Shredded Beef Nachos (Crock Pot)

This is a great dish to serve a bunch of hungry teenagers; I know from experience.  It's also great for those times when I know I'll be gone all day and won't have much time to prepare a meal, plus everyone seems to be eating at different times.  I usually serve it as a meal and the leftovers are used by my boys as a snack later in the week.

I think boys like almost anything that can be eaten with their fingers!  That and the crunch of the chips makes this a winner with my guys.  I found this recipe in slow cooker recipe book at the check out counter in the market and I love that there is so little work involved in preparing this dish.  That made it a perfect choice during the busy holidays!  My guys give this recipe 8's and 9's on the Melnarik rating scale.

After trimming the chuck roast of any extra fat around the outside, I place it in a cool crock pot.  Tip:  Only hot foods should be placed in a heated crock pot, cold or room temperature foods should be placed in a cool crock pot before cooking.

I added the minced garlic to the top of the roast and distributed it as evenly as possible.

In a small bowl, I combined the taco seasoning mix and brown sugar.  I always use dark brown sugar unless a recipe specifies otherwise.

This mixture was then sprinkled over the beef.  I covered the crock pot and cooked it on low for 8 hours.  If time is an issue, it can also be cooked on high for 4 - 5 hours.

Once fully cooked, the roast had shrunk a bit and there was a flavorful sauce at the bottom of the pot.

The meat was so tender, I had to remove it from the crock pot in sections.  I placed it on a cutting board and shredded it using 2 forks, discarding any fat.

The shredded beef was returned to the crock pot and mixed in with the juices.  That's all it took and it was ready to serve.  This is how we assemble our nachos:

We place tortilla chips on a microwave safe plate and, using a slotted spoon, top them with some of the shredded beef (left).

We top the beef with a pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend -Monterey Jack and cheddar (right).

We put the plate in the microwave for 1 minute on high to melt the cheese (left).


Then we add any desired toppings such as salsa, sour cream, cilantro,
green onions, and/or fresh tomatoes (right).

These nachos can be served as a snack or as a meal.  Any way you serve them, they're sure to be a hit!  Enjoy!

Shredded Beef Nachos

Nachos

1 (3 lb.) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Tortilla chips

Suggested Toppings:

Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Sour cream

Salsa

Green onion

Olives

Cilantro

Diced tomatoes

Place beef roast in a 3 ½ or 4 quart slow cooker.   Distribute garlic evenly over beef.  In a small bowl, mix together taco seasoning and brown sugar; sprinkle over roast.  Cover and cook on low 8 – 9 hours.

Before serving, place topping ingredients in individual serving dishes.  Remove beef from slow cooker; place on a large plate or cutting board.  Shred beef with 2 forks; return to slow cooker and mix well.

To serve, have guests place chips on serving plates; using tongs or a slotted spoon top chips with shredded beef.  Top the beef with cheese and any other desired toppings.

Beef mixture can be held on low setting for up to 2 hours.