Pot Roast

 


I prefer an arm roast or a shoulder roast, but if you can't find those cuts, chuck works great.

A  pot roast is the perfect cut of beef for the slow cooker. A tough, inexpensive roast is the best choice for long, slow cooking. 

This slow cooker pot roast takes all day to cook, but only 3 or 4 minutes to prepare. Campbell's Condensed French Onion Soup makes this pot roast quick to fix and the crock pot makes it a breeze to cook.


Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 pounds top round roast or lean chuck
  • 1 can  (10 1/2 ounces) condensed French onion soup
  • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, optional
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Potatoes and Carrots, Optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Cut the roast into 4 to 6 large chunks and place them in the slow cooker. Add the French onion soup and mushrooms. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or until very tender. Or, cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

    If you add potatoes and carrots, put potatoes and carrots on the bottom so that they are submerged in the juices.

  2. When roast is cooked, make gravy with the juices. Remove the beef and mushrooms to a platter or bowl with a slotted spoon; cover with aluminum foil and keep warm. Transfer juices to a saucepan. Skim excess fat, if desired. Simmer the juices for 5 minutes to reduce slightly and concentrate the flavors. 

  3. Mix 2 heaping tablespoons of flour with cold water to make a smooth mixture; never add flour directly to the juices, always dilute it with water to get the lumps out, then stir into the juices. Continue cooking until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

    Pull the roast apart into pieces and pour part of the gravy over the top to moisten.

    Instant Pot Instructions

    Put roast and soup in the IP, do not add vegetables.  Pressure for 1:45 hours, release naturally for 10 minutes and if you want to cook carrots and potatoes, cut both vegetables in large chunks, add to the Instant Pot and pressure for 3 minutes, quick release.  Then put juices in saucepan, and thicken using above instructions to make gravy.

    We usually don't cook potatoes and carrots with these, just serve them with Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes.