Let’s Talk About Sundays and My Love-Hate Slow Cooker

Okay, confession time. When I first got my crock pot (or slow cooker, whatever you call it—mine’s about as old as rock and roll), I thought: “Finally! No more hovering over the stove.” The first pot roast I made, though? Bit of a disaster… forgot to plug the thing in! Still makes the family laugh. But when I did get it right, the flavor was like a warm hug, meat so tender it practically spooned itself. This is still the dish I make when I’m craving a T-shirt-and-socks kind of meal—no fancy napkin folding, just good stuff and good stories.

Why You’ll Love This One (I Swear By It)

I make this when I want the house to smell like I actually have it together—my family goes nuts for it every single time (my teenager even sets a reminder to claim dibs on leftovers). Also, I wouldn’t call it health food exactly, but it does sneak in some veggies. Plus, you get to toss everything in one go and pretend you’re a domestic wizard all day (even if you spent two hours scrolling memes instead). Oh, and the real bonus? No weird mystery packets—unless the mood hits, and then, hey, no judgment from me.

What You’ll Need (and What I Swear You Can Swap)

3–4 lbs beef chuck roast – Any marbled roast works. Once used brisket instead—tasty, bit dearer.
4 large carrots (cut chunky)—Or a handful of baby carrots when I’m lazy.
3–4 potatoes (russet, Yukon Gold, whatever ya got)—Red potatoes are fine too, or skip if you forgot.
1 large onion—Yellow, white, or red if you’re after some extra sweetness.
3 cloves garlic (smashed)—Not a garlic fan? Just add one, no biggie.
2 cups beef broth (or a beer! I love a dark one, even Guinness on a whim)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce—My grandma always swore by Lea & Perrins, but supermarket brand suits, honestly.
2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme (fresh if you’ve got some in the garden—but don’t stress about it)
1 tsp dried rosemary—Oregano does the trick too in a pinch.
Optional: a splash of red wine, or throw in a dash of soy sauce for a different twist

The Way I Throw it All Together

Pat the roast dry with kitchen roll and salt/pepper it well. I get in there with my hands—messy but satisfying.
Brown the roast quickly in a pan if you’ve got a minute (adds flavor, but, honestly, I sometimes skip this when I’m running late. Just dump-n-go works fine too!)
Layer onions, carrots and potatoes in the slow cooker. Beef roast goes right on top. I think of this as the edible bed setup.
Mash the garlic cloves and wedge ’em in wherever you find a gap.
Pour the broth (or that beer) and Worcestershire sauce over everything. Toss in your herbs—doesn’t matter if they spill around.
Put the lid on—kick the thing to LOW. Now, walk away for 8 hours (6 if you’re impatient and crank it to HIGH, but I think it’s better on low). This is the part where I normally lose all sense of time scrolling through other people’s pot roast recipes.
Sneak back in for a taste about an hour before it’s “done.” Meat should be fork-tender—that’s the sign it’s ready. Fish out a carrot for quality control. If it’s not falling apart, give it more time.
Optional, but this makes you look fancy: Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with a splash of water, stir into the liquid, crank up to HIGH for 30 mins for a thicker gravy. Or just serve as is, I honestly don’t always bother.

Stuff I Figured Out the Hard Way

Don’t crowd the pot—if you over-pack the veggies, they end up weirdly mushy (learned that on Christmas Eve… oops).
Sometimes the roast looks a bit gray before it’s cooked all the way. Don’t stress—it sorts itself out by the end.
If you forget the garlic, you can sprinkle a bit of garlic powder at the end and nobody’s the wiser (trust me).

Things I Tried (For Better or Worse)

Once threw sweet potatoes in instead of regular—made the broth a tad sweet, not my favorite but if you love sweet/savory, maybe try it.
I tossed in celery a few times—gives it a little more bulk, but my kids pick it out, so personally I gave up.
Swapped out the beef broth for a can of French onion soup once—surprisingly good, but a bit salty, so skip the extra salt if you try it.

The Stuff You Need (or… Don’t?)

Crock Pot/Slow Cooker – But you can totally just pop it in a lidded Dutch oven at 300°F for 3–4 hours in the oven if that’s all you’ve got (learned that when mine broke and I wasn’t about to panic; results are pretty spot-on!).
Chopping board and knife – Dull blades make it harder, but hey, it builds character.

Storing for Later (If There’s Anything Left)

Pop leftovers into a lidded container—fridge for up to 3 days. But honestly, in my house, it never, ever lasts that long. If you’re one of those freezing types, this freezes fine. Slice up thinner so it reheats evenly, you know?

How I Like to Serve It

On a heap of mashed potatoes—yes, even with the other potatoes already in it! Or sometimes, crusty bread to mop up every last drop of gravy. My uncle likes his doused with a bit more Worcestershire (I swear he’d drink the bottle if he could). Sometimes I’ll add a bright salad if I’m feeling virtuous. Also, ever tried a splash of malt vinegar? Wild, but it works.

Take These Pro Tips Form My Own Mess-Ups

Don’t rush the cook time, seriously. I tried switching to high halfway through one rushed evening and the meat ended up weirdly tough and stringy—not my best decision.
Add veggies in bigger chunks—they shrink! I used to dice them all tiny and ended up with veggie confetti, which wasn’t the vibe I wanted.
Sneak a taste before serving, because sometimes that broth needs an extra pinch of salt or dash of soy sauce. Plus, chef’s privilege.

The “Wait, But What If…?” Section (AKA, FAQs to Make Your Life Easier)

Can I use a different cut of beef?
Oh for sure. Chuck roast is my favorite (and cheap), but I’ve done this with rump roast and even pork shoulder once when the store let me down.
What if I don’t have Worcestershire sauce?
No worries—use soy sauce, or a splash of balsamic vinegar; it’s all good. The depth is what you want.
Can I cook this overnight?
Yup! Just set it on low before bed—but, fair warning, your dreams might be haunted by beefy aromas (not the worst, honestly).
Do I have to peel the potatoes?
Nah. I’m lazy about this most weeks. The skins are cozy and full of goodness.
Where do you get good slow cookers?
I found mine at a yard sale, but these reviews are handy if you’ve got cash to spend. Old one still works for me anyhow!

Completely random aside: I once tried making pot roast with only vegetables (for my cousin’s summer diet experiment). It was fine but, let’s be honest, not really pot roast.

I tend to think this tastes even better the next day, if you can manage to save a slab for sandwiches—it soaks up all that flavor. But who has the willpower?

Lina

Easy Crock Pot Pot Roast