2 ingredient crock-pot beef

After working for two solid days on the “Treasure Party” – aka our neighborhood yard sale, I am beat! Dead tired! I didn’t get out of my PJ’s all day on Sunday. In fact, as I type this post, it is 7:30 on Sunday night and I am back in bed.

I went to sleep at 8:30 on Saturday night (the sale day) and didn’t wake up until 8:30 on Sunday morning. Twelve hours was still not enough sleep and I had to take a nap on Sunday afternoon. I never nap. Naps are for wimps. So, yes, I admit, much to my dismay, I am now officially a wimp.

We set up all the treasures on more than 3 dozen large (8-ft, 6 ft, and 60-inch round) heavy folding tables. We initially had to squeeze all those tables under the back patio and in the garages (because of rain) and then I got up before the crack of dawn and we moved them all into the yard and spread them out on the open patio for the sale.

Then there was the 4-hour sale itself. At times there were lines of people at the checkout and other times it was just the neighbors hanging out and chatting it up.

Next, it was time to clean it all up and break down the more than 3 dozen tables. Then Connor and I hoisted all the tables that were left at our house into the back of a truck and hauled them around the neighborhood to return them to their rightful owners. Finally, I put my yard back together – moving all the furniture that had been pushed to one end of the patio, to make room for everything else, back to their correct spots. By the late afternoon, I was feeling like a wrung-out dirty dishrag.

That is a lot of physical labor and a lot of hard work!

Aside from all that, the sale was really fun and we did pretty darn well. The remaining items are shoved and smashed into the third stall of our garage awaiting the Salvation Army pick up later this week.

After eating take-out for the three or four days leading up to the sale, I thought I’d better at least make an attempt at dinner for my guys on Sunday night. Thankfully, Connor agreed to go to the grocery store and pick up the two ingredients I needed to make this crock-pot dish, the epitome of an “easy breezy” meal.

Peperoncini Shredded Beef Sandwiches

Beef
2-pound boneless beef chuck roast
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Onion salt and/or garlic powder
16-ounce jar peperoncini peppers

Sandwiches
Thin slices Manchego or Swiss cheese
6 hamburger buns, hot dog buns, or French rolls OR 14 slider buns

Optional
Chipotle mayo
Pickled red onions

Place the beef in a crock pot. Season on both sides with the salt, pepper, onion salt, and garlic powder.

Pour in the entire jar of pepperoncini peppers with their juices. Turn the crock-pot on high heat for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 6 hours. (Alternately, you may just cook it on low for 8 to 10 hours, whatever best fits into your day.)

Remove the meat from the crock pot and transfer it to a plate. Use two forks to shred the meat.

It will almost shred itself.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the peppers and all their stems that have fallen off and transfer them to a bowl. Pick through and discard the stems.

Return the meat to the liquid that remains in the crock pot and turn on high while you toast the buns under a broiler if desired.

Either just pile the meat on the buns, top with a pepperoncini pepper or two or three, and enjoy!

Or slather a little chipotle mayo on one side of the bun, place a slice or two of cheese on top of the mayo, then pile on the meat, top with pepperoncini peppers, and a few pickled red onions before topping with another side of the bun.

Enjoy and try to eat just one, I dare you!

Makes 6 sandwiches or 14 sliders

Thank you to all our veterans and their families who have served our country.

Happy Veterans Day