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Meat, Americas

Pot roast with root vegetables

Pot roast with root vegetables is an American braised beef dish, simmered for 3.5 hours in the oven with carrots and potatoes, serving 4 people at €4.20 per portion. The difficulty is easy, and the key to success is browning the chuck roast well beforehand and keeping the liquid at half the height of the meat so it braises instead of boils.

Sunday the American way, how about it? A pot roast simmering all afternoon with its carrots, the house will smell good until dinner.

Pot roast with root vegetables
Total time
3 h 30
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.20
Calories per person
580 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

The chuck roast cooks so long it ends up falling apart with just a fork, soaked in the beef, tomato, and thyme juices it simmered in for hours. The carrots and potatoes, added in big chunks halfway through, stay tender without turning mushy, soaking up that same brown gravy that gives the dish its character.

This is the dish for a Sunday when you're not in a rush, the one you put in the oven early afternoon and forget about while the house fills with its smell. Kids love meat that falls apart on its own, and there's always enough gravy left to spoon generously over every plate.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chuck roast 1 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • Carrots 500 g
  • Potatoes 800 g
  • Onions 3
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Thyme 4 sprigs

Pantry

  • Beef brothoften in the pantry 50 cl
  • Tomato pasteoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Bay leavesoften in the pantry 2 leaf
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Take the chuck roast out of the fridge half an hour before cooking, salt and pepper it on every side.

    Meat at room temperature sears better and cooks more evenly.

  2. Brown the chuck roast in a pot with the oil, on every side, then set it aside. 10 min

    Don't move it until it releases on its own, otherwise it sticks and tears.

  3. In the same pot, cook the quartered onions and garlic, then add the tomato paste, broth, thyme, and bay leaves. 5 min

    Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon, that's what makes the gravy.

  4. Put the meat back in, cover, and bake at 150°C. 2 h

    The liquid should reach halfway up the meat, no more, so it braises instead of boils.

  5. Add the carrots and potatoes, cut into big chunks, around the meat and continue cooking. 1 h

    Cut the vegetables into big chunks, they soften without falling apart.

  6. Shred or slice the meat with a fork and serve it with the vegetables, spooned with gravy.

    Let the meat rest five minutes under foil before carving, that keeps the juices inside.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a pot that goes from stovetop to oven, that way you avoid transferring the meat and losing the browned bits stuck to the bottom.
  • If the chuck roast sticks out a bit from the pot, cut it into two pieces rather than forcing the lid shut, it will cook just as well.
  • Taste the gravy before serving and adjust the salt only at the end, it concentrates a lot during the three hours of cooking.

The variations

  • Swap the chuck roast for beef shank, just as tender after this long slow cook.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with whole button mushrooms and vegetable broth, cutting the root vegetable cooking time down to 45 minutes.
  • For a quicker meal with kids in mind, cut all the vegetables smaller and reduce the oven time to 90 minutes, the meat will be a bit less fall apart tender but already soft.

What to serve it with

  • Crusty bread to soak up the gravy
  • A side of celery root mash
  • Warm apple cider

Storage

Pot roast keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, and the gravy often tastes even better the next day. It freezes well for up to 3 months, meat and vegetables together in their juices. Reheat it gently on the stovetop or covered in the oven so the meat doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can you make pot roast a day ahead?

Yes, and it's even recommended, the gravy has time to settle and the flavors blend together more. Reheat everything gently covered the next day, on the stovetop or in the oven.

What cut of beef works if I don't have chuck roast?

Beef shank or blade roast work just as well, they're braising cuts that turn tender with long, slow cooking. Avoid already tender cuts like tenderloin, they would dry out after three hours of cooking.

Can you cook pot roast in a pressure cooker to save time?

Yes, plan on about 45 minutes under pressure for the meat, then add the vegetables and cook 10 more minutes. The result is good but the texture is slightly different from the long oven braise.

Do you really need to brown the meat before braising it?

Yes, this step truly changes the final flavor, the golden crust gives depth to the cooking liquid. Without this browning, the dish is still good but tastes flatter.

How long does it take to make a pot roast with root vegetables?

Count 3 h 30 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a pot roast with root vegetables?

About 580 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a pot roast with root vegetables cost?

About €4.20 per serving, or €16.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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