Crock Pot Roast with Onion Soup Mix

Ingredients

• 3 lb beef chuck roast
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix
• 1 onion (large, thickly sliced)
• 1 lb baby potatoes (left whole)
• 4 carrots (cut into thick chunks)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tbsp oil (for searing)
• 0.5 tsp black pepper (No added salt; the packet carries plenty.)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (For the gravy; combine with the cold water to make a slurry.)
• 5 lb water (cold; for the gravy slurry)

Steps

1. 1

   Pat the chuck roast dry. Season it with the black pepper only; do not add salt.

2. 2

   Heat the oil in a pan until hot. Brown the roast hard in the pan for about 3 minutes per side, until deeply colored all over.

3. 3

   Place the thickly sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker, then set the browned roast on top.

4. 4

   Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the meat.

5. 5

   Pour the beef broth around the roast, not over it, so the seasoning stays on the meat.

6. 6

   Tuck the whole potatoes and thick carrot chunks around the sides of the roast. If you prefer firmer vegetables, wait and add them during the last 3 hours of cooking.

7. 7

   Cover and cook on low for 8 hours for a 3 lb roast. The source gives this time for the specified roast; consult its weight table for other roast sizes.

8. 8

   Check tenderness by twisting a fork in the meat. It is ready when the fork twists in with no resistance; if the meat resists, cook for another hour and check again.

9. 9

   Lift the meat and vegetables out of the cooker and let them rest for 10 minutes.

10. 10

    Strain the cooking liquid and skim off the fat.

11. 11

    Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water to make a slurry, then whisk the slurry into the strained liquid.

12. 12

    Simmer the gravy for 2 minutes, until it coats a spoon. Taste before adding anything; the packet may have salted it heavily.

Notes

The page also describes alternative versions: Mississippi uses ranch seasoning, au jus mix, butter, pepperoncini and brine, with no broth; the 3-packet version uses ranch, au jus and brown gravy mix with 1/2 cup water. Those variations are not included as ingredient rows in the structured recipe. Do not start with a frozen roast; thaw it first. If the gravy is too salty, the page recommends diluting it with 1/2 cup unsalted broth or water and re-thickening. The recipe page notes that its recipe has not been independently tested.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• slow-cooker
• beef
• comfort food
• gluten-containing
• dairy-free