{crockpot} Pot Roast

It's strange. This week is a 3-day work week and I feel like we have more food on the menu for the week than we normally would make for a full week. I'm making Lentil Soup for lunches {mostly because it's so irresistibly good and SO easy, we can't get enough of it!} and the mister has asked me to make a delightful lasagna that is very unexpected {don't worry, I'll get that recipe up this week, along with a great Thanksgiving leftover treat- totally worth the wait.} 

He's also been on me to make a beef stew, especially with how frigid cold it is today. We agreed on a pot roast for dinner tonight. Because there were errands to be run, and laundry to be folded, I decided to do it in the crock pot. Usually when I make a roast, I throw a packet of Lipton Onion on it and call it a day, but I was feeling adventurous and made up a little fun for myself in the kitchen. 

ingredients:

1 2 lb roast 

4-5 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1" pieces

4-5 stalks celery, chopped into 1" pieces

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped up

Fresh rosemary and thyme, taken off the stems and chopped roughly to release the oils

Splash of EVOO

Beef broth

1 beer {I used pumpkin because it's what I have in my fridge, I recommend it}

Salt & Pepper

Flour {for the gravy}

instructions:

1. Salt the meat well, and in a large skillet, brown your roast on all sides. Once it's browned, place it into the crock pot. I didn't have any of my veggies chopped yet, so at this point, I turned on the crock pot and added in beef broth. I had about a quarter of the carton left in the fridge, so I used what I had.
2. Chop veggies if that hasn't been done. I threw them into a bowl and tossed with a little S+P and EVOO. Add them in all around the meat, and poured in the beer. 
3. Cook in crock pot on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours. I started a little late, so I cranked it up to HIGH for 3 hours, then finished it on low for an additional 2 hours. 
4. When meat is cooked, add a few ladles into your skillet, and whisk in flour to make a pan gravy for serving. 

notes:

• I have a really small crock pot so I always have to use a relatively small piece of meat. If you have a bigger one, and a bigger appetite, by all means, up the #s
• Any veggies can be used here. I grabbed what I had and made it up as I went along
• I served this with a good ol' fashioned mashed potato, but you could add chopped potatoes into the crock pot and cook them right in there with the roast and veg
• I am really bad at making gravy
• You can use any dark beer that you have on hand. I was hesitant on using the pumpkin because I wasn't sure what it would do- but it was delicious! The meat didn't take up too much of the flavor, but I could definitely taste it in the gravy, and the thyme and rosemary were a good pairing with it in flavor-town.