pot roast Archives - The Midnight Baker

Instant Pot Pot Roast

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 05 Nov 2017 00:00:22 +0000

This thrifty and tasty pot roast is easy in your Instant Pot. Have this family classic on the table in less than one hour.

Pot Roast In Record Time

America’s favorite family dinner is one of the easiest and quickest meals to make thanks to the Instant Pot.

You don’t actually need a branded Instant Pot to get the same results. Any electronic pressure cooker will do. All that’s necessary is for you to be able to set the time and the pressure, even if you have “presets” such as meat. On my old Wolfgang Puck model, I am able to adjust the time on the “meat” setting. Remember, you can always set these appliances manually. All you need to do is have the pressure at 10-15 psi for 60 minutes. Have a stove-top model? Use the manual settings mentioned and do a “natural” release at the end of cooking.

I might add that this recipe adapts very well to the slow cooker.

Two-Stage Cooking

Since my recipe includes veggies, cooking this pot roast is a two-step process whether you are using an Instant Pot or a slow cooker.

The vegetables cook a lot faster than the meat–and require a lower pressure or shorter cooking time. Therefore, when the meat is done, you need to release the pressure and add the veggies.

What I usually do under these circumstances is release the pressure, then re-set the machine for veggies (low pressure) and set it for 5 minutes. That way the vegetables are cooked but the meat doesn’t overcook. I might mention I leave the meat in the pot, but you can always remove it, keep it warm and cook the vegetables alone.

What Meat Cut?

Hands down, my favorite cut of beef for a pot roast is chuck, especially a bone-in cut. This cut is very flavorful and one reason is it’s fat content.

As a general rule, I will make pot roasts a day ahead of serving. One reason is that it seems to taste better the next day plus if I’ve used a fattier cut, I can skim the congealed fat off rather easily after it’s been refrigerated.

However, choosing a leaner cut so you don’t have much fat after cooking makes great sense. Bottom round and rump are excellent choices and they carve nicely too for a better presentation.

Eye of round would be the leanest choice, but it’s extravagant. I might add that my late mother-in-law always used eye of round for pot roast (as well as roast beef) and her pot roast was always excellent. Even if I thought she spent a bit too much!!!

The Recipe

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Instant Pot Pot Roast

This thrifty and tasty pot roast is easy in your Instant Pot. Have this family classic on the table in less than one hour.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Total Time1 5

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef recipe, Instant Pot recipes, pot roast

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 502kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2-3 lb chuck roast see NOTES
1 cup beef stock
1 packet au jus/gravy mix
1 small bay leaf
16 oz frozen vegetables for stew

To Thicken: (optional)

1/2 cup water
2 tbs flour or cornstarch

Instructions

Trim as much excess fat off meat. Place in the Instant Pot.
Mix the stock and the au jus mix in a small bowl; pour over the meat. Add the bay leaf.
Seal pot and set on Meat for 55 minutes (this will be 10-15 psi or HI on other pots).
Let pressure reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the pressure completely.
You can remove the meat and keep it warm at this point--I do not.
Add the bag of vegetables and set the machine for low pressure for 5 minutes (or Vegetable setting on some machines)
Release pressure immediately. Thicken juice if desired.

Notes

Bottom round, rump and eye of round are leaner alternative choices.

Nutrition

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Slow Roasted BBQ Brisket

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 02 May 2017 23:21:54 +0000

This brisket is slow oven roasted in a richly flavored BBQ liquid.

A Great Way To Make BBQ Brisket

BBQ brisket is best done low and slow!

As this one cooks, the flavor of this savory sauce infuses all through the meat.

This one can be done in the oven or the slow cooker. If you want this treat in summer, then I suggest using your slow cooker.

Crock pots are a great summer appliance because they don’t heat up your kitchen. So don’t store it away for the season–it should be your “go-to” appliance for comfort food in hot weather.

The Secret: Coffee!

All the sauce ingredients have great flavors by themselves, but the one thing that pulls it all together is….coffee!

You don’t know it’s in there, but it adds a deep and rich flavor. Actually, coffee acts much like chocolate in savory recipes. It’s the thing that ties all the other flavors together. Coffee adds earthiness to most any recipe that calls for it.

Serve Hot Or Cold

This brisket is delicious hot, but it’s also great served chilled!

One great thing to use it for is sandwiches. It’s just great with the re-heated sauce served over the meat in the sandwich or used as a dipping sauce.

A brisket sandwich on a hard roll is one of the most popular deli sandwiches in New York City.

