Notes:
This is a great meal served right out of the crock along side mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables, but it also works well sliced and served later for sanwhiches, subs and paninis.  You may also fork shred the warm meat for use in burritos.  I consider this one of the most useful “make ahead” dishes, because it is so versatile.

The resulting “au jus gravy” is absolutely delicious!  It makes for great “French Dip” sandwhiches.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
Olive oil spray, like PAM
2.5 Lb - 3.5 Lb beef Round or Rump roast (must be these very lean cuts to be "Core Plan")
1 packet "Good Seasonings" Zesty (or regular) Italian Dressing Mix (dry powder in pouch, unprepared)
1 can fat-free beef broth (I use only Campbell's original condensed "double concentrated", which is fat-free)
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced

Optional (count as Flex Points):
Whole wheat tortillas for burrito
Crusty roll for French Dip
Whole grain bread for Panini

Directions:
Spray inside of 3.5 Qt crock with olive oil spray, or line with plastic Crock Pot liner.
Trim any visible fat from beef, then place the roast in the center of the bottom of the crock.
Sprinkle meat evenly with Italian dressing dry powder, to season.
Around and on meat, set thick onion slices (or quarters).
Pour broth against inside wall of crock, so as not to disturb the seasoning on the meat.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 - 8 hours.

I do not like to overcook beef, so after 6 hours I insert an oven thermoter to determine when it is done
to medium rare.

Remove onions to small dish.

Remove roast to foil, seal loosely to allow it to cool if to be served as sliced beef.

Pour off liquid and refrigerate.

If shredding beef, return warm beef to crock and use 2 forks to shred meat (with or without onion).

1/3 C - 1/2 C of shredded beef = 1 serving

When liquid has cooled, skim off any fat from top. Divide into serving portions and refrigerate or freeze.

Meal Ideas:

Beefy Burrito -
Mix a serving of the shredded meat with a small amount of salsa verde.
Microwave to warm.
Heat a fat-free, low-carb, high-fiber, whole grain tortilla until soft.
Wrap meat in tortilla.
Top with optional toppings: fat-free sour cream, fat-free shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoe
Wrap burrito style and grill on George Foreman style grill until toasted.

Panini:
Pre-heat George Foreman style indoor grill.
Re-heat thin slices of beef in microwave on medium.
Place the beef between two thick slices of whole grain bread,
with or without fat-free cheese.
Spray outside of bread with olive oil spray.
Toast and serve with heated Au Jus Gravy for dipping

Submitted by:
Jane

Notes:
This is one of my favorite recipes, because it is so easy, it tastes terrific, and I can use the leftovers in so many ways.

The original recipe called for tearing off long sheets of aluminum foil and wadding each into a 3″ “ball”.  This seemed to be a huge waste of aluminum, so I prefer to use less foil and wrap small yellow onions and small red potatoes.  This does not change the flavor of the chicken, and it creates a nice side dish for dinner!

I use an oblong Rival CrockPot, which I line with Reynold’s Crock Pot liners to save on clean up.

The general rule for cooking a whole chicken is to match its weight in pounds to the size of your crockpot in quarts.  Never go OVER the crockpot size in weight of meat.

 For my 4.5 Quart crockpot, I try to find a 4.5 Lb chicken, or as close to it.  If I am using potatoes and onions in the bottom, I buy a 3.5 Lb chicken so as not to overfill the crock and prevent the lid from completely sealing in the heat. 

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, preferably a "roasting" chicken (3.0 - 4.5 Lbs, depending upon size of crockpot)
Olive Oil cooking spray, such as PAM
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Aluminum Foil

OPTIONAL:
2 small whole yellow onions, unsliced (as close in size as possible to potatoes)
4 small whole red potatoes, unpeeled (as close in size as possible to onions)

Directions:
Ensure that chicken is thoroughly thawed, if frozen.

Spray inside of crock with olive oil spray, or line with plastic Crock Pot liner.

Wash and pat dry outside of red potatoes.
Remove outer skin from onions, leaving them whole
Tear off 6 sheets of foil, each enough to completely wrap one potato or onion.
Spray one side of each sheet of foil with olive oil spray.
Tightly wrap each vegetable in one sheet of perpared foil.
Line the bottom of the crock with wrapped vegetables. The chicken will sit on these aluminum balls,
allowing fat and juices to drip without chicken "stewing" in the liquid.

Remove the neck and gizzards from inside of chicken, and cut off tailbone.
Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels.
Place on paper towels, breast up. Spray outside of chicken with olive oil spray.
Sprinkle evenly with seasoned salt.
Place chicken, BREAST SIDE DOWN, in crock on top of aluminum balls.
Spray back of chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with seasoned salt.

DO NOT ADD ANY WATER OR OTHER LIQUID TO THE CROCKPOT.

Cook on HIGH 4 - 6 hours. 3 Lbs chickens take 4 hours to fully cook.

DO NOT COOK ON LOW!
DO NOT remove lid at any time during cooking.
DO NOT start with a frozen chicken.

When ready, remove all skin from chicken to reduce fat.

VARIATION: "Sesame Chicken"
Follow same process as above, eliminating Lawry's Seasonsed salt.
Instead, pour 1 cup of light soy sauce or 1 cup or light Teriyaki sauce (or 1 cup combination)

Submitted by:
Jane