My mother-in-law made this every Sunday and now I finally have her secret. Fork-tender with the most addictive tangy butter sauce

This slow cooker 3-ingredient Mississippi pot roast is the definition of a set-it-and-forget-it Sunday dinner. My mother-in-law made a version of this every single Sunday, and for years all I knew was that it came out fork-tender with this insanely tangy, buttery sauce that everyone practically drank from the bottom of the slow cooker. When I finally got her secret, I was shocked it was only three ingredients and zero fuss. This is the kind of recipe you throw together in the morning before a busy day, and by evening you’ve got deeply browned, fall-apart beef swimming in a golden, peppery butter sauce that tastes like you worked way harder than you actually did.

Serve this pot roast piled over creamy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or steamed white rice so all that tangy butter sauce has something to soak into. A simple green side like roasted green beans, a tossed salad, or steamed broccoli balances the richness. Warm dinner rolls or crusty bread are perfect for mopping up the juices. Leftovers make amazing sandwiches on toasted buns with a slice of provolone, or you can tuck the shredded beef into tortillas with a little slaw for an easy next-day dinner.

Servings: 6

3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast

Place the beef chuck roast in the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. If there is a thick layer of fat on one side, place it fat-side up so it bastes the meat as it cooks.

Pour the entire jar of pepperoncini peppers and all of their brine over and around the roast. Scatter some of the peppers on top of the meat so they can cook down into it. The liquid should come at least one-third of the way up the sides of the roast.

Cut the stick of butter into 3 to 4 pieces and place the pieces evenly on top of the roast. As it melts, it will combine with the pepper brine and beef juices to make the tangy butter sauce.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the roast is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. For the most fall-apart texture and best flavor, the LOW setting is recommended.

Once the roast is fork-tender, use two forks to shred the meat directly in the slow cooker, discarding any large pieces of fat. Stir the shredded beef into the buttery pepper sauce so every strand is coated and glossy.

Taste the meat and sauce. If you’d like more tang or heat, stir in a little extra pepperoncini brine from another jar or add a few more sliced peppers. If the sauce is richer than you prefer, you can skim off some of the fat from the surface with a spoon.

Serve the shredded Mississippi pot roast hot, spooning plenty of the golden butter sauce and pepper rings over each portion.

To keep this a true 3-ingredient recipe, everything you need is in the roast, pepperoncinis, and butter, but you can easily customize it. For a slightly lighter version, use 6 tablespoons of butter instead of a full stick, or trim excess surface fat from the chuck roast before cooking. If you miss the classic ranch and au jus packets often used in Mississippi roast, you can add 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning and 1 tablespoon of brown gravy mix on top of the meat before cooking (this will take it beyond 3 ingredients but adds extra savory flavor). For more heat, swap part or all of the mild pepperoncinis for hot pepper rings, or stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes at the end. If you prefer a thicker sauce, transfer some of the cooking liquid to a small saucepan, whisk in 1 to 2 teaspoons cornstarch with a splash of cold water, simmer until slightly thickened, then pour it back over the shredded meat. For meal prep, cook the roast on Sunday, let it cool, then store in an airtight container with its sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months; reheat gently on the stove or in a slow cooker with a splash of water or broth. Food safety tips: Always start with a fresh or fully thawed roast—never cook a large piece of frozen meat directly in the slow cooker, as it may stay too long in the temperature danger zone. Keep the lid on during cooking to maintain a safe temperature, and use a meat thermometer if needed; the roast should reach at least 190°F internally for that pull-apart texture. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, and reheat to 165°F before serving.