The Recipe

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Slow Roasted BBQ Brisket

This brisket is slow oven roasted in a richly flavored BBQ liquid.

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Total Time3 10

Course: beef, Comfort Foods

Cuisine: American

Keyword: BBQ recipe, beef brisket, pot roast

Servings: 4

Calories: 778kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 lbs beef brisket thin first-cut
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tbsp canola oil

SAUCE

1/2 cup freshly brewed black coffee
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup honey
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degree F.
Rinse brisket well and pat dry. Rub with the coarse salt and pepper.
Heat a medium-sized Dutch oven over high heat; add the canola oil and brown brisket on all sides then drain excess oil/fat from the pan. Place the meat back in the pan.
Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the brisket.
Cover and place the pot in the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 - 3 hours (or when brisket is tender) basing with the juices every so often.
For Slow Cooker
Brown meat as in oven recipe.
Place browned brisket in a 5-7 quart slow cooker.
Mix sauce ingredients and pour over meat.
Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours, high 6-8 hours (times approximate)

Nutrition

*Adapted from Martha Stewart

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Slow Cooker Ranch Pot Roast

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 23:00:37 +0000

It doesn’t get much better than this slow cooker ranch flavored pot roast!

Pot Roast: An American Classic

Whenever the topic of a classic American dinner comes up, my very first thought is pot roast.

There are as many different recipes for this classic as there are people you ask. When it comes to pot roast, there certainly is variety!

Some cooks make pot roast the same way every time they make it. Some have a favorite recipe and a couple of alternates. And some will use a different recipe each time they make it. I fall into that middle category as I have my favorite go-to recipe, but there are times I will think out of the box and go for something different.

Ranch Pot Roast: Seasoning Adds Subtle Flavor

Ranch seasoning is the perfect flavoring for this pot roast because it adds a very subtle savoriness to the meat and the pan juices.

To add even more flavor, the rub also contains Italian dressing mix.

I now make my own ranch seasoning/dressing mix and also Italian dressing mix. Of course you can use the store-bought variety as a substitute, but bear in mind those mixes contain quite a bit of salt. That could result in a gravy that is too salty. This is the reason I use my own mixes because I either reduce the salt in them or leave it out entirely. It can always be added later.

You can find links those recipes either in the paragraph above or in the recipe ingredient list.

Beef Cuts To Use

You can use your favorite roast cut in this recipe.

I prefer chuck, because it has a wonderful flavor and is suited best for slow cooking and braising. However, there was a super sale on bottom round, so that’s what I used when I made this recipe. Rump is also a good cut to use since it has great flavor.

My mother-in-law was partial to eye of round for both roast beef and pot roast. I always thought that was a tad extravagant, but Mom’s pot roast had excellent flavor and had little fat in the juices at the end of cooking. So if you’re watching your fat, this is a fine roast to use and if you have to serve it the same day you make it. My “secret” is making any pot roast the day before so I can refrigerate the pan juices and remove the congealed fat easily. And to me, pot roast tastes better the next day so it’s a win-win.

The Recipe

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Slow Cooker Ranch Pot Roast

It doesn’t get much better than this slow cooker ranch flavored pot roast!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: beef, Comfort Foods, Slow Cooker

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy pot roast recipes, pot roast, ranch, slow cooker beef

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 442kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 beef roast 3-5 lbs--chuck, bottom round, rump or whatever you use
3 tbsp homemade ranch seasoning mix -OR- 1 envelope store bought
2 tbsp homemade Italian dressing mix -OR- 1 envelope store bought i.e. Good Seasons
1 envelope brown gravy mix
2 cups carrots optional
6 medium potatoes cut in half (optional)
1/2 cup water

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix the ranch seasoning, Italian dressing mix and brown gravy mix.
Pat roast dry then rub the seasoning mixture over the entire roast.
Place in a 5-7 quart slow cooker and pour the water around the roast.
Add the carrots and potatoes, if using.
Cover and cook on low 7-10 hours, high 4-7 hours. !!TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE AND DEPEND ON THE SHAPE/THICKNESS OF THE ROAST!!
To thicken gravy, mix 2 tbs flour with 3 tbs water for EACH cup of pan juice. Place the pan juices in a small saucepan and heat to boiling. Add the flour/water mixture and stir until thick. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes

Notes

Use the dressing mixes DRY. Do not make up like a salad dressing.

Nutrition

*Adapted from Hidden Valley

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Pot Roast In Foil

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 23:00:17 +0000

Pot roast and veggies cook in the same foil pouch and the gravy makes itself! Nothing could be easier!

