Stove Top Pot Roast

Merry day after Christmas everyone! I hope Santa was nice to all of you, I know I had a wonderful Christmas and tonight my Mom and I christened one of my presents - a 7 quart Dutch Oven in shiny red! I have wanted a Dutch Oven for years for things like pot roasts, stews and other meals that want to sear then slowly cook. One of my favorite meals has always been a pot roast, with sweet carrots, tender potatoes and onions that just melt in your mouth. Surprisingly I have never made a pot roast so my Mom helped me out today and gave me all her tips.



Stove Top Pot Roast: Serves 4-6

3.5lbs Beef Chuck Roast
1TB Olive Oil
1.5C Water
1 Packet Lipton Beefy Onion Soup
Carrots
Potatoes
Onions
1/4C Milk
1TB Corn Starch
1/2tsp Beef Bouillon (optional)

Run your meat under cold water and rinse it well, then pat dry with paper towels. Set your dutch oven - or a heavy large pan that you have a tight fitting lid to - over medium high heat with the olive oil. When the pan is hot (a drop of water sizzles in the oil) place the meat in the oil and let it cook for 3-5 minutes on each side forming a nice browning to the meat. Once browned add the water and beefy onion soup mix together and pour over the roast, bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid and let it cook for approximately 1.5 hours.

After 1.5 hours we removed the meat from the pot and added the vegetables - peel the carrots and potatoes, placing the carrots in whole and cutting the potatoes into approximately 1-2" cubes, and quartering large peeled onions. Once the vegetables are in the pot place the meat on top and cook for approximately an hour until the vegetables are fork tender with the juices gently simmering. The meat should be easy to pull apart with a fork - if it is not, remove the vegetables and keep cooking the meat, checking it at 15 minute increments until it does pull apart.

Once the meat is done remove it from the pot and set to the side to rest while you make a gravy. Mix the milk, corn starch until smooth, then add a few tablespoons of the juices to the mix and stir to incorporate. Pour approximately half of the mixture into the pot and stir to incorporate and bring up to a simmer. The juices should start to tighten up and form into a gravy, if it is still pretty loose add the remainder of the corn starch mix and continue to stir at a simmer until thickened to your liking. Give it a taste test and if it is a little bland add some beef bouillon, stir and taste again.

Personally I like to slather everything in my gravy and can't think of a better way to have this meal - as you can see I had no problem clearing my plate!

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WW: 3oz COOKED Pot Roast is 8 Points Plus. In a 3.5 pound raw chuck roast I would say you can easily get 4-6, 3oz cooked servings. I have not included points for the potatoes as that is something you can easily calculate or alter to your individual plan.