Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches

This is a recipe that I knew would be too much for our family.  But it was the last one I had marked in the June/July Simple & Delicious, so I was going to make it this week anyway and just freeze whatever we didn't eat to have later.  But then, when our allergic-to-cats friends found out we were getting kitties, we thought it would be good to get together for dinner ONE LAST TIME before the kitties got here, so they came over and we ate this.  I worked Monday night, got home Tuesday morning, threw this in the crockpot, and went to bed.  It was that easy to throw together. 

Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches
3 lb beef rump roast or bottom round roast
2 cups water
1 envelope zesty Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope au jus gravy mix
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 oz can chopped green chilies
Sandwich rolls

Place roast in slow cooker.  Combine water and both mixes, then pour over meat.  Top with onion slices and chilies.  Cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours or until meat is tender.  Remove meat and shred.  Skim fat from cooking juices (very hard to do because it was all incorporated, but my roast had quite a bit of fat on the top that I was able to trim off...if your roast has a lot of visible fat, put it fat-side up, because I think if you put it fat-side down, it will be hopeless...).  Return meat to slow cooker; heat through.  Serve on rolls.

We had this with onion rings and french fries.  On the whole very well received by everyone over the age of 4.  So easy to do, and of course it made the kitchen smell great.  Roast is expensive, and the envelopes of stuff weren't cheap either, I think it was $3.50 for both of them.  But usually if we are having people over, I can justify any cost for the sake of fellowship.  So good thing our friends came over.