Retro Pot Roast Recipe

You can’t get more retro than this pot roast in foil recipe.

This originally came out of one of those golden-oldie Betty Crocker specialty cookbooks called “Dinner Dishes.” I inherited a whole bunch of those–I think almost the complete set–from my mother. Those books came from my aunt who got them from one of my uncle’s patients who worked for Golden Press. Aunt Lil didn’t want them so she gave them to my mother.

I was always glad I ended up with these books, not only because they are now collector’s items, but they had many down-to-earth family recipes. This quickie pot roast was one of those recipes. My husband and I loved the flavors.

Foil Pouch Cooking

Foil pouch cooking has become very popular lately, but it’s nothing new.

Cooking food in a foil pouch has been done by campers for ages. Basically you don’t need any pans to cook, nor plates to eat food off of with this method.

In recent years, foil pouch cooking has become popular in the home. The biggest boon is that there is virtually no clean up. An added benefit for those watching their fat intake is that this method doesn’t require much, if any fat.

There’s virtually no clean up involved with this roast either, but that isn’t the only plus to this meal. Everything cooks in the same pouch and it makes it’s own gravy. The roast cooks at a relatively high heat so it done very quickly. If your roast is thicker than about one inch, then you do need to add to the cooking time, but not by that much. My roast was about 1.5-inches thick so I cooked it 90 minutes. The original recipe called for a chuck steak about one inch thick.

The Recipe

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Pot Roast In Foil

Pot roast and veggies cook in the same foil pouch and the gravy makes itself! Nothing could be easier!

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Total Time2 10

Course: beef, Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pot roast in foil, retro pot roast recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 741kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 lb chuck roast either bone-in or boneless about 1-inch thick see NOTES
2 cups baby carrots
1 cup whole button mushrooms optional
3 stalks celery cut into 3-4-inch pieces
1 can 10.75 oz cream of mushroom soup, low-sodium preferred
4 medium potatoes cut in half
1 envelope dry mushroom gravy mix see NOTES
2 tbs water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Tear off a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (about 30-inches) and place it on a large baking sheet (a 15- or 18-inch cookie sheet/jellyroll pan) so that equal amounts of the foil overhang the sides of the baking sheet.
In a small bowl, mix the soup and gravy mix; set aside.
Place the chuck roast in the center of the foil on prepared baking sheet. Spread soup mixture over the top of the roast.
Place the celery, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms (if using) on top of the roast. Sprinkle with the water.
Make foil pouch by bringing up the overhanging sides and sealing top and sides well. I always leave about an inch or two "cushion" on the top for steam expansion.
Roast for 60 minutes if the steak/roast is 1-inch or slightly less; 90 minutes if the roast/steak is thicker than 1-inch.
Open pouch CAREFULLY as there will be a lot of steam.

Notes

If the meat is thick, it will require a longer cooking time. Mine was about 1.5-inches thick and took 90 minutes, but plan on 2 hours if you have a thick roast.

The original recipe called for an envelope of onion soup/dip mix. Since I'm not crazy about that flavor, I substituted dry gravy mix. I used mushroom, but brown, onion or au jus would be good too.

Nutrition

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Slow Cooker Complete Pot Roast Dinner

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 23:00:18 +0000

Pot roast, green beans and potatoes cook all together in the slow cooker. This is America’s favorite Sunday dinner and it’s never been easier.

Pot Roast: A Beloved Sunday Meal

Pot roast is probably the most popular Sunday dinner.

Most likely this is because it’s easy to prepare and pretty much fuss free. There’s also many different ways to flavor pot roast. I always said, “Give me 10 people and they’ll give me 10 different pot roast recipes.” Although most of us have our favorite recipe for it and tend to use that all the time.

My outlook was pretty much the same as most folks when it came to pot roast recipes, but as I got older, I started to think more out-of-the-box when it came to this meal. I will experiment with flavors, but I do try to keep it as simple as possible.

Plan For Leftovers

Pot roast is just one of those meals that improves on the second serving.

When I make any pot roast, I always buy a bigger piece of meat so I have another meal out of the original. Not only does this taste better the next time around, it also saves you cooking another meal during the week. I call these leftovers “planned overs.” Most slow cooker meals work well as planned overs too, not just pot roast.

Entire Meals In The Crock Pot

Making an entire meal in your slow cooker is not a new idea. I’ve seen quite a few recipes for chicken dinners done this way.

