Recipe Thursday - Beef and Lentils

As the weather turns chillier I find that I want comfort foods.  That generally means one dish cooking.  This crook pot meal is almost one dish.  You do need to brown the beef before putting it on to simmer.  It first attracted me because of it's unusual ingredients, now I keep coming back to it because my family likes it.

Beef and Lentils

28 oz can of diced tomatoes with juice
19 oz can of lentils, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 tbsp barbecue sauce
2 1/2 tbsp sweet or regular chili sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

2 tsp cooking oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
finely chopped fresh parsely optional

Combine first 10 ingredients in 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. 

Heat the cooking oil in large frying pan on medium.  Add ground beef.  Scrabmle-fry for 5 to 10 minutes until no longer pink.  Drain.

Sprinkle flour over beef.  Heat and stir on medium for 1 minute.  Slowly add broth , stirring constantly and scraping any brown bits from bottom of pan.  Add to tomato mixture.  Stir well. Cover. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.  Remove and discard bay leaf.

Add parsley.  Stir well.  Serves 6.  Eat as is or serve over rice.

This recipe is from Company's Coming: Slow Cooker Dinners.

"Weekend Cooking" is hosted by Beth Fish Reads.  You are invited to join in the fun by visiting and reading the various food related posts.  You can also enter a link to your recent food related post.  Be sure to visit this week and learn about Beth's Halloween post about the giant fruit bats.