SLOW COOKER POT ROAST WITH HOMEMADE ONION SOUP MIX

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 3 lb boneless beef chuck roast
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil (like avocado oil, butter, ghee or coconut oil)
• 3 tablespoons of homemade onion soup mix (or store-bought)
• 2 medium onions
• 3 carrots
• 3 parsnips
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 cups of beef or chicken broth (I typically use homemade)
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt & pepper, to taste (this will vary based on whether you use homemade stock & onion soup mix)
• slow cooker

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 560mins
Adapted from therisingspoon.com

Preparation

Step 1

Pull the roast out of the fridge, sprinkle all sides with salt & pepper to taste, and set aside for about 10 minutes to warm up. Meanwhile, make the homemade onion soup mix (this should only take about 1-2 minutes using spices you have on hand). Use this time to also prep the veggies by peeling the onions then slicing them into wedges, chopping the celery, then peeling and chopping the carrots and parsnips. (Make sure to save all the veggies scraps to use for homemade stock.)

Measure out 1 tablespoon of the onion soup mix and sprinkle it on all sides of the roast, pressing the seasonings down into the meat if need be. Heat a skillet or large pot to just over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, then place the roast into the pan. Sear all sides of the roast using tongs to flip the meat (I let the big sides cook for 1 1/2 minutes and the other sides for 30-45 seconds), then transfer to the slow cooker.

Reduce heat to medium-low, measure in another tablespoon of cooking oil (if necessary), add in the onions, season to taste with salt & pepper and saute, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Remove the onions from the skillet and place around the pot roast in the slow cooker. Repeat process with carrots, parsnip & celery (all together), then place in the slow cooker, as well.

Measure 2 cups of the broth into a cup or bowl, then pour about 1/4 cup into the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the fond (flavorful beefy bits) from the bottom of the skillet, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of onion soup mix into the skillet and slowly pour in the rest of the broth while stirring. Let the broth warm up for a few minutes (no need to bring it to a simmer) then pour into the slow cooker over the veggies. Cover with the slow cooker lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours OR on high for 4-5 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart-tender and the veggies are fully cooked.

Serve the pot roast shredded or in big chunks with extra drippings/juices poured over it. Alternately, you can use the drippings/juices to make a quick homemade gravy using a roux or cornstarch (see notes below) to pour over it.