Roast Beef and Yummy Gravy

This is my favorite, busy momma way to make a beef roast.  The roast will turn out so delicious and tender that you won’t even need teeth to eat it, and that’s a pretty handy thing around here between the baby and the 7 year old with loose teeth!

*For the bread recipe, click on this link.

I love chuck roast.  It’s my favorite cut, and always the first to get used up when we buy a beef from mom.

Get your iron skillet nice and hot.  Sear the outside of the roast to lock in some of the juices.

This is what crock pots were made for.  Plop that yummy smelling, seared roast into the pot.  Add a peeled onion, a couple cloves of garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Add just enough water.  You want the top of the roast to remain uncovered.  Go ahead and add any veggies you like, such as carrots or potatoes, maybe some mushrooms, too!

Set the crock pot on high and don’t worry about it for the rest of the day (about 6 hours).  Seriously.  Don’t even think of taking that lid off.  Go fold some laundry.  Play with the kiddos.  Whatever.  Just DON’T touch that lid.

You’ll need some mashed potatoes.  Yum.  These are red, homegrown, skins on potatoes with real butter!  Oh, man! 

Notice the pan in the background?

That’s gonna be the gravy.  When the roast is done, just pour that yummy juice through a strainer, making sure to include that super yummy stuff at the bottom of the crock pot.  Get that broth boiling on the stove while you mix a couple teaspoons of corn starch in about 1/2 cup of COLD water.  Make sure that it’s stirred up very well, no lumps or bumps.  Pour the starch into the boiling broth while you whisk.  Watch the broth magically turn into gravy.  Heavenly gravy.  If the gravy isn’t thick enough, add a few more teaspoons of corn starch.  Just don’t forget to mix the corn starch in COLD water first. 

This stuff is much better than anything you can buy in a jar or a mix.  Trust me, it’s worth the time and effort.

Tell the kids that it’s time to wash their hands and set the table.  Get a spoon while they are out of the kitchen and taste test those taters by dipping them right into the gravy.  Oh, yum!  Hide the evidence before they get back or they’ll want some, too!

Are you drooling?

Enjoy! 

This is really an easy way to complete a very yummy meal.  I spend about 20 minutes (including clean-up time) getting the roast into the crock pot in the morning.  Then, it just takes me a few minutes to wash the taters and throw them into a pot in the afternoon.  Once everything is ready, I can get the gravy going and mash the potatoes and finish out the meal in about 10 minutes.  Use the same pan you cook the potatoes in to make your gravy to save a bit of clean up time. 

If you’ve never made a roast using your crock pot, I hope this will make you want to try it.  If you’ve never been brave enough to make your own gravy, it’s the perfect time to learn.  This works for turkey gravy, too.  Just strain the broth that’s left in your roasting pan, add a bit of water if needed, and follow the same procedure using the corn starch.  Flour works, too.  If you use flour, you’ll need a few tablespoons of it mixed well with cold water. 

Try something new in the kitchen.  It’s so much fun!