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Your slow cooker will do all the work with this easy and delicious Crock Pot Busy Day Steak. The end result will be the most tender beef with a delicious and creamy gravy! A perfect meal for those busy days!
This meal was my favorite growing up. For my birthday, we had the choice to order food or my mom would make what we wanted. I always requested this meal along with angel food cake. Still my favorites! My mom made this with the condensed soup stuff and she would bake it. Of course, I tweaked the recipe. I ditched the condensed soup and used the crock pot so I wouldn't have to babysit the oven. Tastes almost exactly like I remember as a kid!
Ingredients Needed for Busy Day Steak
- 3-4 pounds round steak
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup milk
- 1 batch Homemade Onion Soup Mix or 1 store bought envelope
- 4 oz fresh or canned sliced mushrooms (optional)
- salt and pepper
Which round steak should I use?
There are 3 different cuts of round steak: top round, bottom round and eye of round. Since this recipe is using the crock pot, it doesn't matter which one you use. The slow cooking process will break down the connective tissue and fat making it so tender it just falls apart with a fork.
Round steak is so underrated, and happens to be one of my favorites. It's a lean cut of meat with more connective tissue and less fat making it not ideal for grilled or sauteed steaks, but it is perfect for crock pot recipes, soups and stir frys. I use it in my Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry recipe-HERE and often in my Beef Barley Stew-RECIPE HERE.
How to Make Busy Day Steak in the Crock Pot
Do you call it a crock pot or slow cooker? I grew up calling it a crock pot, and it has just stuck. I like to save myself a lot of clean up by using crock pot liners. They are marvelous! I love making messes in the kitchen, but hate doing the dishes. So these things are such a blessing.
First thing, if you are not using a liner, grease the bottom and sides of the crock pot. Then cut the meat into 5-6 chunks depending on how big the steak is. Place the steaks in the bottom of the crock pot and season with salt and pepper. If you love mushrooms like me, add those on top of the steaks!
Next in a skillet melt the butter over medium heat, then add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly pour the beef broth in while whisking the entire time. Whisk until all the flour lumps are gone. Then add milk, whisk and season with salt and pepper. Bring the gravy to a boil and boil for 1-2 minutes while whisking. Remove from heat. The gravy should coat the back of a spoon.
Finally, pour the gravy over the steak and mushrooms. Then sprinkle the onion soup mix over the gravy. Place the lid on the crock pot and set on low for 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.
Serve it with some Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Broccoli or Cauliflower and your meal is complete!
More crock pot recipes you might enjoy!
Iowa Maid Rites
Beef Barley Stew
Crock Pot Whole Chicken
Beef Bolognese
Pizza Joes
If you try my favorite birthday meal, Crock Pot Busy Day Steak, let me know if you enjoy it as much me in the comments below! Pictures encouraged on Instagram with the hashtag #heathershomemadekitchen You can also follow me on Social Media to see what other crazy things my family and I are doing! If you like what you see, please share with your friends and family!
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Crock Pot Busy Day Steak
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds beef round steak
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup milk
- 1 batch Homemade Onion Soup Mix, or 1 store bought envelope
- 4 oz mushrooms, fresh or canned, optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using mushrooms, place them on top of the beef.
- In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute.
- Slowly pour in the beef broth while whisking the whole time. Whisk until all the flour is incorporated.
- Whisk in the milk and season with salt and pepper.
- Bring the gravy to a boil and boil for 1-2 minutes while slowly whisking.
- The gravy is done when it coats the back of a spoon or spatula.
- Pour the gravy over the beef. Then sprinkle the onion soup mix over the gravy.
- Set the crock pot to low for 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.
Kathy says
When do you put store bought onion envelope in?
Kathy says
When do you put store bought onion envelope in?
Very good
Heather Warburton says
Thanks for finding my error! Sprinkle the soup mix over the gravy and then cook on low 7-8 hours.