It Was A Dark And Stormy Night...

 

...and this chick was cold. Nothing makes me warmer and cozier on a rainy day than good old-fashioned pot roast. While it may seem like a totally serious thing, the only thing serious about my pot roast is how seriously good and seriously easy it is to make. First things first - do you have a crockpot? No? GO BUY ONE. They're like 20 bucks at Che Target and make super awesome meals that you don't have to work for.
Alright, now to the meat of things:

What You Need:
1 roast - I buy the antibiotic-free, hormone-free, grass fed stuff - you don't have to.
1 bag of baby carrots - again, I buy organic, but feel free not to. You can also buy big carrots, but I hate peeling and chopping.
1 container celery hearts - organic for me here, too.
1 small bag of little potatoes - I get the multi-colored ones. They're small and give some color.
1 container baby portabellas - or any mushroom you prefer. Again, organic.
2 packets of McCormick Slow Cookers pot roast seasoning - yes, I cheat.
Olive oil, salt, pepper

 

 

 

 

 

What You Do:
1) Wake up early, drag your sleepy behind to the kitchen, pull out ingredients, trip over your dog.
2) Cuss your dog up and down, then regain composure.
3) Grab a big pan to sear your meat in. Toss in a couple turns of olive oil and start it a'heatin'.
4) Salt and pepper your meat.
5) While waiting on the pan to heat, rinse all your veggies. Chop the celery into 1.5-2 inch pieces, split the mushrooms and potatoes in half if they are too big. You want everything relatively comparable to the baby carrots in size.
6) Once your pan is hot, place the roast in it and sear on ALL sides (even the short sides) until JUST browned. We're not cooking it here, just sealing it, sort of. Watch for spatter from the oil - seriously, DO NOT PERFORM THIS STEP IN YOUR UNDEROOS - you'll have some burns.
7) Mix 2 & 3/4 cups water with the 2 seasoning packets. I know it says 1 cup per packet. Trust me. Whisk it to remove clumpies - no one likes clumpies.
8) Pour a small amount of the seasoning liquid into your crockpot - just enough to cover the bottom.
9) Place the meat in the crockpot, top with all the veggies, then pour the seasoning liquid over the whole thing. Make sure you stir as you go to get all the yummy bits with the liquid.
10) Cover, turn to low, walk away.
11) Come back 6-10 hours later, eat pot roast, WEEP COPIOUSLY at the deliciousness.

Seriously, it couldn't be simpler, but it is sooooooo good. I like using the organic ingredients, which cost a little more, so the total cost ran me $30, but you could make this meal for less than $15, and it will feed you for days. The quantities and ingredients are super flexible - any size roast, any veggies you like. As long as you cook it for at least 6 hours, it'll all work out. The longer it cooks, the better. I checked mine on my lunch break and holy cow, it was already yummy-tastic. But tonight, I won't even have to chew. That's what I call a rainy day meal!