Slow cooker Swiss steak

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By Marye Audet

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Posted: Mar 31, 2012 8:20 AM

Posted in: Home / My table / My recipes

Slow cookers are an easy way to get dinner on the table any time of the year, and this Swiss steak is classic diner food that will please the whole family. Serve it with mashed potatoes and a wedge of iceberg lettuce with Thousand Island dressing – poodle skirt optional. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:

3 to 4 pounds of round steak
2 slices of bacon
1/2 cup flour
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Olive oil as needed
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
2 pounds canned tomatoes
1 cup water, V8 juice or beef broth

Instructions:

Cook the bacon until crisp, remove bacon from pan and crumble, but leave the drippings in the pan.
Pound meat until thin with a tenderizer.
Mix flour, salt, smoked paprika and pepper.
Dredge the meat in the flour mixture.
Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan with the bacon drippings.
Heat oil until it shimmers and then add the steak carefully.
Fry just until golden.
Flip and fry on the other side.
Repeat with all the steaks. You may need to add a little more olive oil.
Place the meat in the slow cooker.
Cover with the crumbled bacon, onions, celery, peppers and carrots.
Pour the tomatoes over the meat and vegetables and add the water, juice or broth.
Cook for 8 hours on low or until the steak is very tender.

Variations and tips:

This recipe freezes well for up to three months so make a lot of it at once and freeze it in meal-sized portions. When you need a delicious dinner in a hurry, you can microwave it and serve.
If you like a little more spice to your food, you can substitute canned tomatoes with chilies for the plain canned tomatoes called for in the recipe.
If you really hate chopping carrots, leave them out until just before serving. Drain a can of diced carrots, gently stir them into the slow cooker and serve.
Get more nutritional mileage to this recipe by adding finely-chopped spinach, cubed cauliflower or chopped broccoli. The kids will never know.

Traditionally Swiss steak is served with mashed potatoes, but it is delicious with rice or even egg noodles – anything to catch the sauce. Add steamed green beans or a salad for a blue plate special that any diner would be proud to serve.