Sunday’s are meant for slow-cooker pot roast meals. This slow cooker has come in handy the past few weeks. I made Mississippi Pot Roast, Apple Cider Pulled Pork, and today .. a delicious pot roast.

A slow-cooked pot roast with fork-tender beef, rich herb gravy, and the most comforting garlic mashed potatoes. This dinner makes the whole house smell wonderful and turns an ordinary evening into a special one.

I still sear the roast before it goes into the slow cooker, because I’m not willing to skip the part that makes the kitchen smell like dinner. It only takes a few minutes, and that little bit of extra effort gives the roast so much flavor.

Then everything goes into the crockpot, and I walk away.

A few hours later, dinner is waiting.

The beef is tender enough to fall apart with a fork, the onions have melted into the gravy, and the garlic has roasted right alongside the roast. At the end, I squeeze those soft cloves straight into the mashed potatoes. It’s one of my favorite little tricks, and it makes the potatoes taste like you fussed over them much longer than you actually did.

And that’s really why I love this recipe.

It feels like a Sunday dinner you spent all afternoon making, but the slow cooker does most of the work.

A few little things that make a big difference

Don’t skip the sear.
Give the roast a good sear in a very hot skillet before it goes into the slow cooker. Those browned edges add a deep, savory flavor that you simply can’t get from the slow cooker alone.

Use plenty of garlic.
I use a whole head of garlic. As it cooks, it becomes soft, sweet, and almost buttery. Some goes into the gravy, and the rest gets squeezed into the mashed potatoes at the end.

Add the Worcestershire.
Just a little adds so much depth to the broth and gives the gravy that slow-simmered flavor.

Pour the cooking liquid around the roast.
This is a small thing, but it matters. Pour the broth around the roast rather than directly over the top so you don’t wash away all those beautifully browned edges from the sear.

For a thicker gravy

If you like your gravy on the thicker side, add a little flour to the onions before adding the cooking liquid. Then, if it still needs a little help at the end, make a quick cornstarch slurry by stirring cornstarch into cold water before adding it to the hot gravy.

Trust me on the cold water.

Lumpy gravy is a lesson you only need to learn once.

And don’t forget the leftovers

If you happen to have leftovers, consider yourself lucky.

The roast is even better the next day, tucked into a warm sandwich with a little of that gravy spooned over the top. It’s the kind of leftover dinner I actually look forward to.

So pour something warm, pull up a chair, and stay awhile.

Sunday dinner is ready.

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Slow Cooker Sunday Pot Roast

No Ratings

Ingredients

3-4 pound chuck roast
11/2 tablespoon salt (more if needed to taste)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, for searing
2 small onions, diced
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 stalks celery, diced
3 medium carrots, chopped into bite-size pieces
14 ounces beef or bone broth
1/4 cup red wine or water (optional, adds great flavor)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
A few sprigs of thyme and rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 whole garlic bulb

Instructions

Sear beef in your pan with olive oil. 3-4 minutes per side or until browned.
Lower heat to low/medium. Add butter and onions. Cook 2 minutes until soft. Add flour and stir until flour is evenly distributed. Add a splash of wine or broth to pick up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Place roast in crockpot and add sliced carrots, celery, and onion.
Add broth, wine, and Worcesterhire sauce.
Tie up a bundle of herbs with cooking twine and place on top of the roast.
Cook in your crook pot on low and cook for about 5 or 6 hours.
Your roast is done when the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.
While the roast finishes, boil the peeled, quartered potatoes in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain.
Mash. Return the potatoes to the pot or a bowl. Add the butter and warm cream, squeeze in the soft roasted garlic from the bulb, and mash until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
Finish. Shred the roast, taste the juices, and add salt if needed (the Worcestershire adds some, so taste first). Serve over or beside the mashed potatoes with the vegetables and gravy spooned on top.

Notes

Prep the Garlic

Peel away any loose, papery outer layers from the whole head of garlic, but keep the main skin intact so the cloves stay connected.

Use a sharp knife to slice off the top 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the garlic head, exposing the tops of all the individual cloves.

Place the garlic bulb cut-side up on a square piece of aluminum foil.

Drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil right over the exposed surface, letting it soak down into the cloves.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Roast the Garlic

Wrap the aluminum foil tightly around the garlic head to create a sealed packet so the steam and oil stay inside.

Place the foil packet onto a baking sheet.

Roast in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 40 to 45 minutes (or up to 60 minutes for very large heads).

The garlic is done when the cloves are completely soft and tender when poked with a knife.

Cool and Serve

Let the garlic cool for about 10 to 15 minutes so you can handle it safely.

Gently squeeze the bottom of the bulb to push the soft, caramelized garlic cloves right out of their papery skins.

dinner, Fall, Main Dishes

Slow-Cooker Sunday Pot Roast