Tender Pot Roast and Veggies
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Have you ever sat back and thought of what you would do differently if you ever came into some serious money? Mama used to do that a lot when we were little. She’d talk about how, if she ever won the lottery, she’d buy us all a house and a new car for each person. She never talked about anything for herself, she just wanted to be able to do more for us.
I’m not sure when I started thinking of what I’d do differently if I ever came into money, but it was never quite as grand as Mama’s vision – I think “coming into money” meant far different amounts for both of us. But I have said for some time now that if I ever got rich, I’d have pot roast once every week.
You see roast and potatoes has always been one of my very favorite meals and I have vivid memories of having it at home as a child, of my Grandmama and Grandaddy cooking it for me when I went to visit them, and of eating it at my Papa Reed’s farm. Folks always knew how much I loved it and the moment I walked in the door I knew by the smell what was for dinner. Adding in the carrots was just a wonderful treat too.
I know most people don’t see pot roast as a meal of luxury but having that much meat in one meal was always a treat for us. When we were little, it seemed like the roast just went on and on like Jesus with the fish and loaves.
Now, as the one doing the cooking, I can’t believe how incredibly simple it is to make the roast I loved so much as a child. I’ve been awfully busy lately with all of the wonderful opportunities in my life and I’ve relied more and more heavily on my slow cooker to help out with supper. Add to this that the grocery store down the road from my house always has the most lovely roasts each time I shop there and you know where I’m going with this!
I told my husband a few weeks back “Do you realize we’ve had roast each week here lately?”. He nodded and shrugged, clearly not understanding what this meant to me. I just smiled in return, knowing that I had achieved my own benchmark for living the life of the rich and famous.
For my roast, I keep it simple because I like simple.
Roast, potatoes, carrots, and beef gravy.
An onion would be an excellent addition and I’d gladly add that if everyone in my family except me hadn’t been dropped on their head as a child.
The KEY to having a moist and fall apart tender roast is not to cook it in water. The gravy helps tenderize the meat and makes it sooooo good when allowed to slow cook all day long.
What Can I Use If I Don’t Have Gravy Handy?
Cream soup (such as cream of mushroom)
Brown gravy made from a powdered mix
Now this big old honkin’ jar of gravy is WAY too much.
You see that can of gravy on the left? That is the size I normally use but I mistakenly got chicken gravy instead of beef – which would have worked every bit as well but I wanted beef and I tend to be a bit stubborn when I set my mind to something (shocking, I know) so I sent my husband after some beef gravy. He came back with this big old king kong sized jar of it. I only need ten ounces though so I’m not going to use it all.
When you go to buy your beef gravy, get one can of the cheap stuff and your roast will be delicious.
Place your roast in the bottom of a slow cooker. Peel and cut up your potatoes and add them as well.
I leave mine in pretty big chunks but you can do whatever cranks yer tractor here.
Peel and cut up your carrots and toss those in.
I usually add more but used what I had on hand.
Note: There is no specific quantity to this. Use five potatoes or ten potatoes, three carrots or seven carrots, it really doesn’t matter. It doesn’t even matter how big your roast is so long as it all fits in your slow cooker. You still only need one can of gravy because everything is going to produce it’s own juices as it cooks to go along with the gravy.
Pour in your gravy
(I’m only using half of that king kong jar)
Cook according to the following chart:
Low – 7-8 hours
or
High 3-4 hours
I like to cook mine the longest amount of time (four hours on high or eight on low) but you don’t have to.
It will be done and tender after the above times. Any longer you cook it will just make it even more tender.
See how much juice this made? This is after cooking on high for four hours.
Serve it up and wait on Robin Leach to show up at your door.
To read a little about these plates, click here.
What Kind Of Roast Should I Look For?
*Look for a roast that has a bit of marbling in it (the white parts, this is fat but marbling sounds so much nicer, doesn’t it?). The fat breaks down during slow cooking and helps to tenderize the meat even more, making for a yummmmy roast from an inexpensive cut of meat.
Ingredients
- 1 beef roast *
- potatoes
- Carrots
- Beef Gravy 10 ounce can
Instructions
- Place roast in bottom of slow cooker. Peel and cut up carrots and potatoes, place on top of Roast. Pour gravy over all and cover. Cook on low 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Try not to open the lid because it takes about twenty minutes to recover the heat if you do! Note: It doesn't matter how many potatoes or carrots you use, long as it all fits in your crock pot!
