Awesome and Easy Pot Roast

Until about a year ago, I had never made a successful pot roast either in the oven or the slow cooker. They always turned out dry and bland and disappointing. I decided to try again when I read the simple and easy recipe in the Pioneer Woman cookbook. I just adore her, don't you?! I changed it only in that I finished it in the slow cooker instead of the oven. I have so much confidence in this recipe that I made it on a night when not only my parents, but my in-laws were coming over for dinner. Here's how it works:

The Ingredients

2 or 3 TBSP olive oil

salt

pepper

dried or fresh thyme, rosemary or both

2 to 2 1/2 cups beef broth or stock

3 to 5 pound chuck roast

2 to 3 onions, halved

1 1/2 cups baby carrots 

Find a skillet large enough for your roast to go in and add olive oil to it. Put it on a medium-high flame to get pretty hot while you prep your onions. Salt the roast on both sides. When the skillet is ready, put the onions in to get some color on them, about a minute per side.

Remove the onions and put in the carrots. Same thing, just a minute or two to get a little color on them.

Take the carrots out and let the pan get hot again. While you wait, dust some pepper on the meat. Then put them meat in the skillet, again just a minute per side so it gets a good sear on it.

Take the meat out and put it in the slow cooker. Add the veggies around it. Now go back to your skillet and pour in some of the beef broth to deglaze it. Stir it around to get all the flavor left behind by the meat and veggies.

Pour that broth on top of the roast, then add more broth until the roast is sitting in a nice bath, about half covered. Sprinkle a little dried thyme or rosemary or both on top or add some fresh sprigs if you have them.

Throw the lid on your crock and set it to low for 6 to 8 hours. 

You will want to check it about 5 1/2 hours in, and then every 30 minutes or so after that. You will know that it's done when you stick the fork in and it shreds into pieces, like so:

My personal favorite part is the onion! Also, don't put potatoes in with the roast. They taste great but they tend to soak up too much moisture from the meat. You can make some separately in no time. I cheated and used boxed mashed potatoes but I also sauteed some mushrooms and everyone raved about dinner!