 lbs. each)
- 1 jar salsa or picante sauce (16 oz.)
- 1 cup water or beef broth
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
| Place roasts into Crockpot. Add water or broth. Stir cumin and garlic into salsa and pour over and between the pieces of meat. Cover and cook on low all day (approximately 8-10 hours). Carefully remove the cooked meat to a large plate. Shred it using a fork and/or tongs, discarding any fatty pieces. Place shredded meat back into the Crockpot and keep warm until serving. | |
Notes
Buy the best quality beef you can get. I can't afford organic beef, but I do buy beef that's hormone-free and antibiotic-free whenever possible and I look for grass-fed beef that's on sale. Watch for it to go on sale and stock up. Also, you can use other cuts of beef to make this dish. However, I've found that roasts labelled "London broil" (which is often the same as "top round" roast) make very good shredded beef without a lot of fat or waste.
You can vary this recipe based on your family's preferences. Make it very spicy with hot salsa or very mild. Increase the seasonings or use other seasonings. If you're in a tremendous hurry, just dump in the salsa without adding any seasonings!
The recipe makes a lot of meat! Unless you have a very large family, you'll have plenty to take for lunches or to use for a second dinner.
GC says
Thanks Christina. I agree – these kinds of recipes are often better the next day. I didn’t say this in the post, but I freeze any extra broth or beef from this dish (after we have eaten it at least twice!) and from my Spicy Italian Beef and use them in homemade vegetable beef soup – so good!