Cola Crock Pot Roast

When I'm in the mood for some 

"meat and potatoes"  there's nothing like 

a good pot roast. This is such an easy

crock pot recipe. Anyone in your family can

 make this one. Perfect for a lazy day.

It's fast and slow. Fast prep and slow cook.

You'll have a very tender roast and lots of 

rich gravy for your mashed potatoes.

We love mashed potatoes and gravy!

 An au jus packet, a slow cooker packet, water 

and cola, any brand will work. Do NOT use 

diet cola. Diet cola should not be heated.

 If I'm thinking ahead and out grabbing lunch, 

I'll just dump the ice and refill my drink 

with regular cola. 

 Chuck roast, or whatever cut of boneless beef 

you use for a pot roast, 3-5 lbs. 

 You can be gone all day and come home to dinner.

 Thicken the gravy after the roast is fork tender.

 Mix cornstarch with a little water.

 Stir in the mixture and turn to high and cover for 

about 10 minutes. This gives you time to mash the 

potatoes. I use my old hand masher. It's quick and 

easy. You'll have mashed potatoes more often 

without needing to get out the hand mixer. 

Micro steam a green vegetable or carrots, or both.

 Remove the meat and slice. It will fall apart.

 Laddle lots of that yummy grave over the roast.  

Pour some in a big gravy boat to pass at the table.

Crock Pot Roast
3-5 lb pot roast
1 pkg Savory Pot Roast Mix 
(McCormick Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast Mix)
1 pkg au jus mix
1 C water
1 can cola (1½ C) NOT diet, 12oz
1.  Put the meat in the crock pot.
2.  Combine the mix packets with 1 C water.
     Pour mixture over the meat.
3.  Pour in the the cola.
4.  Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours until fork
     tender.
5.  To thicken the gravy, combine 3 T cornstarch
      and 3 T water in a cup and stir into the gravy
      in the pot. Cover and turn the to high, cook
      until thickened, about 10  minutes.


*can cook on high for 4-5 hours.



Links: Between Naps On The Porch

Sunday Supper Beef Pot Roast

You can enjoy this classic Sunday supper with

almost no effort. This moist and tender 

pot roast couldn't be any easier.

I've made this with any size chuck roast.

The first was a small one and the next is a 

larger one that gave us leftovers for 

another dinner. 

It uses very basic pantry ingredients. 

Salt, pepper, onion and one unexpected 

ingredient; apple cider vinegar. 

Salt and pepper all sides of the meat generously.

Put into a foil lined metal roasting pan. Top

with sliced onion. Pour the ¼ C of apple cider

vinegar around the roast. 

Seal all the seams of the foil tightly.

Pour water into the bottom of the roasting 

pan until it's halfway up the sides of the 

meat packet. Replenish the water as 

needed, about 2 more times. 

Roast at 400º for 3-½ hours

 Remove the roast to a serving platter. 

It will be fork-tender.

 Pour the meat juices into a gravy boat.

Serve over the beef as a natural au jus.

with natural au jus

You can also thicken the juices and make a

 traditional brown gravy. 

with brown gravy

Sunday Supper Beef Pot Roast
3-5-pound boneless chuck roast
Salt and pepper
1 red onion, sliced (or vidalia)
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a metal roasting pan or your oven's broiler pan with a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil large enough to fully wrap the roast. The shiny side of the foil should be up. Sprinkle the roast on all sides with salt and pepper and place it in the center of the foil. Spread the onion slices over the top of the roast and pour the vinegar around it. Bring the ends of the foil together and fold several times, and then fold the ends together to completely enclose the roast. Pour about 1 inch of water into the pan around the foil-wrapped roast. Bake until the meat is fork tender and brown, 3 to 4 hours. Check the water level in the pan regularly during cooking and replenish it if necessary. 

When the roast is done, remove the package from the baking pan. Open the package carefully to preserve all the juices and transfer the meat to a platter. Cover with the foil to keep it warm while you make the gravy. You can also just serve the roast with the pan juices. To make gravy, pour the roasting juices into a measuring cup and let the fat rise to the surface. Skim off the fat, and put 
2 T fat in a saucepan. If the fat measures less than 2 tablespoons, add enough butter or shortening to make up the difference. Measure the remaining pan juices, if you have less than 2 cups juices, add water to make 2 cups. Add 2 T flour to the fat in the saucepan and stir with a wire whisk to make a roux. Cook over medium-low heat until the flour is golden browned, about 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the reserved pan juices and stir until thickened. It's the basic 2-2-2 ratio 2-fat, 2-flour, 2-liquid. 
Slice the roast or cut it into chunks (it will be very tender), and serve it with the gravy. I usually double the gravy; 4-4-4. 

Enjoy!

Links:  Between Naps On The Porch

Recipe adapted from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen by Trisha Yearwood.

Crock Pot Roast In Golden Mushroom Wine Sauce

This souper-easy pot roast will satisfy 

your need for yummy comfort food. 

It takes only 5 minutes to put together. 

I used the crock pot, but when I was given this

recipe from a relative, crock pots weren't even

on the market yet. That's how old this one is.

I love the memories behind each recipe I've

been given. They're the best "souvenir". 

