Not Yo Mama's Pot Roast

This pot roast still has the traditional flavors that you'll love, but it's kicked up just a notch by finishing it off with sautéed mushrooms cooked in a balsamic vinegar reduction. I love it over mashed potatoes, which you can find in my Side Dishes section. But Kareem and I REALLY love using the leftovers to make pot roast sandwiches topped with melted sharp cheddar cheese on toasted Hawaiian Rolls. Oh. My. Gawwwd.

ingredients

3 pound chuck roast

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic paste + 1 tablespoon for gravy

1 heaping tablespoon flour

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

McCormick Pot Roast Slow Cooker Sauce (find this in the seasoning aisle with the spaghetti/ taco seasoning, etc.)

6 carrots

3 celery stalks

1 tomato

1 medium yellow or sweet onion

1 tablespoon butter

directions

1. Rinse vegetables and pat dry. Peel the top layer off the carrots with a potato peeler. Cut all vegetables into large chunks. (Approximately 5-6 pieces from a stalk), and quarter the tomato. I cut the onion in quarters. Then cut each quarter in half. Now you can peel those layers apart and have nice sized pieces.

2. Put all veggies in the crock pot.

3. Rinse roast and pat dry

4. Season all sides of meat generously with salt, onion powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic paste, and black pepper to taste.

5. In a hot skillet with a drizzle of olive oil, place the roast in the skillet and sear every side to get a nice brown crust.

6. Put the roast on top of the veggies in the crock pot (you can put a few of the veggies on top of the meat, but you want most of them underneath the roast.

7. Pour the crockpot starter sauce on top of the roast and use a large spoon (or I get my hands dirty!) to coat the sauce on the meat and veggies evenly.

8. Lock the lid in place and turn the crockpot on high. Let it cook undisturbed for 5 hours. Turn the crockpot off after the allotted time if it doesn't have an auto shut off.

9. Once the roast is cooked, it's time to spruce up the gravy! In a hot skillet with a tablespoon of butter, sauté 1 carton of mushrooms until completely browned on both sides.

8. Once mushrooms are browned, add kosher salt to taste, 1 teaspoon of garlic paste, and 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Allow the vinegar to "reduce" by leaving the flame on medium-high. You'll notice the sauce will get bubbly and start to look less like a liquid, and more like a syrup. It will only take a couple of minutes, because it's a small amount.

9. While the balsamic and mushrooms are simmering (or if you can't multi-task, just turn off the flame while you do this!) mix about 1/2 cup of the gravy that the roast has made with one tablespoon of flour In a small bowl, . I use the back of a spoon to press the flour onto the side of the bowl to ensure it mixes in well with the liquid and has no lumps.

10. Pour about 75% of the gravy out of the crock pot into the skillet with the mushrooms. Add the flour paste you just made and stir to combine. Add 1 tablespoon each of balsamic vinegar and garlic paste. Salt to taste. On medium-high heat, allow the gravy to thicken on the stove for 3-4 minutes. Pour the thickened gravy back on the roast in the crockpot and you're ready to eat!

11. Serve with mashed potatoes from my Side Dishes section!

12. Post a picture of your dish to Instagram using #ineedsomemo!!! :)