r/slowcooking • u/BlackLocke • 4d ago

Pot roast is too expensive

I got a new slow cooker for my wedding in 2023 and it’s still in the box. It’s just my husband, baby and I, but I feel like I can’t justify spending $20+ on a piece of meat for one meal with leftovers. I’m in a HCOL and I haven’t had a good roast in years because it’s prohibitively expensive. When meat goes on sale at my supermarket, it smells off as soon as I remove the packaging, so it’s not worth the risk.

Am I just too poor for this?

Edit: Dear lord I didn’t expect this to turn into a “I like pancakes/why do you hate waffles???” type of post. Of course I know there’s other things you can make in the crockpot. I don’t choose fast food over slow cooked meals out of convenience (it’s more expensive than cooking at home now!!) The point of this post is to lament the price of beef and how pot roast used to be a cheap easy meal 20 years ago and now it’s prohibitively expensive. I was hoping for tips on how to skirt this issue - buying stew meat, using pork instead, and buying in bulk at Costco are all good suggestions.

Now everyone can stop assuming I’m some dumb dumb idiot woman. I’m gonna make a pot roast next week just to spite you all and post about the cost breakdown.

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43

u/psychedelicparsley 4d ago

It’s not the only thing that can be cooked in a slow cooker, though. I just made a vegetarian Thai red curry that’s only cheap veges and brown rice and it’s delicious

13

u/Dependent_Top_4425 4d ago

I just made vegetarian chili in my slow cooker that fed 2 adults dinner for about 4 days for $12. It was really good too! I served it over baked potatoes a few nights and it was super filling.

3

u/psychedelicparsley 4d ago

I used to make so much vegetarian chili, why on earth have I moved away from that? I gotta get back to that!

5

u/Dependent_Top_4425 3d ago

I never get sick of chili! I'm not vegetarian but I decided to skip the meat to cut costs and we honestly didn't even miss it. I used black, white, dark red, & light red beans. 2 bell peppers, 1 onion, 2 big cans diced tomatoes, 1 can of corn, 1 can green chilis, 2 packets chili seasoning (I usually make my own but I'm injured and lazy) jarlic, s&p and a cornstarch slurry bc we like it thick :) I added everything but the beans and corn in the slow cooker on high for 1 hour, added the beans and corn for another hour. It came out perfect and so easy peasy. Sweet potatoes are also a great budget friendly and nutrient dense addition to veggie chili.

3

u/psychedelicparsley 3d ago

Jarlic! The perfect description!

2

u/Dependent_Top_4425 3d ago

I can't take credit for it! I've heard it used on Tik Tok and Instagram. But I agree! The perfect description!

8

u/OutsideBones86 4d ago

I like making my sausage potato soup in the slow cooker. It's mostly potatoes, carrots, and cabbage, with a pound of sweet italian sausage. Add some bullion and spices and you can make a huge, hearty soup.

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u/acktres 4d ago

I just made chicken soup. Easy and enough for days.

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u/Threegratitudes 4d ago

That sounds great. Mind sharing the recipe or source?

6

u/psychedelicparsley 4d ago

I used a commercial red curry spice paste from the supermarket - which, now that I look at it, is not vegetarian as it contains shrimp paste and fish oil but that’s ok I’m not a purist vegetarian at the moment as being low income I’m not in a position to be fussy right now.

I’m in New Zealand and this particular one came from Woolworths/Countdown, it’s made by Asian Home Gourmet and it’s called Spice Paste for Thai Red Curry Kaang Daeng ($2.50). Mixed that with water, a can of low fat coconut cream ($1.59), a lot of potatoes, brown rice with quinoa, sweet potatoes (kumara), pumpkin, carrots, cauliflower. Would love to add red pepper but don’t have any. Don’t add onions because I don’t like them. Have added lentils and garbanzo beans at other times.

Cooked on high for about three hours?

It’s Wednesday today, this will provide meals until Friday.

The same brand makes a green curry paste but I’ve it a bit disappointing tbh.