Braised Beef Cannelloni

Quarter or sliver the onions, mince the garlic, remove the leafy tops of the carrots and celery. Cut the carrots into thick coins and halve the celery stalks.

Salt and pepper the meat, then sear the roast on all sides in a pan of your choice.

Place the roast in your slow cooker. Top the roast with the prepared vegetables, add the bay leaf and the thyme. Pour beef broth over the ingredients. The broth should cover the meat, it does not need to cover the vegetables.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

At the end of the 8 hours, the beef should be fork tender. Drain, and reserve the cooking liquid. You can discard the vegetables. Shred the beef with forks. Discard fat from the roast.

Cook the pasta tubes according to package instructions. Do this while preparing the sauce and meat.

Prepare the sauce by mixing together the braising liquid, the cream, the balsamic vinegar, and flour over medium heat. I sift my flour into the sauce, through a splatter screen to keep it from making lumps. Bring the sauce to a simmer for about a minute.

Mix shredded beef with grated cheeses, to taste. Add a half cup of prepared sauce, and mix.

I use two 1.5 quart corningware dishes, but you can use any oven-safe casserole dish that will hold the filled pasta. Add enough sauce to just cover the bottom of your dish(es). Stuff the pasta tubes with the beef mixture. Lay them into the casserole dish(es) next to each other. Once all the tubes are in, pour the remaining sauce over the pasta.

Broil for 6-8 minutes.

Top with any extra beef, as much cheese as you like, and the herbed breadcrumbs.