Slow Cooker Italian Beef

I first tried this recipe for Italian Beef when planning Tiny Tot #2's birthday party for incoming family. Our plan was to do a sandwich extravaganza with cold cuts, different spreads, cheeses, veggies, breads --- we wanted everyone to build their ideal sandwich. There is a restaurant in Stevens Point, WI (where I went to school) called Bill's Pizza; they have the most amazing Italian Beef sandwich ever. I miss it a lot and haven't eaten there in a few years now (I moved away from Point in 2006). I was, however, determined to recreate their masterpiece so I could have a little piece of Wisco here in my new home in MD. This recipe didn't disappoint; I didn't think it would though as it has over 700 reviews and 4.5 stars on allrecipes.com! I only made one change to it as it appeared originally, and that was to add 2 packets of Italian dressing seasoning instead of just 1. Well, that and my roast was slightly smaller than 5 lbs.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef
From allrecipes.com

3 c. water
1 tsp. of each of the following: salt, ground black pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, onion salt, dried parsley and garlic powder
1 bay leaf
2 packets dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 (5 lb.) rump roast

Combine water with everything but the meat in a saucepan. Stir well and bring to a boil. Place roast in slow cooker and pour spice mixture over the meat. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 4-5 (mine actually took a little longer on high than this but eventually did get super tender and fork-shredable). Remove bay leaf and shred meat with forks. Place meat back into slow cooker and let it cook for another hour (or more) on low setting to allow meat to absorb flavors. Great served the next day also. I've found that I like this best on crusty bread, and if you top it with crinkle-cut dill pickles, it's just like Bill's! Enjoy!

The spread for the party --- see the slow cooker waaaay at the end? That's the beef!

*I'm sharing this on Life as Mom’s URS (Ultimate Recipe Swap). I'm late, as slow cooking was the theme last week but hey, this recipe is still worth the mention! Her URS's are awesome for great new ideas to try in the kitchen, so stop over and check 'em out if you've got some time.

Here's a quick pic of Buppy with the 2 kiddos getting ready to blow out the candles. I'll have to blog at a later date about that fabulous cake I created....

Here's a picture using the same recipes on a pork roast instead. While it doesn't absorb quite as much flavor as the beef, it's still really, really tasty.