- I let my guests decide if they want to salt and pepper theirs.
There are a GAZILLION Ways to make roast in the slow cooker. I’ve tried many and love them all but this is my fallback standard.
I’d love to hear your favorite recipe in the comments section below!
I’ve decided that the stuff falling through the cracks is confetti
and I’m having a party!
-Betsy Cañas Garmon
Submit your quote or find some smiles and encouragement by clicking here.
This is our go to Sunday Dinner; however I have always cooked it on the stove. I brown it in a little oil on all sides, then add a cup of water and veggies on top. Cooked it covered on low about 3-4 hours. Then removed meat and veggies and made gravy from the juices! So tender and always done by the time we got home from church! My grown kids still ask for it when they come home! Love your posts and your recipes!!
Sounds wonderful Lunette!!!
Christy, I want to thank you for this wonderful recipe, I tried it this evening, my husband and I had it tonight for dinner it was outstanding I have lived in Texas for 33 yrs. I’m from Massachusetts all my family still lives there, the last time I had a roast this good was when my mom cooked it. I’ve tried but no luck. so it must have been a least 33yrs since I had one this good. Thank you.
Oh my goodness, I am so glad that you liked it!!
Can the roast be frozen? Or does it need to be thawed
I made this tonight, and it’s really good! I added a bit of beef-flavored “Better than Boullion” about 3 hours into cooking, and it added to the flavor. I also used canned whole potatoes, as they don’t take as long to cook, and are great with stews and roasts. I used a handful of baby carrots, and was surprised when some of them were still pretty crunchy. I’ll probably put them on the bottom next time, and then add the roast. My boyfriend always uses ketchup (yeah, he eats like a kid!), and didn’t use a drop of it. Said it was one of his favorite recipes. I’ll be making this one again, thanks for the recipe 🙂
Oh wow!! I am so glad to hear that you liked it and that no ketchup was needed!!!
I just had to thank you for your pot roast recipe! My teenage son LOVES pot roast, but as he’s been allergic to all dairy products since birth, I’ve not been able to cook many of my favorite stand-by recipes. They all have cream of mushroom soup (or cream of something soup), which means I stay on the lookout for dairy-free recipes. So who would have guessed that canned Beef Gravy doesn’t have ANY milk in it?? Not me! But I looked at the ingredients list on the side of the can and it’s safe for my son to eat. Now the roast is in the crock pot (with the addition of one onion cut into wedges) and my kitchen is filled with this incredible, delicious aroma! I know dinner tonight (pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, and fresh peach cobbler) will be perfect! Gotta love southern cooking!
I hope you all enjoy it Kate!!! I am so glad you found something dairy-free that the whole family can have!!
Christy, the pot roast was yummy and made so much delicious gravy that I wanted to use all that juice and leftover meat tonight for hash like my mama used to make. She’d make it in a big frying pan on top of the stove and serve it over white rice. Should I just boil some cut-up carrots and potatoes, then add them to the meat and gravy as it heats up in the pan? I’m so glad I discovered this website. Thank you again!!
I am so glad to hear that you liked it Kate!!! That would work great, or you can roast them in the oven and then add them. Either way is fine and it just depends on your preference.
Hi! Can I use frozen meat? Or does it need to be thawed out first? I’d like to make this today, but my meat is in the freezer. Thank you!! 🙂
Hi Amy, this may be a little late, but for future reference Yes, you can use frozen meat, just increase your cooking time a little.
I have tried this recipe two different times now, once with a bottom round roast and tonight with a chuck roast, and both times the meat has come out tough. I cooked it on high for 4 hours, meat was well done and tough. What am I doing wrong? We pulled some out to eat right now, and am leaving the rest in there to cook on high to see if the meat gets tender. I am guessing since the meat is already well done it won’t get any tender. Please help!! I so want to make this recipe work. I was thinking to try it again but cook it on low this time. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Once it is done, it’s the time after that which tenderizes it so give it a go in a few hours and it should be tender. Also, are you buying your roasts at the same place each time? I don’t think that’s a factor but wanted to ask 🙂
Do you think it was my slow cooker why it took so long? If so, any recommendations on a new one?
Cooking it longer did the trick. It took 7 hrs on high. Do you think it is time for a new slow cooker? It also cracked my countertop. If so, and recommendations? I have a Hamilton Beach right now. I think I’ve only had it for a few years now.