Winter Warm-Up Beef Simmer

Well, it's an 80 degree day in April in Maine. What better recipe to have than this one? But this was on the meal plan, which is unflinchingly rigid. Just kidding. It is rigid, but not unflinchingly so. But we had to have this tonight because #1 we are having a bunch of people here at supper time, and #2 because I didn't want to freeze the roast, and it had to be used by tomorrow. So on this lovely spring day, we are having a "winter" recipe. It's okay though. This one is from the cookbook I've been working through, Land O Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes.

Winter Warm-Up Beef Simmer
1 cup chopped onions
6 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
3 lb beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2 1/2" pieces
8 medium red potatoes, halved
3 medium carrots, cut into 1" pieces
3 medium onions, halved
8 oz pkg fresh mushrooms, halved (omitted due to the grossness)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (omitted due to the greenness)
1 cup apple juice
1 can beef broth
6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
2 bay leaves

Heat oven to 325. In Dutch oven place onions, bacon, and meat. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned (8-10 minutes). Stir in vegetables. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and continue baking for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until roast is fork tender.

This came out so great. I used 3 lbs of red potatoes, because we really like potatoes and also to make the meal stretch a bit more. Emma & Jordan (visiting niece) didn't really like the meat, but loved the potatoes. The rest of us thought all of it was really good. Definitely keeping it! Yummy and easy, even if it was ridiculous to have the oven on for like 5 hours (between the meal and the dinner rolls) on an 80-degree day.