Summer Solstice Slow Cooker

This easy 3-ingredient Summer Solstice Slow Cooker supper turns a chuck roast, frozen sweet potato fries, and teriyaki sauce into a soft, saucy, tasty meal. Just add everything to the pot in the morning and let it cook all day. By dinnertime, you’ll have tender shredded beef swimming in a rich, sweet-salty sauce.

This little slow cooker supper is my favorite kind of summer cooking. It only needs three things. I toss them into the pot early in the day, then leave it alone while I sit on the porch and watch the sunlight stay over the fields for a long time. It uses a bag of frozen sweet potato fries, a strong chuck roast, and a bottle of good, salty-sweet teriyaki sauce.

By the time the sun starts going down, the beef turns soft and falls apart into little shreds. The sweet potatoes lose their shape too, turning into soft, stringy orange pieces that soak up a shiny, tasty sauce. My mom never made this recipe — she never even saw a bag of frozen fries — but it’s the kind of cheap, easy, no-fuss supper she would have liked on a long summer day when chores took too long.

I like to scoop this saucy beef and sweet potato mix into wide bowls and let everyone enjoy it just like that, with lots of that dark, shiny sauce. If you want to make it stretch further, try serving it over plain white rice, buttered egg noodles, or steamed green beans. A crunchy green salad or sliced garden tomatoes with a little salt and vinegar make a nice, fresh match for all that rich flavor.

Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

• 2 to 2½ pounds beef chuck roast (or another good stewing cut)
• 1 bag (20–24 ounces) frozen sweet potato fries
• 1 bottle (14–16 oz) of thick teriyaki sauce, or any thick stir-fry sauce you like

Summer Solstice Slow Cooker: Directions

1. Put the beef chuck roast into the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. If the roast is very thick, cut it into two or three big chunks so it fits better, but keep the pieces large so the meat stays juicy.
2. Pour the whole bottle of teriyaki sauce over the roast. Use a fork or tongs to turn the meat once or twice so every side gets coated. This sauce is the only liquid you’ll use, so make sure there’s a good puddle of it at the bottom.
3. Sprinkle the frozen sweet potato fries over the top of the roast and sauce. Add them while they are still frozen. You do not need to let them thaw first. It’s okay if they pile up high, since they will shrink and soften as they cook.
4. Put the lid on the slow cooker. Cook it on low flame about 7 – 9 hours, or on HIGH heat for 4 to 5 hours. The beef is ready when it feels very soft and pulls apart easily with a fork, and the sweet potatoes have turned into soft, stringy pieces.
5. When the beef is soft, use two forks to shred it in the slow cooker. Cut it into small pieces, then gently stir it into the sweet potatoes and sauce. The sweet potatoes should be sitting in the dark, shiny sauce, giving everything a rich orange-brown color.
6. Taste the sauce, then add more seasoning if you think it needs it. If it tastes too strong, add a little splash of water. If you want it a bit sweeter, stir in one or two teaspoons of brown sugar, though you probably won’t need to.
7. Serve the shredded beef and sweet potatoes hot in bowls, with plenty of the tasty sauce spooned on top. If people are eating at different times, keep the slow cooker on WARM so the supper stays hot during the evening.