So So So Easy Pot Roast

I forgot how great a good roast is! I made one for dinner tonight.. first time in months. Dang, I need to do this more often. Especially now that it's almost Fall.

I have talked to so many people that are "intimidated" and don't feel like they can make a roast turn out properly. That's just crazy talk.  They are so easy. Plus... SO worth it.

They are cheap: chuck roasts were on sale, so I got about 8 pounds of boneless meat for around $12. While that sounds spendy, think about how far 8lbs of meat can go.

They are easy: mine fit in my crockpot. I added a few ingredients, turned it on, and walked away. Dinner= done. The person who invented a crockpot deserves a lot more credit than they're getting.

They are clean: Crockpot. That's it. No pots, pans, spoons, whisks, etc to clean up. Just one dish. So simple.

This dinner is a complete dinner. Protein, carb, veggies. You don't need a side dish (although I cut up fresh cantaloupe and cucumbers and we also had fresh bread).

It goes a long way: 8 pounds of meat feeds a lot of people. Especially when served with potatoes. Leftovers galore!

They are versatile: Roast the first day. French Dip sandwiches with au jus the second day. Philly cheesesteak the third day (just use roasted pepper and mushrooms with swiss and provolone cheese.. yum!). You can make amazing paninis with pepperjack cheese, meat, and the onions from the roast. I like to cute up the meat and put it in salad for lunches. Oh, and beef enchiladas... holy cow those are good!

Here is what I did to make my roast today. Keep in mind, there are so many different ways to do this, this is just my fast "I have three kids under 9 and I work all day today" recipe. If I had two days, this recipe would be fancier.

First thing is to prep the vegetables. I used:

2 white onions, quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
3 celery sticks, cut into two inch chunks
7-10 small red new potatoes, washed, skin on, halved
1 can whole peeled tomatoes in juice
3 cloved garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Pinch (literally, a pinch) of red pepper flakes for a little kick
2 cloves, whole
1 bay leaf

First, I browned the meat in a skillet. I just used a little olive oil and cooked the msat on all sides. Total it took maybe 5 or 6 minutes.

Place the meat in the ceockpot and add the veggies and spices. Pour the tomatoes over the top. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for about 4 hours.

Ta-da!!! Pot roast!

Hint: add about 1/2 cup of beer and its delish!