Pot Roast and Veggies, photo by JeffreyW

Chuck roasts were on sale this week, so of course I wanted pot roast. I love pot roast. Throwing the ingredients in the slow-cooker and coming home to a true comfort food dinner is just what this week needs. 

You can substitute beef broth for the wine if you like.  The frozen pie is the favorite of a friend of mine, I’d never even heard of it before, but she said she grew up with it.  It is easy enough to make and I love chocolate and mint together, so it was a no-brainer when she suggested it.

On the board tonight:

1. Slow-cooker Pot Roast
2. Tossed Salad
3. Ice Cream Delight

Slow-cooker Pot Roast

• 4 lbs Pot Roast (chuck roast)
• ¼ red wine
• ¼ cup beef broth or water
• 1 tsp rosemary
• ¼ tsp dried dill
• 2 bay leaves (remove before serving)
• ½ tsp salt & pepper
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 6 medium potatoes, quartered
• 1 lb bag baby carrots

slow-cooker

Optional:  coat roast in 1 tbsp flour and brown on all sides in 2 tbsp oil in skillet before adding to slow-cooker.  Nice, but not necessary for great flavor.

Add roast & liquid to slow-cooker.  Sprinkle rosemary, dill, bay leaves, salt & pepper on top of roast.  Add in order: onion, potatoes and carrots (this keeps carrots from over cooking).  Cover & cook according to your slow-cooker directions (they vary considerably) usually 8 to 10 hours on low.

Gravy – When I use a slow-cooker, I usually cheat a bit on the gravy.  I take ½ cup of beef broth and mix with 1 tbsp of flour, stirring well. I then bring the beef juices (about 1 cup, if more, you’ll need more flour) in the slow-cooker to a boil and stir in the flour mixture, stirring at a boil until thickened.  Then I reduce the heat back to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Not as tasty as a gravy started with a roux, but it does the trick and you’ll never have lumps.

Ice Cream Delight

• 8 oz Oreo style cookies
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 1 qt. mint chocolate chip ice cream
• 6 oz chocolate topping
• 4 oz whipped cream (I go for the real thing)

8×8 baking dish

Crush cookies in a blender until fine crumbs.  Mix ½ of the crumbs with melted butter, spread on the bottom of baking dish, don’t pack down.  Cut ice cream into 1-inch thick slices and layer on crust (or let melt enough to be spreadable and spread with a large spatula).  Spread chocolate, then whipped topping on top.  Sprinkle remaining cookie crumbs over top.  Freeze.

Shopping List:

• Salad fixins’
• 4 lbs Pot Roast
• 2 oz red wine
• 1 large onion
• 6 medium potatoes
• 1 lb bag baby carrots
• 8 oz Oreo style cookies
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 qt. mint chocolate chip ice cream
• 6 oz chocolate topping
• 4 oz whipped cream (I go for making my own or the canned cream in the dairy section)

Also: beef broth, rosemary, dried dill, 2 bay leaves, salt & pepper,

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