Can you ever have enough counter space in your kitchen? I don’t think so. My house was built in 1965 and when we moved into it in 1995, the kitchen showed all of its 30 years. There was built-in bench seating in one corner (for a kitchen table) but very little counter space. To make matters worse, we moved into the house bringing an old, and very large microwave oven. Between this and a toaster oven, half of our counter space was gone.

About five years ago, we remodeled our kitchen, removed the bench, built-in a microwave and even knocked down a wall. Our counter space opened up wide and when we put all of our stuff back into the kitchen we faced a dilemma for what would sit on the counter.

Counter space is really valuable real estate. For someone who likes to cook, and is slowly collecting tools that are really focused on specific purposes, I have a lot of stuff. What goes on the counter must not only have to be used a bunch, but it needs to look OK sitting there.

Toaster oven went back on the counter. Keurig coffee machine too. I added an electric can opener, six bottle wine rack, blender, phone charging station and a small TV. One last item, sitting in a deep corner, is my slow cooker. I use the thing almost every week during the cold weather months, so it does get a workout.

Here is one more way to use it….

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A savory tasty meal.

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A big ole hunk of meat.

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I cut it in half to better fit in the slow cooker.

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Yum!

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Zesty Slow-Cooker Italian Pot Roast

Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 11 Hrs | Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium potatoes, cut into quarters
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen whole baby carrots
  • 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium Italian plum tomato, diced
  • 2 1/2 pounds beef bottom round roasts or beef chuck pot roast
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell’s® Condensed Tomato Soup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon chopped roasted garlic* or chopped fresh garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions:

Place potatoes, carrots, celery and tomato in 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Season roast with pepper and place on top. Mix soup, water, pepper, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley and vinegar. Pour over all. Cover and cook on LOW 10 to 12 hour or until done.**

Nutritional Info:

Amount Per Serving Calories: 376 | Total Fat: 12.6g | Cholesterol: 66mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zesty-Slow-Cooker-Italian-Pot-Roast/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=75457481&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2012-01-19&prop28=RecipeOption&prop29=FullRecipe&me=1

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