In fact, that’s one of my favorite meals. I made Slow Cooker Chicken & Vegetables when my sister was visiting and she loved it so much, it’s a keeper for her as well.

I’ve never seen this done with a beef roast, but that doesn’t mean it’s not out there. There’s nothing new under the sun and this probably fits in that category too.

The Recipe

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Slow Cooker Complete Pot Roast Dinner

Pot roast, green beans and potatoes cook all together in the slow cooker. This is America’s favorite Sunday dinner and it’s never been easier.

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time8 10

Course: beef, Comfort Foods, Slow Cooker

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pot roast

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 586kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup (see NOTES)
3 tbs au jus gravy mix
3 lb chuck roast
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water
16 oz whole green beans frozen or fresh
6 medium potatoes quartered
1 cup fresh mushrooms sliced in half.

Instructions

Mix mushroom soup and au jus gravy mix in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet and brown meat on both sides. Deglaze the pan with the 1/4 cup water.
Place browned meat in the middle of a 5-7 quart slow cooker.
Put the green beans on one side of the meat. Place the potatoes on the other end of the meat.
Spread soup mixture on top of meat. Pour the deglazing liquid on top of the soup mixture.
Top with mushrooms.
Cover and cook on low 6-10 hours, high 4-8 hours.
Always check for doneness at the minimum time. Cook time ranges are approximate as all cookers cook differently and meat can vary in thickness.

Notes

When using a canned cream soup with any commercial seasoning mix or gravy, I ALWAYS use low-sodium soup.

Nutrition

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Braised Boneless Chuck Steak

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 23:00:00 +0000

Chuck steak is one of the most flavorful cuts of beef. Here it is braised to perfection in an herb gravy.

I love the flavor of chuck. I think it’s one of the most if not the most, flavorful cut of beef.

Chuck is versatile too. If you get a really good grade, you can even broil it and eat it as you do strip or Porterhouse. In fact, if I had my choice for a steak dinner, I’d choose chuck over Porterhouse because of the great flavor.

The flavor, of course, comes from the amount of fat. No lie–chuck can be a bit on the fatty side because it’s well marbled. Fat imparts flavor and there’s no way of getting around that.

My store had boneless chuck steaks or roasts on sale this week. I chose the steaks over the roast, mainly because the “roast” cut is a little bit too thick and that one really can’t be eaten like a steak. With the “steak” cut, you can either braise or broil.

Since the weather is turning very fall-ish here, I chose to braise these steaks because when the evenings start to get a nip in them, you automatically think of comfort food. And what’s more comforting than a stew or pot roast?

As far as the fat issue, what I usually do when cooking stovetop is to cook it earlier in the day so I can refrigerate the accumulated juices so the fat congeals and can easily be skimmed off. Then I reheat everything and make the gravy and serve.

The gravy tastes wonderful! I used the leftover bit of seasoned flour mixed with water to thicken. I used commercial concentrated beef stock (Knorr to be exact), but any rich beef stock can be used in it’s place. Even humble stock cubes. If you use the Knorr concentrate (the jellied stuff in the tubs) or the stock cubes (use 2), just add a cup of water. I jazzed my stock up with a bit of thyme thrown in. I’d dehydrated some clippings from my plant and used those–about 4 pieces 2-inches long, but you can use the kind you buy in the spice aisle too.

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Braised Boneless Chuck Steak

Chuck steak is one of the most flavorful cuts of beef. Here it is braised to perfection in an herb gravy.

Prep Time25

Cook Time2

Total Time2 25

Course: beef, Comfort Foods, skillet dinners, Slow Cooker

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef recipe, chuck steak

Servings: 4

Calories: 791kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 boneless chuck steak about 2-3 lbs
1 cup rich beef stock
1/4 tsp thyme -or- 2-3 sprigs of fresh
1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes -or-regular size cut in quarters
8 oz baby carrots
2 tbsp oil for browning
1/2-1 tsp Gravy Master optional

SEASONED FLOUR

1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

Mix seasoned flour ingredients on a plate.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
When oil begins to shimmer, dredge steak in the seasoned flour on both sides.
Brown meat well, about 5 minutes each side.
Remove meat from pan.
Add the stock, scraping up all the browned bits in the pan.
Add meat back to pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours.
At this point, I remove the meat from the pan and pour off the juices and refrigerate for about an hour or until the fat is congealed. If you don't wish to do this, then continue with the preparation in the next step
Add carrots and potatoes to the skillet.
Cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are tender.
Remove meat and veggies from the pan; cover and keep warm.
Mix about 2-3 tbs of the remaining seasoned flour with 1/4 cup of water, mixing until the liquid is free from lumps (I put this in a lidded glass jar and just shake it)
Stir seasoned flour/water mix into stock in pan, mixing well so there are no lumps.
Cook gravy for 3-5 minutes to cook the flour. Stir in Gravy Master, if using.
Either pour gravy over the steak & veggies or place in a gravy boat so everyone can help themselves.
SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS:
Brown chuck steak as in regular directions
Place meat in slow cooker
Add the stock, thyme, potatoes and carrots.
Cook on low about 6 hours, high about 3 hours (all cookers cook differently and these are the minimum times)
Thicken gravy if desired as in regular directions.

