Friday, October 23, 2009

Food For Friday: Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

I tried a new pot roast recipe tonight. I wasn't intending for it to be my Food for Friday recipe, but it was so delicious that half way through our meal I decided to share it with you. As you can see, my hubby really enjoyed it. I barely snagged a photo before he cleaned his plate.

This was such an easy meal and the meat was flavorful and fall apart tender! It took me 10 minutes of prep this morning before we headed to campus, and a delicious aroma greeted us when we came in the door this afternoon. Truman was hungry all afternoon smelling the pot roast simmering from his office.

This recipe makes a richly flavored gravy with the roast that can be spooned over the meat and mashed potatoes. (Adapted from a pot roast recipe by Paula Dean)

Ingredients:
1 (3-4 lb.) boneless chuck roast (I just used a 2 lb. roast for the 2 of us)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion sliced into pieces
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 can cream of onion soup (I am not a fan of mushrooms, so I substituted cream of onion soup, but you can also use cream of mushroom soup.)
1/4 cup red wine (I recommend using a wine that you would enjoy having a glass of with dinner since you only need a small amount for the recipe!)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
3/4 cup water

Preheat a skillet to medium/medium high heat.

Season both sides of the chuck roast with freshly ground pepper, kosher or sea salt and garlic powder.

Heat the oil in the skillet, then brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the roast into the slow cooker. Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and sautee for a few minutes to absorb any leftover roast juice. Place into the slow cooker with the meat and 2 bay leaves.

Combine the can of soup and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl and pour over the roast. Dissolve 1 beef bouillon cube into 3/4 cup warm water. (If it doesn't dissolve completely, it's ok.) Pour the water over the roast and add the red wine to the slow cooker. Mix the liquids together in the slow cooker.

Cover with the slow cooker lid and simmer on low for 5-6 hours until meat is falling apart tender. If there is visible fat on the top of the gravy, skim it off. Stir the gravy. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

*If the gravy is not thick enough, remove the meat from the pan and pour the gravy into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and thicken it by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water, stirring constantly.

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 Russet potatoes (I use organic because potatoes are one of the Dirty Dozen)
3 cloves of garlic
Land O Lakes Fat Free Half & Half
2 tablespoons butter
fresh ground pepper
sea salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese

Boil a pot of water.
Wash the potatoes and dice into large cubes (approx 1 1/2 inch cubes) with the skin on. Remove the skin from 3 garlic cloves. Add both the potatoes and the garlic cloves to the pot and boil for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain.
Put the potatoes and garlic into a large mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of salted sweet cream butter and allow to sit for just a minute to soften. Add half & half to desired consistency. (I used approximately 1/2 cup.) Using a hand mixer, mix until creamy, but still chunky. Add a few shakes of fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Sprinkle in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of freshly shredded parmesan cheese to taste and give the potatoes another mix to blend.

This is a perfect meal for a chilly fall or winter evening. I know it will be on our weekly menu again soon!

2 comments:

Free Art Printables said...

You always have the yummiest recipes. I am going to try those nuts this weekend.

Unknown said...

We made this today, and it was really good! Thanks for sharing the recipe!