When the school year starts up again, supper needs to be the kind you can count on without standing over the stove at five o’clock. A slow cooker pork roast like this has that old-fashioned Midwestern practicality I’ve leaned on for years: one sturdy cut of meat, a handful of pantry basics, and a low, steady cook that fills the house with the promise of a good meal by dinnertime. It’s the sort of recipe that feels especially welcome on busy weekdays, because it asks so little from the cook and gives back a tender, family-pleasing supper.
This roast is mighty fine served with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or a scoop of plain white rice to catch the savory juices. For vegetables, I’d put out green beans, sweet corn, or glazed carrots, and if you want to stretch the meal for hungry school-night appetites, a basket of warm rolls and a simple applesauce on the side make it feel complete.
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Pork Blade Roast
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 raw bone-in pork blade roast, about 4 to 5 pounds
1 packet ranch seasoning mix, about 1 ounce
1 packet brown gravy mix, about 0.87 to 1 ounce
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
Directions
1. Place the raw bone-in pork blade roast in the bottom of your slow cooker insert. Scatter the sliced onion over and around the roast.
2. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix and brown gravy mix evenly over the top of the roast. Pour the chicken broth around the sides so the seasonings stay mostly on the meat.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the pork is very tender and pulls away easily from the bone.
4. Transfer the roast to a platter, remove the bone, and shred or slice the pork into large pieces. Spoon some of the cooking juices and onions over the top before serving.
Variations & Tips
Add potatoes and carrots: If you’d like a fuller one-pot supper, tuck baby potatoes and thick carrot chunks around the roast before cooking. They’ll soak up those savory juices and make the meal stretch nicely.
For richer flavor: If you have an extra few minutes in the morning, brown the roast in a hot skillet before setting it in the slow cooker. It isn’t necessary, but it adds deeper color and a little more roasted flavor.
Make easy sandwiches: Leftover pork makes wonderful school-night sandwiches the next day. Pile the warm shredded meat onto soft buns with a spoonful of juices, and supper is halfway done already.
Watch the salt: Since packet seasonings can vary, use a lower-sodium broth if possible and taste the juices before adding any extra salt at the table.
Keep it tender: Pork blade roast is forgiving, but it’s best when cooked until it truly relaxes and pulls apart easily. If it still feels firm, give it another 30 to 60 minutes rather than rushing it.