Nutrition

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Slow Cooker Braised Short Ribs

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Slow Cooker Braised Short Ribs

Let your slow cooker do the work infusing these juicy braised beef short ribs with a tangy, yet sweet flavor.

It seems no one who shops in the grocery store that’s in my town ever buy short ribs. On the last day of sale, there’s always drastic reductions on them, so I’m always right up there stocking up!

For years, I have been trying to duplicate a short rib dish my late husband once ordered in a restaurant. I was reluctant to order the same thing because I am not a huge fan of anything cooked in a tomato-type base. However, when I tasted what he got, I was sorry I didn’t order it.

Slow cooking infuses flavor

I’d seen recipes for years that looked something like what the restaurant made, but all of these involved at least 4 hours running the oven. I’m cheap. Bottled gas costs an arm and a leg. Needless to say I put making these on the back burner.

That restaurant dish came to mind when I was picking through the reduced short ribs. Since I dusted off my crock pots, I figured it may be possible to try to duplicate that recipe again–with some alterations for the effects of slow cooking (namely a watery sauce).

The very first thing I do with any slow-cooked meat is brown it well and deglaze the pan. This results in a much better flavor in the final result. I suggest you don’t skip this step. For that matter, if you can keep an eye on it, then this probably could be cooked entirely on the stove top in a dutch oven. Either way, it will taste fine. I just find the slow cooker infuses flavor better.

Juicy ribs with a tangy, yet sweet sauce

Since these ribs are pretty fatty, what I do here is make them the day before, much like my Classic Pot Roast, and let the fat congeal then just easily lift it off the juice and throw it away. I always chill the gravy/juice in a separate container to the meat–makes fat removal easier with a flat surface!

I prefer a more concentrated flavor, so after removing the fat, I generally reduce the pan juices. This makes these ribs taste so much better. It’s not a necessary step, and you don’t have to do it, but the pan juices will be more watery and not have the more intense flavor.

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Slow Cooker Braised Short Ribs

Let your slow cooker do the work infusing these juicy braised beef short ribs with a tangy, yet sweet flavor.

Prep Time20

Cook Time8

Total Time8 20

Course: beef, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Slow Cooker

Cuisine: American

Keyword: braised short ribs, slow cooker beef

Servings: 4

Calories: 664kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 lbs about 8 ribs beef short ribs
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 beef stock cubes -or- 1 tub Knorr concentrated beef stock
1/2 cup water
1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, undrained
1 lb peeled baby carrots
1 small bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme or 3 sprigs fresh
1 tbs olive oil
salt
pepper

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Season ribs with salt & pepper to taste.
Brown short ribs on all sides. Place browned short ribs in a 6-7 quart slow cooker.
In the same pan you browned the ribs in, add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and saute over medium-low heat until onion is slightly tender (about 3-5 minutes). Deglaze the pan with the 1/2 cup water. Add the stock cubes (or tub of concentrated stock), the entire can of diced tomatoes (including liquid), the bay leaf, carrots and the thyme. Mix well.
Pour over ribs in slow cooker. Cover and cook on HI 4-6 hours, LOW 8-10 hours. Cooking times are a guide only as slow cookers do cook at different rates. Check at minimum times for each setting for doneness.
Remove ribs to serving platter, cover with foil and keep warm in a low oven (approx 200 degrees F).
Remove as much fat from the pan juices as possible (for what I do, see narrative above).
Transfer pan juices to a large skillet and reduce sauce to 1/2 over medium-high heat. This will take about 5 minutes. This step may be eliminated if you want a less-intense flavor to the sauce.
Pour sauce over ribs on serving platter. Serve with rice or over mashed potatoes.

Nutrition

Slow Cooker Braised Short Ribs

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Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Classic Pot Roast (Slow Cooker)

A classic American dinner–pot roast. The all-time comfort food made easily in the crock pot.

