Sunday Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Mushrooms

A serving platter of sliced slow-cooker pot roast surrounded by braised mushroom caps and baby potatoes, garnished with a sprig of fresh thyme.

4.59 from 12 votes

Sunday Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Mushrooms

Boneless chuck roast, baby potatoes, mushrooms, and red wine combine to make a slow-cooker pot roast that's good enough to serve to guests.

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Total Time8 30

Course: Entrées

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Lynne Webb

Ingredients

1 3 to 4 lb boneless chuck roast, tied (see recipe notes)
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb cremini or white button mushrooms
1 medium yellow onion diced
2 medium carrots peeled and diced
2 stalks celery diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 lb baby potatoes
6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

Rub the outside of the roast with olive oil and season liberally on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast and brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate while you prepare the vegetables.
Clean the mushrooms, separate the stems from the caps and chop the stems. Set aside.
Sauté the onion in olive oil until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and sauté until the all the vegetables are lightly caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Combine the beef broth, red wine and Worcestershire in a measuring cup.
Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of that liquid, scraping up any browned bits that may have accumulated on the bottom.
Transfer the vegetable mixture to the slow cooker, spread evenly over the bottom and add a few sprigs of thyme. Place the roast on top and arrange the potatoes and mushroom caps around it.
Add the remaining thyme sprigs and pour the broth and wine mixture over the top.
Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours (high for 5 to 6). Once done, transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil to keep warm while you make the gravy.
Discard the sprigs of thyme and pour the cooking juices (including the veggie mixture) into a large measuring cup. Use a spoon to skim any visible fat from the top.
Transfer 1-1/2 cups of the juices to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch into about 3 tablespoons of cold water until smooth. Stirring constantly, gradually add the cornstarch mixture to the pan juices. Cook for 1 minute until thickened to a syrupy consistency (do not overcook). Remove from the heat.
To serve, carve the roast, arrange the slices on a platter with the potatoes and mushrooms and spoon the gravy over the top.

Notes

Shopping For a Pot Roast

If you find a piece of meat labeled "pot roast" at the market and are unsure of what the cut is, ask the butcher. While rump (or bottom round) roasts are an acceptable choice for this and other pot roast recipes, in our experience, a boneless chuck roast is a better option.

Boneless chuck roast comes from the shoulder portion of the animal and is sometimes called a shoulder roast. Rump roasts come from the more muscular outside of the back leg.

The reason we prefer the chuck roast is that, while still considered lean, it does contain a little more fat and connective tissue than the rump and that translates to a juicier, more tender pot roast.

When purchased already boned, a chuck roast should be tied to help the roast keep its shape during cooking. If your butcher hasn't done this already, simply form it into a roast shape and run a few pieces of kitchen twine around it to hold it together.

Nutrition