Crock Pot Broccoli Beef

I am always looking for new ways to use my crock pot and what better what than with making take out at home! I have been eying several Chinese recipes over the past several weeks and finally had to try one of them out. I have my go-to recipes that I make all the time, but it was time to spice things up a bit and try something new. The great thing about the crock pot is that you can just throw everything in and let it go for hours and hours without any worry, but some recipes do have a specific time limit - say, 4-5 hours. Since I am at work for 10 hours, I would more than likely come home to a burnt or over cooked dinner, so I leave the weekend to experiment with shorter cooking times in my crock pot. Thus, this weekend was the weekend to experiment and test out crock pot broccoli beef!
 
Although the captain and I enjoy Chinese food, it's not something we get all the time. For one, it's not that good for you and two, it can be expensive - especially if you are feeding more than two people. In fact, even for two people it's expensive. You order a couple of dishes and the next thing you know, your bill is over $50! Plus, you know how I am always trying to make things at home and lighten them up so they taste just as good as the real deal, but healthier and lighter. You know that if you go to your local Chinese restaurant that they are frying the meat or adding all kinds of oil that you don't really need. Let me just say, I know I don't need that added to my booty and I am sure you don't want it on yours either! Making dishes just as tasty as the restaurant, but healthier and I can make it at home while still in my pajamas? That a win-win if you ask me. Don't you think? 

To make this incredibly yummy and super easy broccoli beef, you first start off with beef. You can use sirloin steak or flank steak. Whatever you can find. I couldn't find sirloin for some strange reason, so I used the next best thing -flank steak. No matter what you use, it will still be just as delicious. Just make sure to cut it with the grain of the meat and thinly. Once the meat is all cut up, throw it in the crockpot and then pour over the sauce - a little brown sugar, beef broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, a few cloves of garlic and a bit of sesame oil (you don't need a lot of the latter - it's strong, so don't go adding much more). Let the meat and super yummy sauce get all warm and bubbly for about four hours. Don't let it go over five or the soy and oyster sauces may start to burn and condense down. No one wants overly salty or burnt sauce! Once the meat is cooked through, you'll want to thicken the sauce a bit with some cornstarch (it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to thicken up!) and then throw in steamed broccoli. Toss everything to coat and you have an amazing dinner on your hands. With the veggies already in the dish, all you need to do is serve it over a bit of brown rice and you are good to go. Super delicious and super easy. Bet you didn't know it would be this easy to make take out at home.

not pictured - beef

 

slice the beef thin and place in the crock pot

 

mix up the sauce

 

our the sauce over the meat and cook for 4-5 hours

 

once the beef is cooked, thicken the sauce up with a bit of cornstarch

 

throw in a couple of big handfuls of steamed broccoli

 

mix everything together to coat and serve!

Crock Pot Broccoli Beef (slightly adapted from Mother Thyme)

1 1/2-2 pounds sirloin steak or flank steak, thinly sliced on the grain

1 cup beef broth

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

12 ounces broccoli florets, cooked per package directions or steamed

Brown rice for serving

 

In a small bowl whisk broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic. Pour over beef and let marinate for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Place mixture in slow cooker and cook on low for about 4-5 hours.

 

In a small bowl stir water and cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved. Stir into slow cooker and cook for about another 10-15 minutes until sauce thickens (turn your crockpot to high to thicken!). Before serving stir in steamed broccoli mix to coat beef broccoli and serve over rice. Enjoy!

 

 

Take out at home - it doesn't get better than this!