Crockpot Pepper Steak & Brown Rice

Crockpot Pepper Steak Cooked with Brown Rice

I'm always on the lookout for recipes that are FAST to put together and FASTER to have on the table!   I don't have much time to get stuff ready for supper before I leave for work and since we get home at 6PM, I definitely prefer having something all ready to go in the crockpot.  This was it! 

My mom always made a dish that she called "Pepper Steak" in the crockpot when I was growing up.  It was delicious.  She made it with round steak, peppers, canned tomatoes and canned mushrooms.  It was one of the meals I most requested when I was growing up.  I had almost forgotten about it when my mom mentioned that she made it the other night.  She always served it ladled over cooked, long-grain white rice!  Which I love, but I don't care for minute rice and I definitely don't want to wait the 20 minutes it takes the rice to cook - to get dinner on the table (if I don't have to).  I think I found a better way... 

Having also recently made a meal of Crockpot Chicken & Rice, I knew that when you cook brown rice in the crockpot, not only can you not tell it isn't white rice because it is cooked in broth, but it also doesn't get all mushy.  The texture is perfect!  I decided to combine the two and added some brown rice to my Crockpot Pepper Steak.  I knew this would also put dinner on my table faster so it was a complete win/win.  My 19 year old daughter absolutely loved it!  She has already decided she needs a crockpot to go back to school so she can try this dish on her boyfriend.

Here's how I made Crockpot Pepper Steak with Brown Rice, cooked AT HOME MY WAY:

Crockpot Pepper Steak with Brown Rice

• One package of round steak (I'm a cheapskate and I found a package of stew meat that was lots less expensive than round steak so that's what I used - I will probably always make it this way)
• 1 large or 2 medium bell peppers (seeded and cut in large chunks)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (not drained) + one can of water
• 1 can mushrooms (not drained)
• 2 Tablespoons minced onion (a fresh onion would also work or some onion powder)
• salt/pepper (remember the rice is unsalted so you do need some salt)
• 3/4 cup longgrain brown rice (NOT WHITE RICE - that will turn to mush)

Place the uncooked stew meat/round steak in the bottom of the crockpot.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Plug in the crockpot (I say this because I have forgotten this crucial step LOL), turn it on (same... LOL this is crucial), give it a stir and let it cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.

I served this with grean beans and leftover hotrolls.

I will probably try adding brown rice to a couple of my other dishes (like stew).  What a great way to incorporate a very healthy ingredient into your diet!