Mamaw's Crock Pot Roast

So we just got a new crock pot in our house, and thought what better recipe to christen it with that Mamaw Linda's pot roast! There are a couple different ways that she makes pot roast. This is crock pot recipe # 1! Recipe # 2 utilizes a dutch oven (or heavy bottomed pot), and is baked.

This recipe is so easy, and so tasty! Just throw everything into the crock put, cook for 8 hours on high, and eat!

I like to use a chuck roast. It comes from the front part of the beef cow, and is one of the tougher cuts. But tough cuts are what make good pot roasts! These lean cuts with lots of connective tissue and very little fat see a lot of movement and action from the beef cow. Cooked in a different manner (seared or grilled quickly) this cut would be tough and chewy! But when braised in a crock pot, the collagen in this cut breaks down and tenderizes the meat, and adds richness to your braising liquid (aka gravy).

First, estimate your ingredients! Mamaw says to cook as much as you think you're going to eat. But, to quantify that, I went with 1.5 lbs of whole small potatoes (or whatever potato you like, cut into 3 inch cubes), three large carrots chunked (or a half pound of baby carrots), 1 medium onion quartered, 4 or 5 whole garlic cloves, and a 1.5-2 lb beef chuck roast. Sometimes I will add a whole banana pepper in too. This was more than plenty for 4 people! You will also need two cans of soup. This can be a combination of Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom, or Cream of Celery. I prefer Cream of Chicken + Cream of Celery. You will also need a packet of French Onion Soup Mix. Before you layer everything in the crock pot, mix your two cans of soup & french onion soup mix until it is homogeneous. This mixture is what you'll be pouring over your roast, and will make an excellent gravy! Because of these soups, there is no need to salt your roast.

Now there is a specific way to layer your ingredients in this recipe. If you do it wrong, your roast will turn out chewy and dry! My Maa tried to make this roast just a week before me and she didn't follow the rules, so her roast was tough and dry. Sad.

First, your potatoes, carrots and whatever other veggies. These go on the bottom since they will not be flavoring the meat, but need meat drippings poured over them to be flavored themselves! Then your quartered roast on top of the vegetables. On top of the roast, put your garlic, pepper and quartered onion. These things are going to flavor the meat. And on top of everything, pour your soup mix, making sure to completely cover your meat. The soups and meat fat will drip down and create all the gravy you need. I put a splash of water over the vegetables, so they wouldn't brown waiting for the gravy to start dripping. It is always key to keep your meat covered, or else they will be browned and dry!

It says 6 hours, but it's more like 8. Dumb typos.

So, now that you have your ingredients layered, slap on the lid, turn it on high and cook for 8 hours (depending on the size of your roast). Cooking it long enough is key too! Don't be fooled, when you're 5 hours in and some of the meat on the outside of the cut is coming away. It needs time to cook and fall apart! So be patient! Cook it overnight if you're comfortable with that! I put mine on at 10:00am, and it was ready for dinner at 6:00pm.

After it is cooked fully, and pulls apart, you're ready to eat! Make sure you get a little bit of everything, and dig in! Leftover pot roast makes really tasty sandwiches too! If there are any leftovers, that is.