QuickFix Pot Roast

When Mama M and I were roommates in college (with our boys), we cooked together like a family. This was awesome because I got to learn a ton of great down home recipes from Mama M (see Carrot Gravy)--which were passed down from her Grandma--and now they're part of my memories :)

Looking back it seems like we made Pot Roast in the crockpot at least a few times a month. I think Mama M probably originally taught me how to use my crockpot . . . particularly pot roast. It's just so darned Quick to Fix and then forget about. Well, you can forget about it if you're not home . . .if you are home, you'll smell the deliciousness all day and be starved well before dinner. Just sayin.

I still make this quick and easy Pot Roast whenever I need to feed people and know I'm going to be low on time. Normally when I have company over, I go way overboard and make a complete homemade menu. Crockpot cooking feels like cheating to me. However, last week one of my long time friends (her nickname I gave her in Junior High is 'Beaker')--anyway Beaker, her husband and their two adorable little guys (ages 6 & 7) were coming for dinnner. It had been a crazy week with swim meets and work and my house was three kinds of DE-STROYED. All week I knew in the back of my head that they were coming for dinner. . . but it wasn't until on our way home from a swim meet last Thursday night that I remembered . . .TOMORROW. They were coming Friday night. House destroyed and a very busy work day to come!

This isn't like me at all. Well, the crazy-busy-house-destroyed part is; but the not-prepared-for-guests thing isn't. at. all. So I had a choice--I could call and reschedule--which would be lame since she's known me so long I could be in my jammies and she wouldn't care. Or I could suck it up and compromise.

The "compromise" was to run to the store at 10:00pm (have I mentioned how much I HEART the new grocery store in our home town???!!!! big HEART!) and pick up what I needed to make QuickFix Pot Roast and a pan of brownies.

btw Funniest part of the night: the 7 year old says "Oh . . I feel sorry for you . . .you have to move your dishwasher every time you use it! . . . and well, your kitchen . . it just so small" True That! So I tell him "Thanks bud! I feel sorry for me too! I asked for a new one from Santa, but I must not have been a good girl." to which his little brother (6 years old) chimes in pragmatically, "well, no because . . .you can't get a new kitchen, you'd need a whole new house . . .you'd have to push out this wall and" .. .then the kid goes over to my wall and pretends he's pushing out the wall . . .. This from a 6 year old! Yes, my kitchen is pathetic . . . and apparently even small children recognize this fact!


Anywho, back to PotRoast. It isn't rocket science, but if you haven't dusted off your crockpot in awhile, this one's worth it!

You'll need:
3-5 pound rump/arm beef roast
Yukon Gold potatoes (any kind work, but these hold up well)
1 large white onion
1/2 bag of Baby Carrots
5-6 beef boullion cubes
1 pkg. Onion Soup Mix
Season Salt
Cracked Black Pepper

Cut up the potatoes into large bite sized chunks. Cut the onion in half and then slice.

Put a layer of potatoes, layer of onion and layer of carrots on the bottom of pan; sprinkle half the packet of Onion Soup mix, season salt and pepper over the veggies then place 2-3 beef boullion cubes in the veggies.

Place the roast on top of the veggies and repeat with the other half of the onion soup mix, salt and pepper. If you have a wide crockpot (like mine) fill in the sides with veggies, season veggies and throw in a few more boullion cubes.


Using a pitcher or glass, fill the crockpot with water until it's almost to the top:

Set on Low and let it go for the day! (this photo is halfway through the day . . had to check on it because it smelled so delicious)

By dinnertime, the beef will be falling apart . . . though, being the amateur food blogger that I am, I didn't get a photo of this.

This is a recipe I've tried to vary over the years . . . it's too much of a recipe for my liking! But really it's best as is .. .no need to deviate much :)

You can take the potatoes and mash them up a bit and make a gravy from the broth that's created in the crockpot . . .but even that was more work than I had time for on Friday.

Verdict? Guests loved it . . .well Beaker and her husband did. Her boys are notoriously picky but they DID enjoy the brownies :) And Tigger ate everything on his plate (though, since swim season started I've found him a lot LESS picky . . .)

I'm having another one of those weeks . . tomorrow might be another potroast kind of day!
What are your favorite Crockpot quick-fix kinda meals??