Mmm, Mmm Monday: Crock-Pot Mongolian Beef

You all know that I have a love affair with my crock-pot. If it wasn't for that beloved appliance, we would be eating sandwiches everyday during the school year.  This was a great meal to throw together on a weekend morning. We get so busy and sometimes forget about dinner on the weekends and end up eating leftovers. We could be out and about all day and come home to a good meal.

I really wanted to try this recipe but I was hesitant because the girls don't eat beef. I figured I'd give it a shot though and it was really good!

Crock-Pot Mongolian Beef
recipe adapted from Not So Perfect Mom

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into stir fry sized strips
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded carrots
3 medium green onions, chopped

Here's the lineup. Unfortunately, the people in my life won't eat green onions, so I used yellow onion instead. Boo.

Spray your crock-pot with cooking spray. Coat each piece of beef in the cornstarch and place the meat in the pot. Discard any unused cornstarch.

Add the carrots to the pot and mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.  I actually left the olive oil out of the mixture and it came out fine. Pour the sauce over the meat and carrots and give it a quick stir. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over rice and garnish with additional chopped green onions.

Reviews From the Peanut Gallery
Me: 5 out of 5 stars. This was really yummy. The sauce got nice and thick and had a ton of flavor. I would have loved to add broccoli and other veggies to it.

Andy: 4.5 out of 5 stars. He liked the thickness of the sauce and the tenderness of the meat. He would have liked it with a little more of a kick.

Emma: Eh. She ate a couple of bites, but not without complaint. This was not surprising.

Sophia: Tore it UP. She scarfed down her portion before I even got started and asked for more. This girl is definitely not a vegetarian. :)