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slow cooker beef dinner

Crockpot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

A classic one-pot dinner: chuck roast slow-cooked on a bed of potatoes, carrots and onion in a savory broth, with an easy gravy made from the cooking juices.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pot roast
  • 3 lb boneless beef chuck roast
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for searing (optional)
  • 1½ lb baby potatoes halved if large
  • 1 lb carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 large yellow onion cut into wedges
  • 4 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 3 fresh sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
Gravy
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons cold water

Method
 

  1. Season and sear: Pat the roast dry and season with the salt and pepper. Sear in the oil in a hot skillet for 3 to 4 minutes per side until well browned (optional but recommended).
  2. Layer the vegetables: Put the potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Set the roast on top.
  3. Add the liquid: Whisk the broth, Worcestershire, tomato paste and thyme and pour it over the roast. Tuck in the bay leaves.
  4. Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft.
  5. Make the gravy: Move the beef and vegetables to a platter and cover with foil. Discard the bay leaves and skim the fat from the liquid. Whisk the cornstarch with the cold water, stir it into the liquid, cover and cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened (or simmer it in a saucepan for 2 to 3 minutes).
  6. Serve: Slice or pull the beef apart and serve with the vegetables and gravy.

Notes

Why the vegetables go on the bottom: potatoes and carrots take longer to soften than the beef, so they cook best in the liquid underneath the roast.
Don't lift the lid: each peek lets out heat and can add 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time.
Storage: refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days or freeze the beef and gravy for up to 3 months (potatoes can turn grainy when frozen). Reheat until steaming hot (165°F).