'Swiss' Steak Slow-cooker Recipe - Yummy and Inexpensive!

I stumbled upon this recipe while watching the Paula Deen show about four years ago. Usually I'm not keen on her cooking because of the high-fat content (which has caused her a lot of grief lately with her Diabetes announcment). This looked so simple and delicious I had to try it myself, with a few modifications. I don't have the original recipe anymore - just my version, which we all love in this house!

I start with 320grams of beef frying steaks which I got at Sainsbury's marked down to £3.50. I take each steak and pound it thin with my meat mallet (or meat tenderiser hammer). I beat it to look like a Swiss steak which costs just a little more and makes the meat go further. The onions I buy for 6 for 75p at Morrisons, the bell pepper (green pepper) I bought for 60p. The diced tomatoes, and I use two tins, instead of one to stretch the meal further, cost 2 for £1. The rest I had in my larder. The whole meal cost around £5.35. And it made dinner for us all for one night as well as two packed lunches for Eddie.

I have served it over rice, potato jackets, couscous and grits (an American thing and oh, so good).

Here is the recipe. If you try it, please let me know.

SWISS STEAK

320g frying steaks
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper
All-purpose flour for dusting
1/3 cup Vegetable oil
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, cut into strips
1 medium bell pepper, cut into strips

Cut steak into serving-size pieces. Season to taste with garlic powder and salt and pepper. Dust meat with flour. In heavy skillet, brown both sides of meat in vegetable oil. Transfer to slow cooker. Set cooker on high. Combine garlic, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and 1 can full of water. Pour over steak and simmer for 1 hour until bubbling nicely. If you keep the cooker on high - it will be ready within 2 hours. If you turn it to slow it will be ready in 4. The trick is to cook and cook and cook. The meat will be nice and tender.

Here's the beef frying up. Yummy!