Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup for Easy Holiday Entertaining

Try as we might to remain calm and serene during this holiday season, sometimes the self-generated stress of it all gets the better of us.

So let’s not let dinner present any more pressure to our already blow-a-gasket days. Grab your slow cooker out of the recesses of your cabinet and put it to work while you go about your shopping, decorating, gingerbread-making, carol-singing, ice-skating wonderful life.

Personally, I plan to watch some favorite holiday movies with my family instead of doing my chores or shopping (which I sort of hate). Who’s with me? Here’s what I like, and I don’t care what professional film critics say. I like what I like.

1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas
3. Elf
4. The Polar Express
5. Love Actually
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
7. The Family Man

Now that you have lost all respect for me in the cinema department, I hope to regain your respect in the kitchen with this uber-easy, hearty, warming soup. It cooks all day in the slow cooker, so you can just put in all the ingredients before work or at the beginning of your day, and forget it.

Or, how about this? Put everything in there after dinner and cook it overnight. Wake up and simply put it in the refrigerator before you leave for the day, to be reheated when you get home. Either way, dinner is ready.

This soup is chock-full of stewing beef (a satisfying cost-conscious cut you’ll often find on sale), vegetables, barley and greens. Ladle into bowls for serving and fling on some freshly grated Parmesan. Mmmmm…it has more umami than you are entitled to.

If you serve it with crusty bread and a glass of wine for the adults, you’ll be declared an angel.

Can you handle the pressure of that?

This week our Sunday Supper cooks are celebrating Easy Holiday Entertaining with beef, sponsored by The Beef Checkoff. For more meal ideas, see our 20 delicious recipes below, and follow our beef Pinterest board. Join me in following The Beef Checkoff on social media: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy being at the top of the food chain.   🙂

Now let’s hit the kitchen. Sunday Supper will be here before you know it!

I like to leave myself a note about what time I think it will be done.

Appetizers

• Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon by MealDiva
• Chipotle Beef Taco Bites by Feed Me, Seymour
• Mini Beef Wellingtons by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Pepper Steak in Wonton Cups by Flavor Mosaic
• Philly Cheesesteak Dip by Life Tastes Good

Brunch or Breakfast for a Crowd

• Beef Sausage, Egg and Cheese Roll Ups by Daily Dish Recipes
• Beef Tenderloin Benedict by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chicken Fried Steak by kimchi MOM
• Potato Pancakes with Filet Mignon and Fried Eggs by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Steak and Egg Breakfast Braid by Curious Cuisiniere

Main Dish

• Awesome Avocado Steak Tacos by Cooking Chat
• Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cider Beef Stew by Magnolia Days
• Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup by Shockingly Delicious
• Steak & Mushroom Pie by The Messy Baker

Potluck Style

• Beef and Bean Enchilada Bake by The Foodie Army Wife
• Braised Beef Ravioli by Family Foodie
• Mom’s Lasagna by Alida’s Kitchen
• Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs by Casa de Crews
• Skillet Steak Fajitas by Crazy Foodie Stunts

Join us around the family table for #SundaySupper 

• Twitter how-to: Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag throughout the day on Twitter to see our recipes. To join the conversation anytime, simply use the #SundaySupper hashtag to share your favorite tips and recipes.
• Pinterest: Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more recipes and photos.
• Join: To join the Sunday Supper Movement, sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Beef Checkoff. All opinions are my own.

Tagged as: #SundaySupper, barley, beef, Crock-Pot, cut n clean greens, dinner, mushrooms, Slow Cooker, soup, Worcestershire