There are some days in the thick of summer when the kitchen ought to mind its manners and stay cool, and that is exactly where a slow cooker supper like this one shines. This 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Dog Days Roast is the kind of plain, sensible Midwestern cooking that turns a humble pork sirloin tip roast and a handful of pantry staples into tender slices and rich gravy with hardly any fuss. It is the sort of meal that feels old-fashioned in the best way, dependable, hearty, and made for busy weekdays when you still want supper to taste like somebody cared.
Serve this roast with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or plain white rice to catch every spoonful of the savory juices. A side of green beans, sweet corn, glazed carrots, or a crisp cucumber salad balances the richness nicely, and if you have good bread on hand, set that out too for mopping up the gravy. Leftovers also make fine hot sandwiches the next day.
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Dog Days Roast
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 raw pork sirloin tip roast, about 3 to 4 pounds
1 packet dry onion soup mix, about 1 ounce
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, 10.5 ounces
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Directions
1. Place the raw pork sirloin tip roast into the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the dry onion soup mix, condensed cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce until combined.
3. Pour the mixture evenly over the roast, cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is very tender.
4. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, let it rest for 10 minutes, then slice or shred as you like. Stir the cooking juices in the slow cooker to make a simple gravy, and spoon it over the meat when serving.
Variations & Tips
For a deeper onion flavor: Add a sliced yellow onion under the roast before cooking. It is a small extra step, but it melts down into the juices and makes the gravy taste even more homey.
For thicker gravy: If you like a more substantial gravy, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir it into the hot cooking juices after the roast comes out. Let it cook a few minutes until it thickens.
For easier slicing: Pork sirloin tip roast slices best if you let it rest before cutting. If it turns especially tender and wants to fall apart, that is no trouble at all; just shred it and pile it over potatoes or noodles.
For a mushroom lover's version: Stir in a handful of sliced mushrooms during the last hour of cooking for extra flavor and a little more texture in the gravy.
For leftovers: Store the pork with its juices so it stays moist. The next day it makes wonderful open-faced sandwiches, rice bowls, or a simple supper plate warmed back up with leftover vegetables.