Saucy slow-cooker pot roast: Two for one recipe

It was one of those weekend days where only a slow cooker recipe would do: overnight guests, breakfast for many, a baby shower, and dinner on the table by 6 pm to avoid mini sous chef’s mealtime meltdown. Add the fact that I’m a pot roast virgin (something I’ve been wanting to change), and I decided Chatelaine’s slow-cooked super-saucy pot roast was the recipe to try.

Why I’ve never cooked a roast before I have no idea. It’s so easy, right? It must go back to my lack of confidence around cooking meat, because unlike (most) others, I think overcooked meat is a good thing. However, I had faith in my slow cooker so off I went to the butcher. Aside from the beef, you need celery, carrots, onion, mushrooms, garlic, canned plum tomatoes, tomato paste, and a variety of spices, like basil and oregano. You toss your chopped veggies, tomatoes, paste, and spices into the crockpot, stir to combine, and then lay the piece of beef over top. Then, spoon the veggie mixture on top of the beef, hit start and walk away. Ahhh, for the love of slow cooking…it’s a beautiful thing.

I cooked the dish on low for about nine hours, and it had just switched to warm by the time we got home from the baby shower. The house smelled amazing, which is an added bonus of slow cooking. The beef was fork tender and not dried out at all, as is the fate of some oven pot roasts after a tad too long in the heat. And the sauce was delicious spooned over the pot roast and the brown rice side I served. I’m happy to report this meal was good enough to convert chef in training from being indifferent about pot roast, to a (big) fan.

But the best part about this recipe? The veggie-laden sauce can be whirred into a tasty pasta sauce for another meal (the recipe suggests blending ½ the leftover sauce and adding back to the chunky sauce, but I blended all of it to avoid mini sous chef from picking veggies out). And all with only about 15 minutes of work. It doesn’t get better, or easier, than that.

Try the recipe: Slow-cooked super-saucy pot roast