Slow Cooker Yankee Pot Roast
If you're craving a traditional Yankee Pot Roast, this one is warm and delicious with carrots, potatoes and a rich gravy, all made easy in a slow cooker.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
The house smells wonderful when you slow cook a pot roast, much better than any candle or fragrance if you ask me.
This classic recipe for Yankee Pot roast really delivers in the comfort food department, and it's an easy recipe to put together too.
Here's some good reasons to make it:
This is basically a hands-off recipe when you use a slow cooker instead of a large dutch oven. This alone is worth the price of admission :)
Prep the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning with some simple root vegetables and forget about it...this recipe makes a complete meal! Love that part.
The flavors here are comforting and familiar and the end result is just delicious- fork-tender beef, buttery yellow potatoes and chunky carrots, plus a rich gravy over the top.
Potential for leftovers with this recipe is high. Re-heat the whole meal for an encore, or shred the beef and make some tacos!
For the full instructions and list of ingredients, please scroll down to the recipe card below.
Beef Chuck Roast: 3 to 4 pounds.
Carrots and Celery: Large carrots, or baby carrots and a couple of ribs of celery.
Small Potatoes: Small Yukon gold or yellow potatoes work perfectly.
Yellow Onion: Believe it or not, large onions when chopped pretty much melt in the slow cooker, and leave a wonderful flavor.
Garlic: Crushed is best.
Red Wine: Just a half cup of wine.
Beef Broth: Just enough liquid to get things going.
Bay Leaf: Just two for their subtle depth of flavor when slow cooking meat.
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper: For seasoning the meat.
To start, brown roast on all sides in a large skillet over medium-high heat with some olive oil.
Stir in the aromatics (onion, celery) and then flour for thickening and other seasonings.
Next add the wine and broth and work out all the lumps. Pour it in the slow cooker.
Place potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the slow cooker, then place beef snugly in the middle. Spoon some of the sauce over the top and add the bay leaf.
Cook on high for 6-7 hours, or low for 9-10 hours. Remove the roast and let it rest for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving with the carrots and potatoes and some gravy for the top and to pass alongside. Delicious!
Use all beef broth if you don't care to use red wine.
Be sure to snip off the strings that hold the beef together after you remove it from the slow cooker.
Skim the fat off the gravy that accumulates on the very top before reheating it and serving.
You could also serve this meal with buttered egg noodles, just prepare them separately according to the package directions.
How do I store the leftovers from this recipe?
An airtight container is best, for up to 4 days. Put the gravy in a jar with a lid to keep it separate, and be sure to scoop off any fat that accumulates on the top before re-heating.
Whats the best way to reheat the leftovers?
Easy! Use an oven-safe dish, place the leftovers in it and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes to reheat.
What's the difference between a regular pot roast and Yankee Pot Roast?
Pot roast generally refers to beef that's braised in a rich broth, and Yankee-style pot roast is cooked and served with root vegetables.
Slow Cooker Yankee Pot Roast
This slow cooker Yankee Pot Roast tastes incredible, and is slow cooked to perfection!
Course: Dinner
Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients
▢ 1 4 – 5 pound Boneless beef chuck roast
▢ Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
▢ 2 tablespoons Olive or vegetable oil
▢ 1 large Onion, chopped
▢ 3 Celery ribs, sliced thinly
▢ 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
▢ 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
▢ 3-4 Garlic cloves, minced
▢ ¼ teaspoon Dried thyme (or one teaspoon fresh) optional
▢ ½ cup Red Wine or beef broth
▢ ½ cup Beef Broth
▢ 2 pounds Small Yellow Potatoes, unpeeled
▢ 1 pound Carrots, peeled and sliced into 3-4" pieces
▢ 2 Bay leaves
▢ 3-4 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, minced
Instructions
Use a paper towel to dry off the beef. Season it all over with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the roast on all sides, turning with tongs or a sturdy fork to turn it, which will take about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate.
To the same skillet (without cleaning it of any remaining oil leftover from browning the meat) add the onion, celery, a half teaspoon salt and quarter teaspoon of black pepper. Add a bit more olive oil to the skillet if needed, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft and lightly brown, about 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the flour, tomato paste, the garlic, thyme (if using) and cook for another minute or so.
Next, stir in the wine and broth, being sure to gently push from the bottom of the skillet to get all the flavorful bits from the bottom. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
Add the potatoes and carrots to the slow cooker, stir to combine.
Next, add the beef roast and any accumulated juices from the plate it was on. Nestle it in the middle of the carrots and potatoes, spooning some of the juices on top of the roast. Add the bay leaves.
Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours, or on low for 9-10 hours.
Carefully remove the roast to a cutting board or baking sheet, covering it loosely with foil to keep it warm and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves from the slow cooker and discard, then transfer the vegetables to a serving dish with a slotted spoon, also keeping them covered with foil to stay warm.
Spoon off any accumulated fat from the very top of the sauce left in the slow cooker, then stir in the chopped parsley and season the mixture with salt and pepper to your taste.
Remove the twine from the roast, then slice it into ½ inch pieces against the grain.
Transfer the slices to a serving platter and surround it with the vegetables, then spoon a cup or so of sauce over top, and serve the remaining sauce alongside.
Notes
Use all beef broth if you don’t care to use red wine.
Be sure to snip off the strings that hold the beef together after you remove it from the slow cooker.
Skim the fat off the gravy that accumulates on the very top before reheating it and serving.
You could also serve this meal with buttered egg noodles, just prepare them separately according to the package directions.