New England Boiled Dinner

Cutting the meat into serving-sized pieces before you add it to the slow cooker will make the meat cook up more tender, but you can keep it in one piece if you prefer to carve it at the table.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 (3-pound) boneless beef round rump roast
• 2 (10 ¾-ounce) cans onion soup
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 rutabagas, peeled and quartered
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 (2-pound) head of cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Optional: 1 cup sour cream

1. Cut the beef into eight serving pieces and add it along with the soup, horseradish, bay leaf, and garlic to the slow cooker. Add the carrots, rutabagas, potatoes, and cabbage wedges. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
2. Remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter; cover and keep warm.
3. Increase the slow cooker setting to high; cover and cook until the pan juices begin to bubble around the edges. Mix the butter and flour in a bowl together with ½ cup of the pan juices; strain out any lumps and whisk the mixture into the simmering liquid in the slow cooker. Cook and stir for 15 minutes or the flour flavor is cooked out and the resulting gravy is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if desired. Stir in the sour cream if using. Serve alongside or over the meat and vegetables.

Horseradish Gravy

If you prefer a more intense horseradish flavor with cooked beef, increase the amount to 1 tablespoon. Taste the pan juices before you thicken it with the butter and flour mixture, and add more horseradish at that time if desired. Of course, you can have some horseradish or some horseradish mayonnaise available as a condiment for those who want more.