Slow Cooker Beef Roast

This slow cooker beef roast is loaded with mushrooms and onions and the perfect meal for any night.  It is  so flavorfull, moist and juicy.  Perfect for some weeknight sandwiches or served more traditional style over mashed potatoes.  I love cooking in the slow cooker as I can get a meal together that will cook throughout the day for a wonderful evening meal that is effortless.  I also love not having to use the oven.  It is a great way to cook hot food without heating the house up.

There is a local cattle ranch less then 30 minutes away from my home called Jones Creek Beef.  They provided me with some grass fed beef roasts to try out.  They raise all of their animals from birth to harvest to ensure that all grass-fed standards are met.  Their animals have never seen the inside of a cage and have fresh air, open grazing, direct sunlight and less stress.

Slow cooker meals work great for me because I can prepare them in the morning and then go to work, take care of the kids and then right before dinner prep a few things and dinner is ready!  Grass fed beef is also perfect to use in a slow cooker because the slow cooking method keeps the meat nice and tender and juicy.

I have tried different roast recipes and there are several I like.  This one has become a family favorite.  This recipe easily feeds my family of five with a little left over yummy leftover sandwiches the next day.

SLOW COOKER BEEF ROAST

This beef roast recipe has been adapted from a recipe Jones Creek Beef shared with me.  I tweeked a few things to add some things my family loves.  This recipe just needs just a few ingredients and only a little bit of prep. You of course need your beef, some veggies, beef broth and soup and a few spices that you probably have in your pantry.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lb Beef Roast
• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic
• 2 stalks of Celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 package of sliced mushrooms
• 1 large Onion
• 1-2 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Thyme
• Garlic Powder
• 1 can Beef Broth
• 1 can Beef Consume
• 1 can French Onion Soup
• 3 tbsp Cornstarch

The first thing I do is let my roast come to room temperature.  I pull it out of the fridge first thing in the morning.  Get the kids ready and off to school, prep the other ingredients and by then the roast is usually to room temperature.  I prep my veggetables by chopping the celery into one inch pieces, peeling my garlic and chopping my onion into 1 inch chunks.

Yes I know a mushroom is not a vegetable but he is a fungi so I let him join the party.  Put the vegetables in a bowl, drizzle a little olive oil and season with salt, pepper, thyme and garlic powder.  I don’t measure it just sprinkle some on.  Then mix it a bit so the oil and seasons coat everything.

Now lets get to your beautiful roast.  I also season the roast with salt, pepper, thyme and garlic powder on both sides.

Let’s take a moment to talk about the beef.  Jones Creek Beef is Grass Fed Beef.  This means that the beef is lower in total fat, higher in vitamins and minerals then regular cuts of meat.  It is higher in omega 3 (which is something my doctor told me I need to work on).  I also love that Jones Creek Beef never adminsters growth hormones of any kind.

Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the roast on all sides for about 3-5 minutes.  This helps keep the juices in the roast to keep it moist.  Once it has been browned on all sides place it into your slow cooker.

I then add my bowl of vegetables to the pan and cook them for about 3-5 minutes. Then I place them around the roast in the slow cooker.

Next add about 1/4 cup of the beef broth to the pan and deglaze it.  Scraping all the delicious brown bits off the bottom.  Add these juices to the slow cooker.  Mix together the beef broth, beef consume and french onion soup and pour them over the roast.

Set your slow cooker on low and cook for 8-10 hours (8 was perfect for me).

When the 8 hours are up move the meat and vegetables to a serving dish.

It is good to let the roast rest a few minutes so it can distribute its juices.  I like to take this time to thicken the juice.  I strain and pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a pan and heat.  Mix the cornstarch with the same amount of water (so 3 Tbls. cornstarch and 3 Tbsp. water) until it is nicely blended with no lumps.  Add the cornstarch/water mix to the slow cooker liquid and heat.  Be sure to stir frequently until the sauce thickens.  This can be poured over the meat like a gravy or if you are having a sandwich you can use it to dip your sandwich in.

With two forks shred the roast.  I also add a bit of the liquid at this point to help keep it moist.

My family enjoys this two different ways.  Some of us love to make a sandwich on a crusty roll.  Pile it high with the roast, mushrooms and onions  – oh so good!

Or you could go the more traditional Sunday night dinner roast and add the roast, mushrooms and onions to a nice big helping of mashed potatoes.

My family just loved this meal!  What is your favorite way to eat roast?