Slow Cooker Braciole & A Trip Down Memory Lane
By: Angela LeMoine
Published: Wednesday, August 22, 2012 - 6:11am

Ingredients




Basic Tomato Sauce
2 cans crushed tomatoes
3 large cloves of garlic, smashed
handful of fresh basil leaves, torn (we keep it rustic)
1 T of dried oregano
olive oil
4 pieces braciole meat
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano
2 Tbsp garlic and herb seasoning (I use Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic)
1 large shallot, diced
6 Tbsp Olive oil, divided

Preparation

1 Slow cooker set to low for 5 1/2 hours. Start by mixing all the ingredients for the sauce in the slow cooker. Allow the sauce to start cooking while you get everything else ready. 2 Lets start the breadcrumb mixture (this is where you can get creative and throw in what you love). In a small bowl toss together the breadcrumbs, cheese and the garlic & herb seasoning. In a small sauté pan over medium heat add 3 Tbsp oil and the diced shallot, cook until softened. Add the shallots along with the oil to the breadcrumb mixture and mix until moistened. 3 Lay the pieces of meat out flat and put a layer of the breadcrumb mixture on each. Depending on large the pieces are you may have a little extra breadcrumbs. Roll each piece and secure with a few toothpicks. 4 In the same sauté pan you cooked the shallots it, over medium high heat, add 3 Tbsp of olive oil and sear each side of the braciole. Once browned on each side place into the slow cooker. The meat will be falling apart tender and the sauce fantastic from all those wonderful flavors and slow cooking! 5 And, just like in Positano, I served mine over a simple mashed potatoes 6 (potatoes, garlic, butter, vegetable broth, milk, salt and pepper).

About

Braciole is a staple in an Italian kitchen. An Italian Sunday dinner just wouldn't be the same without a tender, fall apart in your mouth piece of braciole! The problem you can run into, if it isn't cooked long enough the meat will be incredibly tough. So what better way to get that meat fall apart fabulous, why not a slow cooker!?!? Lets be honest, besides the fact that you will get great braciole, the fact that you can start it then leave it without worrying about the sauce on the bottom of the pot burning is an added bonus!
So, whenever I eat braciole I am immediately brought back to mine and hubbys trip to the Amalfi Coast (pre kiddos!) in 2008! I dream often about getting back... the goal is 2017 for our 10 year wedding anniversary!! We were in Positano, surrounded my beautiful beaches and the place we enjoyed the most amazing Lemon Ice... lemon ice as in a guy squeezing the most gorgeous lemons by hand right in front of you... HEAVEN!!! I digress.... back to the braciole! There was a Hotel/Restaurant over looking over the ocean  (I am completely blanking on the name, ugh!) and there I had the most fantastic braciole... get this served over MASHED POTATOES! I know, crazy right?? NO, It was fantastic!!
 If you've never made braciole it is a very simple dish. It is a pounded out piece of top round (don't worry, its labeled braciole in the grocery store). As to what goes inside depends very much on the region of Italy or just your family preference. My husbands family puts hard boiled egg in there, my grandmother puts pignoli nuts and raisins... me I prefer it a little more simple.