Perfect Oven Pot Roast is comfort food at it's finest. Beef roast, potatoes, carrots and onion cook together in the oven to create a tender, hearty and filling dinner.
I usually have a desire to make cold-weather dishes before the weather actually changes. But, the temperature is finally starting to drop here and I am in full swing of making comfort food meals. When I think of comfort food, pot roast is pretty high up on the list. What could be better than shredded beef, carrots and potatoes on top of mashed potatoes with tons of gravy? It doesn't get much more classic American Sunday dinner than this!
WHAT IS POT ROAST
Pot Roast is braised beef dish, usually made with a tougher cut of meat, that is cooked long and slow with vegetables in broth. A pot roast can be made in the oven, on the stove, in an instant pot or slow cooker. Usually the cut of meat is seared first to lock in the flavor.
WHAT CUTS OF BEEF ARE GOOD FOR POT ROAST?
Chuck roast is what I use in pot roast. Chuck comes from the front portion of the cow. You can find it in the store listed as chuck roast or shoulder roast. Round roast is another good cut of meat for a pot roast. It comes from the rear legs of the cow and is usually called bottom round or rump roast when packaged in the store.
Tougher cuts of beef are best for pot roast because the meal is cooked low and slow. By allowing a tougher cut of meat to cook down over a long period of time, the meat becomes tender. Because these meats can be fattier, it adds more flavor to the dish. Also, this allows for a delicious gravy to be made!
WHAT SIDE DISHES DO I MAKE WITH POT ROAST?
- mashed potatoes, my personal favorite
- dinner rolls or a hearty bread cut into slices
- buttered egg noodles
- roasted green beans or asparagus
- garden salad
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO COOK A POT ROAST?
OVEN: Pot roast is known as a Sunday dinner dish because typically you'd have all day to make dinner. Cooking pot roast in the oven takes around 3-4 hours because the tough meat needs to break down. If you have the time to cook it this way, I highly recommend it.
SLOW COOKER: If you'd like to enjoy pot roast after a long day at work, the slow cooker is the way to go. Everything can be assembled in the morning and tossed into the slow cooker. 8-10 hours later, when you get home from work, dinner is ready to be plated.
INSTANT POT: If you have a little more than an hour to make dinner, the instant pot is a great choice for pot roast. A 3 lb roast will cook up in just about 50 minutes, then you can add in your veggies and cook another 5-7 minutes. Don't forget to factor in the time of the instant pot coming to pressure twice, plus the time for a natural release.
CAN YOU FREEZE POT ROAST?
Yes! Once the meat is cooked through and shredded, you can place it in a airtight container or ziplock bag. Any juices I don't use to make gravy I add to what is being frozen. This helps the meat from drying out. If you have leftover carrots and onions, those can be frozen with the meat as well.
However, I don't recommend freezing the potatoes with it because potatoes can get a mealy texture to them.
Frozen pot roast will keep for up to 4 months in the freezer.
PERFECT OVEN POT ROAST INGREDIENTS
- 3-5 lb chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 lb potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 cup carrots, chopped (or use baby carrots)
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
- Gravy: juices from cooked pot roast, 2 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoon water
PERFECT OVEN POT ROAST DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add olive oil to a Dutch Oven or oven safe pan with a lid and place over medium high heat on the stove.
- Season all sides of the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Place the roast in the pot and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the roast from the pan and set on a plate. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 2 minutes, just until fragrant.
- Pour 1 cup of beef broth into the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any garlic or bits of beef that may have stuck.
- Place the roast back into the pot and add the potatoes, carrots and onions around it. Add the rosemary, remaining 2 cups of broth and worcestershire sauce.
- Put the lid on top and place the dish in the oven. Cook for 3 hours or until the beef is fork tender and falling apart.
- Remove the roast to a large plate or platter. Shred the roast with a fork.
- Transfer 2 cups of the cooking liquid (add additional beef broth if you don't have enough) to a small saucepan over medium heat. Dissolve cornstarch in water in a small bowl. Pour into the saucepan and whisk, frequently until the mixture thickens into a gravy. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the shredded beef with the potatoes, carrots and onions. Pour the gravy on top.
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Recipe
Perfect Oven Pot Roast
Ingredients
For the Pot Roast:
- 3-5 lb chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 lb potatoes peeled and quartered
- 1 cup carrots chopped (or use baby carrots)
- 1 large onion quartered
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
For the Gravy
- 2 cups juice from cooked pot roast
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
For the Pot Roast:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add olive oil to a Dutch Oven or oven safe pan with a lid and place over medium high heat on the stove.
- Season all sides of the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Place the roast in the pot and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the roast from the pan and set on a plate. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 2 minutes, just until fragrant.
- Pour 1 cup of beef broth into the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any garlic or bits of beef that may have stuck.
- Place the roast back into the pot and add the potatoes, carrots and onions around it. Add the rosemary, remaining 2 cups of broth and worcestershire sauce.
- Put the lid on top and place the dish in the oven. Cook for 3 hours or until the beef is fork tender and falling apart.
- Remove the roast to a large plate or platter. Shred the roast with a fork.
For the Gravy:
- Transfer 2 cups of the cooking liquid (add additional beef broth if you don't have enough) to a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water in a small bowl.
- Pour into the saucepan and whisk, frequently until the mixture thickens into a gravy. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the shredded beef with the potatoes, carrots and onions. Pour the gravy on top.
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