Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 beef chuck pot roast (about 2½ pounds)
3 medium baking potatoes (about 1 pound), unpeeled
2 large carrots
1 large parsnip
2 large celery stalks
1 medium onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried thyme
½ cup beef broth
salt and black pepper

Directions:

Preparation time 10 minutes and cooking time 8½ hours (in the slow cooker).

Trim any excess fat from beef. Cut beef into serving-size pieces; season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Scrub potatoes. Cut scrubbed potatoes into quarters. Cut carrots and parsnip diagonally into ¾ inch slices. Slice celery into 1½ to 2 inch pieces.

Place potato, carrot, parsnip, celery, onion and bay leaves in slow cooker. Sprinkle rosemary and thyme over vegetables.

Arrange beef over vegetables in slow cooker. Pour broth over beef.

Cover slow cooker and cook pot roast on “low” about 8½ to 9 hours or until beef is fork-tender.

Remove beef to large serving platter. Serves 8 to 10. Arrange vegetables around beef on platter. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve pot roast with juices from slow cooker or with gravy, if desired. 

For gravy, ladle the juices from the slow cooker into a 2-cup measuring cup. Place in a small saucepan and heat to a boil. For each cup of juice mix: ¼ cup of cold water and 2 tbsp flour until smooth. Add to the boiling juices, stirring constantly; cook 1 minute or until thickened.