Pretty much everyone owns a crockpot or slow cooker. I used to have a smaller one but purchased a large one with a removed stoneware insert several years ago. It normally stays in my kitchen cabinet and I use it about once a month. I really should use it more. I got it out yesterday morning to cook a pot roast.
As a side note, I discovered an interesting website just for slow cooking titled A Year of Slow Cooking. Check it out at THIS LINK.
I have made pot roast many times before but this recipe from AllRecipes.com is the best one I have tried. The main difference from what I usually do is that it calls for sautéeing the meat before putting it in the crockpot. I have to say that it made the flavor quite delicious plus you get a light gravy with it. My husband said he would have liked a few more spices or seasonings on the meat (I only used salt, pepper and parsley as the recipe instructed) but my sons and I loved it. Here you go...
Erica's Delicious Slow Cooker Beef Roast
(Thanks, Erica, whoever you are)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless beef roast
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 onion, quartered (I sliced it)
- 16 baby carrots (I cut up large carrots)
- Fresh mushrooms (I added these since I had a few in the frig)
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (I used one whole head of garlic)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, sauté the roast in the oil for 15 minutes, or until all sides are well browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
2. Place the onion, carrots, mushrooms, garlic and parsley in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the roast on top of the vegetables and pour the soup over the roast and the vegetables.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, stirring once.
I started the meal at 11:00 a.m. (had to turn it on high for 4 hours, then on low the rest of the time). The entire preparation process took about 25 minutes including cleanup. The roast cooked most of the day and I put some bread in to bake while I ran some errands. At 6:00 p.m., like magic, dinner was done. I think I love crockpots.
Transfer roast to a serving platter and place the vegetables around it. (I've got to get better at slicing meat.) Pour the gravy from the slow cooker into a gravy boat.
As soon as the crockpot was empty I filled the crockpot with some dish soap and very hot water to soak while we were eating. It cleaned up in about 5 minutes after dinner by doing this.
NOTE: I'm definitely going to remember this cooking of the meat before adding it to the crockpot. I recently heard of a concept called LAYERING THE FLAVORS by searing or sautéeing a few of the ingredients before adding them to a soup or other dish. It really makes for a better flavor in your food. The bread finished an hour before the meat so I sat it out to cool.
Pot roast with vegetables, peas, fresh bread and sliced apples--a nice home-cooked dinner for the family or for company. Since ours is a family of four, there were plenty of leftovers plus I sent a plate home with my college son to have later in the week.
