Meal Planning Basics: Perfectly Simple Pot Roast

Cooking does not always come easy. Despite what the Food Network tells us less experienced cooks, we really can’t all whip up something awesome in 30 minutes or less. Or can we?

While I love baking, cooking has never really been my thing. I was more than happy to cede that area to my husband. But, when his hours changed and I had to take over dinner prep, I had to start figuring out how to cook palatable meals that were kid-friendly and easy to assemble. Simple, right? Riiiiighhhtt…

But here’s a secret: If you can create a collection of recipes, an arsenal of go-to’s, that can be thrown together with just a few ingredients and your family loves to eat the final product, then life in the kitchen will be infinitely easier. I consider these recipes my “little black dresses.” Perfect for any occasion and great for when I’m short on time or having trouble making a decision.

If you’re still working on creating your arsenal, here’s one of my family’s favorites. And mine, too.

Perfectly Simple Pot Roast

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. beef roast, any kind, excess fat trimmed off

4 stalks of celery, chopped

½ lb. of baby carrots, chopped

2 Tbsp. of minced garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

4 red potatoes, cut into chunks (about 1” each)

2 cups of beef stock

Salt

Ground pepper

Water

Cooking Spray

 

Instructions:

1. Give a quick spray of oil to the bottom and edges of your crock pot.
2. Layer in the potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.
3. While your roast is still on the cutting board, salt and pepper the top. Then, place the roast on top of the vegetables in your crockpot, with the bottom side now on top, and sprinkle some salt and pepper on it.
4. Add the beef stock and water, enough to cover the bottom of the pot, about an inch deep.*
5. Set your cooker to low and cook for 6-8 hours. Check the water level periodically to make sure not too much has evaporated and add more if needed.
6. When it’s finished, slice the roast and serve with its vegetables and stock.

 *If you have any red wine on hand, you can add in a cup or so for a little extra flavor.

One of the things that I love about this Simply Perfect Pot Roast is that it has lots of wiggle room for the novice cook. You don’t have to be exact in the amount of veggies or liquid you use. You can cook it for 8 hours on low…or, if you’ve forgotten about dinner until well after lunch — oops — you can cook it for 4 hours on high (it’s not as tender, but still good).

This recipe is a delicious addition to any mom’s meal plan. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

 

Do you have any suggestions to make this recipe even better? Let me know in the comments! Or share a picture of your creation on Instagram with #thejourneyathome … I’d love to see what you’ve made!