Meat and potatoes, is there anything more beautiful? Nope, not if you’re from the Midwest and grew up eating meat and potatoes. It was a staple for me growing up. I loved eating my mother’s beef pot roast, and her gravy was exceptional!
She would slow roast beef, carrots, potatoes, and onions in her blue, speckled roasting pan. Once the meat and veggies were soft, she would remove them all and whisk up the gravy right there in the pan over a low gas flame. Just writing this is making my mouth water!
A good, hearty pot roast has become my family’s favorite as I’ve passed along this recipe to my children who’ve left the nest. In fact, this is the first recipe my oldest made in his brand new apartment. That just made my mama heart sing!
Kay’s Classic Pot Roast
This pot roast is a traditional, savory, dish. You can use a roasting pan in your oven or a slow cooker of your choice. This recipe uses a large 7QT slow cooker, see notes for using a smaller slow cooker.
Equipment
Ingredients
Pot Roast
- 4-6 pounds beef roast
- 4 medium potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
- 4 large onions, sliced into rings
- 1/2 head green cabbage (optional)
- 5 whole carrots, scrubbed well, skinned if you prefer
- 1 pouch onion soup mix
- Greek seasoning
- Garlic powder
- salt & pepper
For Gravy
- 2 cups drippings, add beef broth to make 2 full cups
- 1/2 cup cold water or milk
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoon corn starch, slightly mounded
Instructions
Slow Cooker Version
- Turn slow cooker on to low while you cut vegetables
- Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. If adding cabbage, chunk that up next and place over potatoes. Slice onions into rings and place overcabbage. Peel carrots if you prefer or scrub them very well, but into length of choice.4 medium potatoes, cut in half lengthwise, 4 large onions, sliced into rings, 1/2 head green cabbage (optional), 5 whole carrots, scrubbed well, skinned if you prefer
- Sprinkle veggies with layer of Greek seasoning, and garlic powder.Greek seasoning, Garlic powder
- Season all sides of roast with salt, pepper, and Greek seasoning. Place beef roast on top of veggies. Open pouch of onion soup mix and sprinkle whole pouch over all slow cooker contents.4-6 pounds beef roast, salt & pepper, 1 pouch onion soup mix
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours (for tender beef) or the full 8 hours (for fall apart beef). Once an hour is left in your desired baking time, pull of drippings to make gravy.
Roasting Pan Version
- Preheat oven to 325°
- In roasting pan, cut and layer veggies: potatoes, cabbage if using, onions, carrots. Sprinkle a healthy dose of the seasonings over veggies.
- Place meat in roasting pan, seasoning both sides with Greek, garlic, salt and pepper. Open onion soup mix and pour over all roasting pan ingredients.
- Cover and place in oven for 6-8 hours. Once an hour is left in your desired baking time, pull off drippings to make gravy.
Making Gravy
- Pour drippings from the bottom of the cooker into a heavy duty pyrex to measure the amount and to cool slightly. I like to make 2 cups of gravy, so I'll often add beef broth to make a full 2 cups.2 cups drippings, add beef broth to make 2 full cups
- Once drippings have cooled enough to taste, place in a pot on the stovetop. Taste your drippings to see if you want to add any more of the seasonings. For a richer tasting gravy, I will splash a little Worcestershire sauce into the pot. Bring this broth mixture to low boil.1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Pour a half cup cold water or milk, whisk in the corn starch using slightly mounded tablespoon to account for the extra liquid here. Once this slurry is whisked well with no lumps, pour into drippings slowly while whisking constantly. I also pour slowly to 'feel' when the gravy is the consistency I want. Sometimes I don't need all of this slurry.1/2 cup cold water or milk, 2 Tablespoon corn starch, slightly mounded
Notes
If you have a small slow cooker, go with a 3 pound beef roast. Place the roast at the bottom of the cooker of choice, seasoning both sides with Greek, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Then cut your veggies and layer them around your beef until the vessel is nearly full. Sprinkle the soup mix packet over everything and bake for 6-8 hours.
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