So, you can make this pot roast in the 

crock pot or in the oven. I've given cooking

times for each option. 

The Golden Mushroom soup and sherry wine are

what make this recipe different from others.  

I always use the dry sherry (not cooking sherry) 

in this recipe.. I use it in several other recipes 

as well, but it's also suitable to drink.

 Mix everything together in the crock pot 

then add the meat. 

 Turn it over to coat 

both sides with sauce.

 My favorite: cover and know that 

dinner is taken care of and the house

will smell amazing when we walk in. 

 I love mashed potatoes with this dinner. 

They are so worth the effort, but if you're

short on time, you can microwave a potato.

There's plenty of gravy to ladle over 

everything. Carrots always seem appropriate 

with pot roast for me. I just microwaved 

them, then added butter, salt and pepper

Easy Pot Roast In Wine Sauce

2-3 lbs chuck or rump roast

1 can Golden Mushroom soup

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

½ C dry sherry (or burgundy)

½ C water

Add the mushroom soup, onion soup, garlic,

and bay leaf to the pot. Pour the sherry and

water into the empty soup can; stir to get

out any remaining soup. Add to the pot. 

Mix everything together. Add the meat

turn it over to coat both sides.

Cover and cook:

crock pot on low for 8-9 hours

oven 325º for 2-3 hours

oven 300º for 3-4 hours

oven 250º for 5-6 hours

oven 200º for 9 hours

Enjoy!

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Steak with Dijon Cream Pan Sauce

When I am grilling steaks in my (favorite) cast iron

 pan on the stovetop it's an opportunity to make

 a delicious pan sauce. Those wonderful browned 

bits and juices do not go to waste. They are 

used to make a simple pan sauce that adds 

great flavor to the steaks. 

I used a little
wine, cream, dijon, and tarragon.

 Sear the steaks without moving on the
first side for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook
another 3-4 minutes.

Remove the steaks to a platter and

cover with foil to keep warm while you

make the pan sauce.

 I deglaze the pan with a little wine, stirring
to scrape up all the browned bits in the pan
for about 30 seconds.

Next I add a little cream, a dollop of Dijon,
salt, pepper and tarragon. It's a flavorful
combination that reminds me of my
favorite Bearnaise Sauce. It just takes a
few minutes to make.

 Whisk until smooth and thickened
for about 2-3 minutes.

 Spoon over the steaks.

 I made all four so we had leftover steak. We
sliced them for sandwiches at lunch the next day.
Good planning! 

 You can also use filet mignon or rib eye.
I think this sauce would be good with
pan grilled pork chops too.

 Cooked the way we like them; medium rare.

Make sure to swirl each piece in this
yummy sauce....so good! 

Steak with Dijon Cream Pan Sauce

1-1/2 lbs sirloin steak, 

 garlic salt, pepper

Olive oil

1/2 C white wine

1/4 C cream

1t Dijon mustard

1 t dried tarragon 

Pat dry the steaks and cut into 4 pieces. 

Rub with olive oil and sprinkle generously with

your choice of seasonings; garlic salt and pepper

 is fine. Heat a heavy skillet on medium high and
 add about 1 T of olive oil to coat the bottom of
the pan. Cook the steaks to desired doneness,
3-4 minutes for medium-rare. Do not move the
steaks until it's time to turn. This creates the sear
 and browns the outside. Check for color before
 turning, then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes.
 Remove to a platter, cover with foil to keep warm
 while you make the sauce.

 Add the wine to the pan and cook scraping up the 

browned bits for 30 seconds. Add the cream and
 the mustard and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Season
with salt and pepper, then stir in the tarragon. 

Spoon over the steaks.

Enjoy!

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Easy Savory Brisket

This is a tired-and-true beef brisket recipe

 that has a savory au jus-like brown gravy.

It's fork tender.

Very simple to make with a few basic ingredients.

There's really nothing to this easy recipe.
Just pour the mixture over the brisket.

Put in a shallow casserole just big enough
to hold the brisket and 1 C liquid.

 Cover tightly with foil. I also add the lid to
keep the foil secure.

 When done remove the brisket to a platter.
 Scrape off the extra fat layer on top.

Now make the gravy. Shake the cornstarch 

and water in a jar and add to the drippings. 

Bring to boil for one minute while whisking.

Slice the brisket and spoon on some gravy.

Pour the rest of the gravy into a gravy boat.

Good with potato pancakes, mashed

potatoes or my Cheesy Potato Casserole. 

SAVORY BRISKET

1 beef brisket, about 3-4lbs

3/4 C water

1/4 C soy sauce

1/2 t celery salt

1/2 t onion salt

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t black pepper

Place brisket in a shallow casserole.

Combine remaining ingredients and 

pour over brisket. Cover tightly with

foil and put on a lid (if you have one).

Bake 250º for 5 hours or 325º 3 hours,

GRAVY

Combine 2 T cornstarch and

1 C cold water in a jar.

Shake well. Remove the brisket

from the casserole. Add the 

mixture and bring to a boil for

one minute, stirring to thicken.

SERVE

Slice the brisket and spoon on

some gravy. Pour the remaining gravy

into a gravy boat to pass at the table.

Enjoy!

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