Pot roast always makes me think of a Norman Rockwell painting. After all, it’s an American classic for Sunday dinner.

The slow cooker makes it easy because it does all the work for you. This is one you can truly set and forget.

Sunday Dinner

I’ve always found that the flavor improves if it sits overnight, so I make mine ahead then chill the pan juices separately from the meat and veggies. That way, it’s pretty easy to skim off the fat because it will all congeal! Then I just reheat everything in the pan juices and thicken the gravy. Chuck really makes the best tasting pot roast, but it does contain it’s fair share of fat–which is why it’s tasty–so whenever I use it, I do chill the juices.

Rump would be a good, less fatty alternative to the chuck. I’ve substituted it when it’s been on sale and was very pleased with the flavor. Since it’s shaped like a roast, you can then get real slices instead of “hunks” of meat.

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Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast

A classic American dinner–pot roast. The all-time comfort food made easily in the crock pot.

Prep Time2 31

Cook Time8

Total Time10 31

Course: beef, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Slow Cooker

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pot roast

Servings: 4

Calories: 701kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3-4 lb boneless chuck roast
1 lb carrots
1 lb small red potatoes about 2" in diameter
2 stalks celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 beef stock cubes
1 cup water
1/4 tsp Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet optional

TO THICKEN

2 tbs cornstarch for each cup of liquid
2 tbs water for each cup of liquid

Instructions

Spray or line the crock of a 5-7 quart slow cooker.
Sprinkle rub on all sides of the meat and rub in well. Place meat and onions in slow cooker.
Peel carrots and slice in half crosswise. Cut celery in 1-inch chunks. Peel potatoes. Place them all in the slow cooker.
Add the water and the stock cubes. Cover slow cooker and cook on HI for 5-6 hours or on LOW for 8-10 hours (times approximate).
HINT: I always make my pot roast a day in advance so I can chill the liquid and remove the congealed fat easily. Plus pot roast improves when it sits overnight! Try this if you don't do it already!
When roast is done, remove meat and vegetables. Either skim the fat from the liquid (or use my method of chilling to let the fat congeal for easier removal). Add the Gravy Master at this point if you are using it.
To thicken pan juices, turn slow cooker to HI and stir in 2 tbs cornstarch mixed with 2 tbs water for EACH cup of pan juices. Stir constantly until well mixed. Cook for 1 minute after juices begin to bubble.
If you cook it the day before as I do, store the meat & vegetables in a separate container from the pan juices. Skim the fat off the chilled pan juices and reheat the veggies and meat in a pan on the stove. When heated through, remove the meat & veggies and proceed with thickening the gravy, if desired, as above.
Serves about 4 people.

Notes

RUB FOR MEAT

Nutrition

Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast

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Classic Pot Roast

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Classic Pot Roast

Who doesn’t love pot roast? An American favorite!

How easy can this get? Mix a few ingredients, pop it in the slow cooker and dinner is ready about 8 hours later!

What I generally do when I make a pot roast is do it the day before, then refrigerate. Not only does pot roast (or any stew) taste better the next day, this also give you a chance to skim any congealed fat off the liquid before you make the gravy.

Now, speaking of gravy, even though gravy mix is used in this recipe, it’s more of a condiment than an ingredient that miraculously makes a gravy. You’ll have to thicken this juice if you want a more substantial gravy. General rule of thumb is 2 tbs of either cornstarch or flour mixed in 1/4 cup of water per cup of juice to produce a “medium” gravy.

You can add any veggies you want into this mix–potatoes, carrots, celery, etc. I just choose to make mine plain–just in case I want to freeze. I serve with mashed potatoes, but many folks serve with potato pancakes (my mom did).

Enjoy!

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Classic Pot Roast

This classic pot roast recipe creates tender beef roast with mushroom gravy. The best part is that it's a hands-off slow cooker recipe!

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time8 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pot roast, slow cooker beef, slow cooker recipes

Servings: 6

Calories: 587kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 lb beef roast like bottom round, rump or your choice
10.5 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 tbsp brown gravy mix 0.87 oz brown gravy mix packet
1 tbsp instant onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms optional
2 beef stock cubes
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 cup water
1 bay leaf optional

Instructions

Mix all ingredients, except beef roast in a small bowl. Set aside.
Place beef roast in the crock of a 5-6 qt slow cooker. Pour soup mixture over roast.
Cover and cook on LOW 6-10 hours. Gravy may be thickened with flour/water or cornstarch/water if desired.

Nutrition

Classic Pot Roast

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