Week 41: Aunt Pat's Tomato and Mushroom Round Steak

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 lbs boneless beef round steak, cut into 6 pieces

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 tea marjoram

1/2 tea pepper

1/8 tea garlic powder

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cold water

Slice onions thinly and place rings along the bottom of the Crock Pot.  Heat olive oil in skillet and brown steak on each side, about 3-5 minutes.  Place meat on top of onions.  Mix tomatoes, soup, marjoram, pepper and garlic powder together in a small bowl and pour over meat.  Cook on LOW for about 8 hours.  About 30 minutes prior to end of cooking, mix flour and water together and mix onto sauce to thicken.  Turn heat to HIGH and cook for 30 minutes.  Serve over egg noodles.

This recipe is pretty cut and dry- no changes to be made.  The only tip I suggest is actually a tip provided by the gal in the meat department of King Soopers.  (I swear they all run and hide muttering "Here comes that Crock Pot girl again" when I walk into the store!)  When I asked for round steaks, she showed me a package that contains already sliced steaks.  She suggested, however, that I buy the round roast and cut it myself into thicker pieces.  I actually liked this.  I came out with 7 steaks and was able to cut all the fat off before placing it in the pot.  The longer you cook this meat, the more tender it becomes.  8 hours was perfect for me- the meat fell apart.  But, the recipe says up to 10 hours.  The 30 minutes at the end is also variable.  Cook until the sauce is thickened, adding more time or flour if necessary.

Thank you to Aunt Pat for suggesting this recipe!