Tonight I got busted on my own meal planning.  I knew what I was going to make.  I’d thawed the meat two days ago.  I assumed I could make a recipe I’d made before, because I always have basic items in stock.  Oops.

The whole reason I planned this meal was because I had open cream cheese that needed to be used.  Now I had a whole roast thawed that really needed to be used.  Here are the problems I encountered:

1. Recipe called for 2 cans of mushrooms.  I had zero.
2. Recipe called for cream of mushroom soup.  Strike one:  one can I had included sugar in the ingredient list.  I gave up all sugar for Lent.  Strike two:  the other can had autolyzed yeast extract, another name for MSG.  Plus MSG itself.  Strike three.  I just couldn’t bring myself to feed my family all those additives when I’m trying to eat “real food”.
3. Solution to problem no. 2:  make a simple cream sauce for “homemade” cream of mushroom soup.
4. Problem with solution:  I just used the last of my fresh mushrooms the day before.  I can’t get real flavor in cream sauce without mushrooms or bouillon.
5. Recipe called for beef bouillon cubes.  Strike one:  bouillon has sugar in it.  See above.  Strike two:  MSGs again.
6. This recipe is going to have zero flavor without beef bouillon or mushrooms or cream of mushroom soup!!
7. Arg! I am NOT going shopping tomorrow just for this meal!!

Possible solution:  I have another slow cooker recipe that is really yummy and could use the same meat.  Problem:  what about that cream cheese?

Here’s what I did – I made it up.  I love that I can do this now.  I’ve released the fear of following a recipe perfectly and started experimenting.  Sometimes it doesn’t work out all that well, but tonight I found a winner.  Since I’m blogging now, I get to share the recipe with the world.

Slow Cooker Stew with Beans a la Tuscany

2-4 lbs beef or venison meat, cut into chunks (can use roast, loin, round steak)
can diced tomatoes w/juice
2 c. homemade beef OR bean broth
2 cans white beans (or equivalent dry)
1 c. water or ½ cup water and ½ cup red wine
1 lg. onion, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3-5 sliced carrots
1-2 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
8 oz. cream cheese
(optional: spinach)

Brown beef in butter or olive oil.  Transfer to slow cooker and combine everything except the cream cheese in a slow cooker.  Cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.  20 minutes before serving, mix in cream cheese and a few generous handfuls of spinach.  Serve as is or over noodles.

The photo pictures homemade yogurt cheese, which doesn’t melt quite as nicely as regular cream cheese.  It should be a big more creamy.  Plus this time I threw cabbage in, because I had some that needed to be used.

Do visit Dining with Debbie and Life as MOM‘s Ultimate Recipe Swap for more slow cooker recipes and Girly Mama for more Comfort Food ideas.