Slow Cooked Pot Roast & Root Vegetables

Melt-in-your-mouth pot roast with tender vegetables, gravy and crusty bread. That's my kind of meal.

I really do have this infatuation with Lord of the Rings and what I consider to be rustic, hearty meals that a knight would eat in a dark, dank pub. This is one of them. If I had iron bowls and goblets of ale, it would be a complete meal. 

I made this in the slow cooker because I was going to be out and about, but I would probably recommend using a dutch oven instead. I don't know why because this turned out amazing, but for some reason slow cookers always feel like cheating to me. Oh well, I love them.

Slow Cooked Pot Roast & Root Vegetables Recipe:

• 1 1/2 lb beef roast (chuck, loin, whatever you want. Remember that leaner meats will either need to  cook for less time or a loooooong time to be tender.)
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• salt and black pepper
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 turnip, diced into chunks
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• Handful of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 potato, diced into chunks (optional, I didn't actually use)
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves only
• 1 tbsp dried or fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp dried thyme

• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1/4 cup water
• crusty bread

Cut slits all over your pot roast and insert sliced garlic. Rub with salt and pepper liberally and place in the slow cooker. Add everything else in the first set of ingredient list, put on the lid and slow cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Couldn't be easier. 

When the roast is nice and tender, remove from the slow cooker (along with veggies) and set aside in a bowl (keep warm). It will look like this:

Ah, beautiful.

Then pour the juices into a small saucepan and heat over medium on the stove. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Add to the gravy in the saucepan and stir constantly until it comes to a boil and reaches your desired thickness. Place the roast and veggies back in the slow cooker and pour the gravy in. Warm everything together for an additional 20-30 minutes. Slice and serve with crusty bread!

Oh and since you'll probably have leftovers, here's a next-day idea:

Leftover Pot Roast & Wild Rice Casserole Recipe:

• Leftover pot roast, shredded
• Leftover veggies and gravy
• 2 cups cooked rice (I did 1 cup wild rice and 1 cup white rice)
• 1-2 cups chopped green beans
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce

Mix everything together and pour into 9x13 baking dish. Bake, covered, for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove cover and bake for additional 8 minutes. 

2 meals for the price of 1!