From Roast to Veggie Soup, YUM

One thing I have always done is use leftovers to make another meal. Even before I began using coupons and working hard to stretch our dollars at the grocery I used this one and we have always loved it.

It's such a hearty combo of meals that is great for this time of the year!

Day 1
Beef Roast a little larger than what will serve your family for one meal (wait for a sale or get it at the discount rack and freeze until ready to use it)
veggies of your choice - Sometimes I just use 1 quart of tomatoes.

*When I only use tomatoes we usually have homemade mashed potatoes which we ladle the juices over, green beans, and butter bread to soak up any more juices. Yummy!

*Other times I use your typical carrots and potatoes, a few sliced onions, & sometimes a small can of tomatoes (just love'm) and serve the roast with gravy and rolls. A meal in one pot.

Place the roast and chosen veggies in a crock pot in the morning and set on low. Cook all day on low, no need to stir. In the afternoon, or if you work- when you get home, check the roast to see how it's cooking. If it is getting tender and starting to pull apart easily leave it on low to continue to cook through. If it is still firm it may be need to be either cut into two pieces if it is rather large, or turned up to high heat. If you choose to turn up the heat, be sure to check on it occasionally.

After you have eaten from this hearty meal save the leftovers to make a wonderful veggie soup.

Later...

Usually a day or two later I get the leftovers out, add some diced carrots, potatoes, cabbage or small bits of broccoli (really need a small bit of something from the cabbage family to really make this great-trust me, hubby didn't used to like cabbage and didn't like seeing it in this soup so I made it without once, he asked me what I did different because it wasn't as good that time) sliced celery, a small can of tomatoes, and if I have it I usually pour in a few frozen mixed veggies. Save any already cooked leftover veggies for the end. Really any veggies you have will work for this.

I usually put everything in a pressure cooker, leftovers from the soup (cut the meat into bite size pieces) and my fresh & frozen veggies, add beef broth (water if you don't have it) if not enough juices left- just add a little, lots of juices will come out of the the veggies. I save any other leftover veggies that I want to put into the soup until after the soup has cooked so that they don't turn to mush. I usually cook this in the pressure cooker for about 7-10 minutes after the jiggler starts (depends how big I make my veggie pieces-check your pressure cooker guidebook for your firmest veggie recommendation).

If you don't have a pressure cooker... never fear. You can use your crock pot or just a pot on the stove for this as well. To use your crock pot, just place all of your ingredients in in the AM, set on low and check the veggies as you get close to dinner time. For a pot, place ingredients in pot together and simmer until veggies reach desired tenderness. Add beef broth/water if needed to reach desired thickness. We like a hearty soup so add very little liquid to ours.