- 3 to 4 LB beef roast (rump or sirloin tip)
- 6 cloves garlic (minimum)
- 1 large onion (sliced into half-rings)
- 20 OZ Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 PKG Lipton’s Beefy Onion dry soup mix
- 3 cubes beef bouillon
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ C dried parsley flakes
- 20 OZ water
- Salt and pepper
- Kitchen Bouquet
- Vegetable oil (olive, canola, etc)
Optional Veggies
- 16 OZ baby carrots
- 3 medium Idaho potatoes (cut large) (or the equivalent of red new potatoes)
- 16 OZ mushrooms (sliced if large)
- Pearl onions
- Trim any excess fat or skin from the roast. Cut narrow, deep, evenly spaced slits in the roast (one for each clove of garlic), sprinkle in salt and pepper, and insert one whole garlic clove in each. Brush the roast all over lightly with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix together the Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, water, Lipton’s Beefy Onion dry soup mix, crumbled beef bouillon cubes, bay leaves and parsley. Set aside.
- Put your slow cooker’s pot — or a heavy 6 QT pot if the cooker’s pot is ceramic or otherwise not able to go over direct heat — over medium-high heat and allow it to get hot. Sear the roast on all sides (approximately 1½ — 2 minutes per side). Add the onions, and saute until soft and lightly browned. Lower the heat to medium.
- Pour in the wet mixture and stir thoroughly. Bring to a simmer. Check the consistency of the gravy and add water as needed — you should get it to the thickness you desire, as it will not reduce much during the cooking phase. Better to be too thin than too thick… you can always thicken it later by adding a flour and water paste, or by cooking on your slow cooker’s “high” setting with the lid off.
- Taste and add salt and pepper seasoning as necessary. Usually at this point a TSP or so of salt, and a TSP of pepper are enough, if at all. The gravy will also not get any darker as the roast cooks, so if you desire it darker, add Kitchen Bouquet, ½ TSP at a time until you reach the color you like.
- At this point, if you are preparing the roast the night before, take it off the heat and allow to cool (if you are using a separate pot to sear and simmer, transfer the meat and gravy to the slow cooker’s pot). Once cool, cover tightly with foil and put in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
- Place the pot into the cooker base. Add your vegetables, and stir them in well. Most of the contents of the pot should be submerged, but it is not necessary for everything to be completely under. If you have a reasonable amount of liquid and keep the lid on, the steam and simmering action will keep everything evenly cooked and moist
- Set the heat level on the slow cooker and cook according the following chart:
- HIGH (from stove top): 4 hours
- HIGH (from fridge): 4½ hours
- LOW (from stove top): 8 hours
- LOW (from fridge): 9 hours
- Do not lift the lid during cooking or you may need to adjust your cook time for longer. Avoid stirring the gravy, especially toward the end of the cook time, as you may cause the perfectly cooked veggies to break up and disintegrate.
- Serve with rice, egg noodles, spiral pasta, etc.
NOTE: This is the basic recipe for most meat dishes. Variations such as soup and stew substitute 12 OZ of stewed tomatoes for the Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup and require much more water, and as many vegetables as you like (green onions, celery, green beans, corn, lima beans, squash etc). Stew will also require a bit of a roux to thicken — soup does not. You can use this basic pot roast recipe for pork loin roast or chops, chicken, ribs, etc — even meatloaf.