Slow Cooker BBQ Beef-Stuffed Potatoes

I have a hard time with slow cooker recipes, because I never want to be dealing with meal prep in the morning, before work.  But, this one is actually easy enough that I was successful!  I prepared the spice rub, sliced the onion, and washed the potatoes the night before, so in the morning I just had to rub the spices onto the beef, wrap the potatoes in foil, and stick everything in the slow cooker.  The results were really yummy, combing flavorful beef with hearty potatoes.  I couldn't find the mini russet potatoes called for in the original recipe (4 ounces is tiny!) so had to use a more normal size -- they cooked most of the way through, but weren't 100% tender after the cooking time, so I had to add a couple of minutes in the microwave before serving.  But, the beef was perfectly cooked, so I wouldn't necessarily add more time to the slow cooking, and I didn't find this step too annoying.  Overall, definitely a winner!

Slow Cooker BBQ Beef-Stuffed Potatoes (adapted from Cooking Light)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

3 T tomato paste

2 T Worcestershire sauce

1 T chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 pounds boneless beef chuck or short ribs

Spray oil

1 large red onion, peeled and cut into thick slices

Olive oil

6 small russet potatoes (4 ounces each) or 3 or 4 larger russet potatoes

To serve: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, favorite barbecue sauce, scallions, etc.

1. Combine the brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Rub all over the beef.

2. Spray the slow cooker insert with oil, and add the sliced red onion.  Top with the beef.

3. Rub the potatoes with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Wrap in parchment or foil, and place on top of the beef.

4. Cook on low for 8 hours, until tender.  If you used larger potatoes, they might need a couple more minutes in the microwave to cook through (obviously remove the foil first in this case!)

5. To serve, split the potatoes.  Shred the beef using two forks.  Top each potato with the beef-onion mixture and any other toppings you like.