Sometimes its nice to have something cooking low and slow for the day and just forget about it. Some days I love to cook some days I have zero interest in making anything. I know I am not alone with this thinking. One way to get out of making dinner around dinner time is to dust off your old crockpot. With SO many different ways of cooking these days. I still have yet to buy anything. Though I did get an air fryer for Christmas a few years ago.

How to make food better using your crockpot or slow cooker how ever you want to say it. Is to brown your meat, or saute your onions and veggies. Doing a little prep work ahead of time helps with the finished project. I don’t think I ever put onions in a crockpot with sauteing them. I don’t brown chicken but I do brown beef when I use it.

Here is a pretty easy recipe that came really good because it made a delicious gravy to go with it.

Pot Roast in your crockpot with gravy

An easy way to have dinner ready when you get home from work, with little effort

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Equipment

• 1 crockpot

Ingredients

  

• 4 pound chuck roast
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

rub for the beef

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder split
• 3 teaspoon onion powder split
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

gravy

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon beef base or use a bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

veggies

• baby potatoes if they are on the large side halve them.
• carrots peeled and chunked

slurry for the gravy

• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

 

• mix all the rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Rub all of it on all sides of the roast and then follow with the flour to coat.
• in a large skillet heat the oil and brown your roast on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Depending on how hot your pan gets. Once browned all over place in the crockpot.
• to the hot pan add your gravy ingredients, making sure to spoon up all of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour this over the roast.
• add the potatoes and carrots around and on top of your roast. Place on low for 7-8 bours or on high for 4-5 hours.
• Once done, remove the roast and veggies. Or if you can the broth. You want to take the liquid and put it into a pan to reduce and then thicken for your gravy. Take the cornstarch and cold water mixing to make a slurry. With the liquid boiling add the slurry in slow stream while whisking the entire time. Let this bubble on low until it gets as thick as you would like like. Season as needed.