Whether it’s a lazy Sunday or a busy weekday, pot roast is a welcome meal at the end of it. By cooking your roast in the slow cooker, along with potatoes and other vegetables, you can have a delicious, comforting evening meal when you return home. The best part is that you’ll barely have to lift a finger to make it.
Searing the meat before adding it to the slow cooker deepens the flavor and also seals in the juices so that the meat is nice and tender. This step is optional. You can skip it if you are pressed for time and the end result will still be delicious.
Slow cooker pot roast with potatoes
6
15 minutes
6 hours
6 hours and 15 minutes
1 boneless chuck roast (about 3 pounds)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
4 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups beef broth
½ cup red wine (or use an additional ½ cup beef broth)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Season the meat all over with the salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the roast and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
Put the potatoes, carrots, and garlic in the slow cooker. Spread them out in an even layer in the bottom of the pot. Place the roast on top.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the broth, wine, if using, and flour. Pour the mixture over the meat and vegetables in the slow cooker. Add the thyme and bay leaf.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.
To serve, slice the meat and serve it with the vegetables. Spoon the sauce over the top.
If you want to thicken the sauce, transfer the meat and vegetables to a bowl and then pour the juices from the slow cooker through a fine-meshed sieve into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then stir in a cornstarch slurry made from 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water.
