Here's some advise on crock pots: (I've got more of them than I do computers)

Get one that has at least 4 settings:
High for 4 and 6 hours
Low for 8 and 12 hours
+ optional "warming" setting

This is my favorite one that I own. Nobody gets to use this one except me.
http://www.amazon.com/Rival-SCVP600-...ef=pd_sim_hg_6

Beef roast, 3 to 4 lbs
Chicken stock, canned, low sodium x2
Beef broth, canned, low sodium x 2

Carrots, potatoes and onions, cubed about the width of your thumb (this is the longest part, takes me about 5 minutes max)

Toss in veggies THEN the beef roast. Cover with chicken and beefy flavored goodness. Set to low for 8+ hours and go to work. Most crock pots will go to a warming setting when it's done cooking for the 8 hours.

****DO NOT LIFT THE LID EVER ON THE CROCK POT OR IT WILL NOT COOK PROPERLY ON THE LOW SETTING**** It can take up to 2 hours to return to the correct cooking temp and will not cook the food the right way.

Take beef out of the cooker, put it on a serving plate and rest it for 30 minutes covered in tin foil. If you don't do this, feel free to eat your dry meat instead of a juicy roast.

Uncover, slice across the grain of the meat (yes, cutting it will affect the final product) or use two normal forks and shred the meat into chunks without cutting the roast.

Ta da! Sliced or shreaded beef with veggies. 20 minutes tops of actual work.

If you get sparky, put the juice from the crock pot into a stock pot on the stove. Turn up the heat until it starts to boil. Add a teaspoon of all purpose flour to thicken. Whisk like the hounds of hell are chasing you and the only thing that can save you is on your stove. Keep adding little bits of flour until it is a bit more runny than you want it to be. Congrats, you now have gravy for your meat and 'taters. Feel free to put into containers and freeze so you don't have to make gravy next time.


I'll see if I can dig up my own beef and cheese nacho dip, if I'm at the grocery store I can wander down the isles and pick everything I need out. Unfortunately I can't do it off the top of my head.