CAITLIN BENSEL Family-friendly Crock-Pot recipes will never fall out of favor and this slow cooker pot roast is no exception. This recipe takes traditional pot roast from the oven to the slow cooker —the ultimate fix-it-and-forget-it Sunday meal! Chuck roast was made for the Crock-Pot: lots of marbling throughout means big flavor and it becomes meltingly tender when cooked for hours at a low temperature. Be sure to leave the veggies in halves or big chunks, and to pile them on top and around the roast. That way, they'll cook more gently (through steaming rather than simmering in the broth) and won't fall apart by the time the meat is done. Serve on a Sunday, for a simple holiday meal, or any time you crave truly classic comfort food. Does pot roast need to be seared before slow cooking? It seems like a fussy step, but browning the chuck roast in a skillet first leads to a delicious payoff in the end. Those browned bits in the pan are packed with rich, caramelized flavor —be sure to scrape them up once you add the beef broth (this also makes the pan much easier to clean). What cut of meat is best for pot roast? Chuck roast is best for a slow cooked pot roast. Chuck is a tougher cut that takes time to break down. It's also one of the more flavorful and affordable cuts —a win-win for any slow cooker beef dinner. What can you do with leftover pot roast? Try shredding leftover pot roast and stirring into pasta, filling tacos or enchiladas, or piling on top of a hoagie roll with lettuce and tomato. Use leftover drippings, called jus, as a dip for beef sandwiches or the base for a quick gravy. YIELDS: 8 - 10 serving(s) PREP TIME: 20 mins TOTAL TIME: 6 hrs 30 mins Ingredients 1 whole (4 to 5 lb.) boneless chuck roast 5 tsp. kosher salt, divided 2 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided 4 tbsp. olive oil, divided 2 tbsp. tomato paste 1 c. beef broth 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 6 thyme sprigs 3 rosemary sprigs 6 garlic cloves 1 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges 1 lb. baby yellow potatoes, halved if large 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces Directions 1Sprinkle the chuck roast all over with 4 teaspoons of the salt and 2 teaspoons of the pepper. 2Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Place the meat in the skillet and sear it until browned on all sides, 12 to 16 minutes total. Transfer the meat to a 6 1/2-quart slow cooker. 3Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened in color, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the beef broth and cook, stirring constantly to loosen browned meat bits from the skillet and dissolve the tomato paste, about 1 minute. Pour the beef broth mixture over the roast in the slow cooker. Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves to the broth mixture. 4Toss together the onion, potatoes, carrots, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Pile the onion mixture on top of and around the roast in the slow cooker. 5Cover and cook on high until the roast is fork tender, 6 to 8 hours (or on low for 8 to 10 hours). Serve the roast with the vegetables and a drizzle of sauce from the slow cooker.
