Spare Ribs with Mashed Potatoes

Day four of stock the freezer. I felt the need to branch out from chicken. I had a rack of spare ribs in the freezer, so I pulled them out and found a recipe that I had the ingredients for! I decided to put the on a bed of mashed potatoes, just like the local "Make A Meal." I get a lot of my freezer meal ideas from them, since I am basically doing the same thing. So, here we go-


Supplies:

2 Aluminum Casserole Pans (or lasagna pans)
1 Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)


Ingredients:


1 rack of ribs (4 to 5 pounds) cut into quarters
1 large onion sliced
2 tablespoons oil (optional)
2 cups of beef broth (I use bullion with water)
1 packet of onion soup mix
1 can of diced tomatoes

1 box of instant mashed potatoes (serving for 8)
minced garlic
salt
pepper



Ribs


Add sliced onion to the bottom of a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Season ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic by rubbing on the ribs. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches brown all sides of he ribs. (OPTIONAL STEP) Place into slow cooker on top of the onion.


In a bowl mix together beef broth, onion soup mix, and tomatoes. Pour mixture over the ribs in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-4 hours.

Mashed Potatoes

Prepare as directed on the box. I add 4 tablespoons of butter, one tablespoon of garlic, and replace two of the cups of water with chicken broth. (Very Tasty!) Salt and Pepper to taste.

Fresh Ribs: Serve ribs with a side of mashed potatoes

Freezer Ribs: Put a layer of mashed potatoes on the bottom of the casserole dish, then lay the ribs on top of it, along with the onions, tomatoes, and some of the "gravy" from the slow cooker. Cover with aluminum foil, date and label, and place in freezer. Store up to two months. Defrost in the refrigerator the day you plan on cooking it. Heat for 30 to 40 minutes until the meal is warm.