Crock Pot Easy Pot Roast

Pot Roast is actually both a cooking method and a cut of beef. Usually a tougher beef cut such as chuck or round cut is used because it is inexpensive and responds best to being cooked leisurely in moist environment. The traditional Pot Roast cooking method is to brown the meat and vegetables and the braise it very slowly in water, either in the oven or on the stove top. To serve, cook down the liquid and thicken to make a gravy... oh it all sounds too hard!

Thanks goodness for the West Bend Slow Cooker - it's stainless insert (with special non-stick lining) lets you brown the meat right in the slow cooker insert and then put it on the slow cooker base and set it to simmer and slow cook away all day! 

If you are looking for ideas for mid week meals that can cook all day and be ready to serve when everyone is ready to eat, then it doesn't get much easier than the ultimate one pot dinner:  

Crock Pot Easy Pot Roast

serves 8

1 tbsp cornstarch

8 medium carrots, cut into thirds

4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch lengths

2 medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges

Salt and ground pepper

3-4 lb beef pot roast or chuck roast, trim excess fat if necessary

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

In slow cooker, stir together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth.

Add carrots, celery and onions; season with salt and pepper, and toss.

Place meat on top of vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with Worcestershire sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.

Transfer roast to a cutting board; thinly slice against the grain.

Place vegetables in a serving dish; pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired.

Serve roast with vegetables and pan juices.

As the meat and vegetables cook, juices will form and combine deliciously with the water and cornstarch mix to make flavorsome pan juices. No extra liquid is required.

Variation: To make a more Italian inspired meal, further season by sprinkling the meat with 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp basil and then pour a 14oz can of crushed tomatoes in puree over the meat. This variation is an easy recipe for a delicious pot roast that makes its own flavorful tomato-herb gravy.

Are you intrigued with the idea of a stainless steel insert in a slow cooker?  If you've not come across this before, it is very popular, well rated in customer reviews slow cooker.  Plus the base is actually a mini griddle! 

If you would like to learn more about the West Bend Oblong Slow Cooker, follow this link to the West Bend Oblong Slow Cooker Review.

You will be able to find the major slow cooker models reviewed at my website.

Free slow cooker recipes anyone?  Be sure to sign up to my blog to ensure you get each new recipe as it comes out!  Enjoy your weekend!


Previous Post: Do you have a whole chicken slow cooker roast recipe?

Whole Chicken Slow Cooker

Are you looking for a slow cooker that will roast a large whole chicken?

With this programmable slow cooker, you will be able to do this almost at a touch of a button.

"It is perfect for cooking a moist, fragrant (using herbs) ~7lb roaster chicken..." By Tanso, 5 Stars

"Love it!!! Big 6 quart when you have to make a lot of food. Holds an 8lb chicken." By W. Hunt, NY. 5 Stars

This Rival Smart Pot Crock Pot has a an average customer rating of 3.5 stars or above from 62% of reviewers. In my opinion, the smart pot slow cooker fits neatly in the middle between the basic manual and the programmable slow cookers because of the simple controls. Cook time and cook mode options are selected at the same time, you can either cook on high for: 4 or 6 hours, or cook on low for: 8 or 10 hours by pressing the 'cook time' button until the option you want is shown. It doesn't get any easier than, this which is why I like it! For anyone who is new to crock pot cooking, these are the cooking time ranges for just about everything. Once the specified cooking time is completed, the cooker automatically switches to Warm mode.

Whole Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe
This recipe can be found in the Rival Smart Pot Crock Pot instruction manual.

LEMON HERB ROASTED CHICKEN
Serves 4-6
4-6 pound roasting chicken
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ cup onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1-2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Juice of one lemon teaspoon
paprika

Place the onion in the cavity of the chicken and rub the skin with butter. Place chicken in the slow cooker.
Squeeze lemon juice over chicken and sprinkle with remaining seasonings.
Cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hours or on HIGH 4 hours.

To read the review, follow the link to Rival Smart Pot Crock Pot here, or find more slow cooker reviews here!

Rival Little Dipper

When you buy this Smart-Pot® Slow Cooker, you get a wonderful Little Dipper Warmer with it!

The Crock-Pot® Little Dipper® Warmer eliminates all those trips back and forth to the kitchen to reheat dips and sauces and lets you focus on your guests instead. Simply add your ingredients or a pre-made dip, plug in and enjoy!

With an attractive white finish, the Little Dipper® Warmer makes entertaining easy all year around.

The instruction manual comes with several delicious dip recipes – here's my favorite!

CREAMY SPINACH DIP

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cubed
1⁄4 cup of whipping cream

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons diced pimento

2 teaspoons of finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
1⁄4 teaspoon garlic salt

1⁄2 of a 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Combine cream cheese and whipping cream in greased Little Dipper Warmer.

Cover and heat until cheese is melted, 30 to 60 minutes. Add remaining ingredients.

Cover and heat for 30 minutes. Serve with raw vegetables, crackers or bread pieces.

Check out more Easy Crock Pot Recipes at my website.

Find more slow cooker reviews here!