Pot Roast with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

I try never to enter a grocery store without a list. It saves time—I know exactly where to go and what to get—and money since I don’t buy things I don’t need. Sometimes straying from your list can be a good thing. Like last week when I was pushing my cart through the meat section in the and found boneless, beef chuck roasts not just on sale, but buy-one-get-one-free. I loaded up my shopping cart and made plans for the last braise.

Typically by late March, I’d have packed up the crock pot and started focusing on the lighter recipes that typically come with spring, but a good deal coupled with the fact that it’s STILL cold outside had me jonesing for a pot roast.

My favorite way to cook pot roast is in a crockpot. It’s minimal effort and there’s not much better than a house filled with the aromas of a delicious meal. This is a basic pot roast recipe so feel free to mix it up. You can substitute beef stock for the red wine, toss in your favorite herbs or spices and if time is an issue, you can skip caramelizing the onions and mushrooms.

Pot Roast with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

Serves: 4 to 6

For Pot Roast:

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 2 ½-3 pound boneless beef chuck

1 bay leaf

¾ cup red wine

4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced ½-inch thick

Salt and pepper

For Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

8-ounces sliced mushrooms

Prepare Pot Roast:

Line the bottom of the crockpot with the onion and garlic. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season the pot roast generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the pot roast in the pan and brown it on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Take the pot roast out of the pan and place it in the crockpot on top of the onions and garlic. Add the bay leaf and the red wine. Set the crockpot to low and cook the pot roast for 8 hours. Add the carrots in the last hour of cooking.

Prepare Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms:

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and brown, 4 to 6 minutes.

Place caramelized onions and mushrooms on a serving platter. Arrange pot roast and vegetables on top. Spoon the juices from the crock pot on top of the meat and serve.