This 3-ingredient slow cooker papa's day roast is the kind of no-fuss, big-flavor meal that makes dads grin from ear to ear. It starts with a raw bone-in pork roast, just like the Sunday dinners my own father waited for all week, and leans on two humble pantry secrets—dry onion soup mix and a can of cream of mushroom soup—to do the heavy lifting. Everything goes straight into the slow cooker, no browning or fussing, and by suppertime the meat is tender, the house smells like home, and you’ve got a rich gravy right in the pot. It’s a modern shortcut wrapped up in old-fashioned comfort, perfect for Father’s Day or any evening you want to make a man at your table feel especially cared for.
Serve thick slices of the pork roast with plenty of the slow-cooker gravy spooned over the top. This roast is right at home alongside buttery mashed potatoes or egg noodles, a simple pan of roasted carrots, or classic Midwestern sides like green beans and dinner rolls to mop up every bit of sauce. A crisp green salad or tangy coleslaw adds some freshness to balance the richness. For a true papa’s day spread, finish with something simple and nostalgic for dessert, like apple crisp or a slice of pie and a cup of coffee.
3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Papa's Day Pork RoastServings: 6
Ingredients
1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) bone-in pork shoulder or pork butt roast, raw
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (1 ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
Directions
Place the raw bone-in pork roast into the bottom of a large slow cooker, fat side up if there is a cap of fat. The roast should sit flat in the center of the crock, with the bone nestled down and plenty of space around it for the juices and sauce.
In a small bowl, stir together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and the dry onion soup mix until mostly blended. It will be thick and a bit lumpy from the dried onions, and that’s just fine.
Spoon the soup mixture evenly over the top of the pork roast, spreading it so the meat is well coated. Some will fall down around the sides of the roast—that will help make the gravy as it cooks.
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 pork is very tender and easily pulls away from the bone with a fork. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking so the roast stays moist and the temperature remains steady.
Once the pork is tender, carefully lift the roast out onto a cutting board, using two large spatulas or sturdy forks to keep it from falling apart. Remove and discard the bone and any large pieces of excess fat.
Slice or gently pull the pork into large chunks, then return the meat to the slow cooker and stir it into the hot gravy, or arrange the slices on a platter and ladle the gravy from the slow cooker over the top.
Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning if needed. The soup mix is salty, so you may not need extra salt; add a little black pepper if you like. Serve the pork roast hot with plenty of gravy and your favorite sides.
Variations & Tips
If your dad loves garlic, rub the pork roast with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder before adding the soup mixture, keeping the ingredient list simple while bumping up flavor. You can swap the cream of mushroom soup for cream of chicken or cream of celery soup if that’s what you have in the pantry; each will give the gravy a slightly different but still comforting flavor. For a touch of sweetness, scatter 1 sliced onion or 1 cup of baby carrots around the roast before adding the soup mixture (this technically adds more ingredients, but the base recipe still works perfectly with just the original three). If you like a thicker gravy, remove the cooked pork, set the slow cooker to HIGH, and whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water; cook for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened, then return the meat to the pot. Food safety tips: Always start with a fully thawed pork roast; cooking from frozen in the slow cooker can keep the meat in the temperature “danger zone” too long. Keep the lid on the slow cooker as much as possible so the internal temperature rises quickly and stays safe. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the pork reaches at least 145°F in the center, though for tenderness this roast is best cooked until it reaches 190–200°F and shreds easily. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers, and reheat thoroughly until steaming hot before serving again.
