Easy Italian Beef (Make-Ahead Freezer Meal)

1. Cut chuck roast into 5 pieces and place in a 1-gallon, resealable freezer bag.

2. Drain pepperoncinis and reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid. Add peppers to the freezer bag.

3. Whisk reserved liquid with Italian dressing mix and olive oil. Pour mixture over the beef and peppers. Tightly seal the bag and mix the contents until well combined. Lay flat in the freezer and freeze for up to one month.

4. When ready to cook, remove bag from the freezer and allow contents to partially thaw until they can be broken apart, about 1 hour.

5. Empty bag into a slow cooker. Cook until meat is tender and shreds easily with a fork, on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 6 hours.

6. Remove meat and shred with a fork. Return meat to the pot and serve immediately.

Cook's Notes:

You can also partially thaw this in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

Turn any leftover beef into a delicious ragu sauce by simmering it with a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 1 ½ to 2 cups water, a 6-ounce can of tomato paste, 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, and ½ teaspoon dried basil. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed and serve over pasta.

Want to eat this right away? Follow steps 1 and 2, using the slow cooker instead of a freezer bag. Follow step 2, pour mixture into the slow cooker, and mix until well combined. Cook until meat is tender and shreds easily with a fork, on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 4 hours. Follow step 6.