By April Swiger, Contributing Writer
Melt-in-your-mouth tender pot roast, lightly seasoned, simmering in its own juices with the most delicious winter vegetables. This one pot meal takes minutes to put together and lasts our family of three at least three hearty meals. You definitely don’t want to skip the gravy for this one either! It’s the perfect topping for this hearty meal.
Our family has been slowly easing into a grain-free diet since the new year, and this recipe was the perfect addition to our weekly menu. I’ve always been a little intimidated to make pot roast on a regular basis for fear of it ending up dry or tasteless. It would be painful to waste such a big cut of meat! I decided to try a new recipe on Christmas Eve and it came out amazing. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was!
This was actually my first time experimenting with celeriac (or celery root). I saw it in our local market and remembered reading about it while researching the GAPS diet (something we’re slowly experimenting with as well). It has the flavor of celery, but a similar consistency to potatoes. It’s really tasty and would make a great mashed potato substitute as well. It was a lovely addition to my winter vegetable mix in this recipe.
I think what makes this roast so tender is that it cooks almost fully submerged in broth. It may seem like a lot of liquid (my #affilatelink 6 quart slow cooker is full to the top), but it truly makes the roast fall apart at the end. In addition, you have plenty of tasty meat/vegetable broth to use as your gravy base. Yum!
You could use any flour you like for the gravy, or arrowroot powder if you’re avoiding gluten. I typically used two cups of broth in a small saucepan, and whisked continuously as I add the flour to thicken. Season it with some salt and pepper, and you have a simple gravy that takes only minutes to prepare.
This recipe will likely make its way into my kitchen a few times a month. The leftover meat is delicious on a salad, sandwich, or topped with a big scoop of gravy.
- 3-4 Lb Chuck Roast
- 1 Onion, sliced thick
- 4 Garlic cloves, crushed
- 3-4 Small to medium potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 Celeriac root, cut into large chunks (you could also use parsnips, turnips, or celery)
- 4 Cups beef broth (or a mixture of broth and water), enough to almost cover the roast
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Flour, (or arrowroot powder to make it gluten free), to thicken the broth for gravy if desired
- Salt and pepper to season the gravy to taste
- Place the roast in the crockpot and prepare the vegetables. After everything is chopped, place them in the crockpot surrounding your roast.
- Measure out two cups of the broth (or broth and water mixture) and add all of the seasoning to it, stirring well. Pour the seasoned broth, and additional broth to almost cover the roast, into the crockpot.
- Set your crockpot on low for 8-10 hours, or 6-8 on high. When the roast is falling apart when poked with a fork, it’s done.
- To make the gravy, ladle out two cups of broth from the crockpot and place it in a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer and add flour or arrowroot powder, one heaping tablespoon at a time, until it’s thickened to your liking. Whisk it continuously to get all the lumps out.
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Hi just wondering where in new england the author lives? My hubby and I live in Hooksett, nh.we enjoy it here. We have been here for two years now. Thank you for the recipies!