A busy week calls for a dump and go dinner, and this french onion pot roast is just the recipe to have on hand! With just a few simple ingredients, and little prep time, you will have a show stopping dinner on the table.
Pot Roast 101
Making pot roast is really simple, and that’s probably why it’s a stable comfort food classic. But with so many cuts of beef to choose from, where do you start? The best, and most common, cut for pot roast is chuck roast, it has just enough marbling to become super tender when cooked. But if you don’t have that on hand, like me, bottom round is a great substitute. Top round is a little bit leaner, but works well when cooked properly.
The key is to cook it low and slow. Whether you use a slow cooker and set it and forget it, or put it in the oven, patience is the main ingredient. These are my recommended cooking times for a 4-5 lb roast:
- Slow Cooker (Low)- 4-5 Hours
- Slow Cooker (High)- 3 Hours
- Oven (275 degrees)- 4 Hours
Mom’s Pot Roast
Growing up, my mom did not cook a ton. Honestly, with three busy kids who can blame her!? But she did have a few staple dishes that I loved. Her pot roast was at the top of the list.
A traditional pot roast has potatoes and carrots, onions and celery, and a nice rich gravy. But did I mention three kids. Picky kids. No way my brother was going to eat those carrots! So she took the veggies out and added in tons of flavor, and all it took was a pantry staple: french onion soup mix.
She would sprinkle it right on top and cook the meat low and slow until it was tender. It was simple as that! And though I have added a few of my own touches to the recipe (italian dressing mix and a slow cooker), this dish still screams dinner at mom’s table.
Making the Gravy
My mom used to make the gravy from scratch. You know, a little butter and flour, mix in the beef drippings. But the beauty of a slow cooker is you don’t need to whip out an extra pot! Just make the gravy with the meat.
To do this, all you need is cornstarch. Cornstarch mixed with any liquid (also known as a slurrie) is an instant thickening agent when added to a hot liquid. It works a lot faster than making a roux, but makes a lot looser of a sauce (it won’t solidify on you when it gets cold), the perfect gravy!
So for this roast, I reserve a little bit of my beef broth (about 3 tablespoons) and mix it with equal parts cornstarch. You can also use water but why miss the chance to add in more flavor? Add the slurrie to the slow cooker let it cook for another 30 minutes to an hour. The broth will naturally thicken without you having to stand over the pot and whisk!
Slice this tender french onion pot roast up and serve it alongside some butter mashed potatoes and your favorite veggies. With almost no prep time, and a little bit of patience, you will have a dinner that the family will think you slaved away in the kitchen for!
French Onion Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 1 bottom round or chuck roast, or london broil 4-5 lbs
- 2 medium onions cut in large chunks
- 3 stalks celery cut in large chunks
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 2oz packet of french onion soup mix
- 1 0.7oz packet of italian dressing mix
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a skillet or large pan over medium high heat (with about 2-3 tablespoons of oil), sear your roast on all sided, about 2 minutes per side or until browned.
- In a slow cooker set to low, scatter chopped onions and celery along the bottom. Place the seared roast on the vegetables.
- Sprinkle the onion soup mix and italian seasoning over the tops and sides of the roast. Pour all but 3 tablespoons of the broth on top of the roast. (Reserve the 3 tablespoons).
- Cover and allow to cook for 3 hours on high, 4-5 hours on low (or 275° in the oven).
- In a small cup, mix cornstarch with reserved broth. Pour broth mixture into the slow cooker and increase the heat to high for the last 30 minutes-1 hour of cooking, or until the meat is fork tender and the broth has thickened to a loose gravy.
- Remove from the crock pot, sprinkle with parsley, and slice and serve immediately with the gravy over top.
