It's a new year and everyone is looking toward eating healthy. Did you make that resolution again? It's one I strive toward each year (sometimes I'm better than others, but it's a work in progress!) So whether your hitting the gym or taking some long walks, let your slow cooker do the cooking and help you get dinner on the table quickly.
Today we're making a simple, delicious and healthy recipe (low calorie/low carb) which can be prepped before you leave in the morning. After work, or a day of running errands or attending the kids sports activities, dinner’s ready with just a few finishing touches
I have to say that Pot Roast is a good 'ole All-American dish. There is always something comforting about meat and potatoes and a roast braised in a wonderful sauce takes it over the top!
Nothing compares to my Mom's Famous Pot Roast which braises in the oven, slow and low, for hours. It's the best, but this Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast with Garlic Thyme Gravy is a great variation on a classic.
I found this wonderful recipe in my Cuisine at Home, Slow Cooker Menus magazine and knew right away it would be a winner. The best thing about it...made in a slow cooker. Um hello? Easy...! The best part about the dish is the gravy that it makes. The flavors of garlic, thyme, wine, and beef broth lend a whole other dimension to this post roast, elevating this to a company worthy meal! I would say this is an Italian take on a pot roast.
SLOW COOKER CLASSIC POT ROAST WITH GARLIC THYME GRAVY
You need a good sized 4-6 qt slow cooker for this recipe. I've mentioned many times that my favorite slow cooker is the Breville Risotto Plus which I used today. It's such a convenience with all the different functions it has. This recipe calls for browning the meat in a skillet, place it in the slow cooker, and then deglaze the skillet and add the gravy ingredients before adding to the slow cooker. Since my slow cooker has a sauté feature I used that instead of a separate skillet, allowing me to do all these steps in my slow cooker. Easy to do, and less clean up! Follow my lead if you have a multi-cooker and if you don't (get one!) follow the directions below in the recipe.
Kitchen Tip: #1 (by Cuisine at Home) Boneless beef chuck roast is ideal for this recipe; the tough meat becomes tender and succulent when cooked with moisture for a long time. Trim away as much fat as possible to keep the sauce from becoming greasy. #2 This dish has a distinct wine flavor. If you don't enjoy that flavor or are serving kids, you can omit it and substitute with additional beef broth. #3 To prep ahead, cut the vegetables the night before and place them in a bag in the frig.
Out of the slow cooker comes a succulent piece of roast that just falls apart with a fork. Tender onions, celery and carrots that have soaked in the delicious gravy are perfect on the side. We served this with a side of mashed potatoes and used the gravy over both the meat and the potatoes. I loved this dish but think that a red wine might give it a more full bodied flavor. I'll try that variation next. You choose which ever you like best and let me know what you think.
Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast with Garlic Thyme Gravy
serves 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 4–5 hours (high heat) 8–9 hours (low heat)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 3–4 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, seasoned with salt and pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
11/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cups sliced onions
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces (I used baby carrots)
3 large celery ribs, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides, 10 minutes total. Transfer roast to a 4- to 6-qt. slow cooker. Stir flour into pan; cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.
Deglaze sauté pan with wine, cooking until liquid evaporates. Stir in broth and Worcestershire; bring mixture to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
Transfer broth mixture to the slow cooker; add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and cook until meat is fork-tender, on high-heat setting for 4–5 hours or on low-heat setting for 8–9 hours. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves before serving.
Nutrition: Per serving: 427 cal; 15g total fat (4g sat); 100mg chol; 251mg sodium; 15g carb; 2g fiber; 53g protein
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