Ellie's roast beef

Referencing back to yesterday's post, this is one of the standard meals I like to take to people. Everyone loves it, and it is very easy to prepare. I call it "Ellie's roast beef" since my daughter-in-law got me started on this, though like most recipes, I played with it a little. She does it in the crockpot. Here's how I do it:

Take a frozen chuck (or English cut) roast, several pounds, and place it in a large (disposable) baking pan. Surround the frozen meat with peeled and quartered potatoes and peeled and sliced carrots, and some cut up celery. On top of the meat, empty one package of dry onion soup, one 10 oz. can of low fat, low sodium cream of chicken soup, along with about a cup of water. Cover tightly with foil, and roast in the oven at a 325 degree temperature for about four hours. When it is done, the meat should separate easily with a fork, and it will have made it's own gravy.

What I like about this recipe is starting with the frozen meat. I can prepare it and put it in my oven on time-bake, and even if it doesn't start baking for a couple of hours, the meat stays cold. I can get it ready in the morning, set the oven for when I want it to start and stop, and go running errands if I need to and my dish is still ready to deliver by suppertime. And everything is in one baking dish. I might also add a nice loaf of bread, a tossed salad (in a plastic ziplock bag) and some kind of simple dessert like cookies or brownies.

This is a nice meal for a family. You would be amazed at how welcome it is to folks who are receiving several meals in their time of need, because so many people bring chicken, pasta, or casseroles. So it is something a little different. Let me know if you try it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.