Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Not Your Mama's Pot Roast


I am still in a food coma after making this for dinner tonight. It is just so good that it's hard to stop shoveling mouthful after mouthful into your mouth of creamy, cheesy, ranch grits smothered in tender, moist, barbecue beef. And the sauce! Oh, the sauce! It's to die for.

I've never been too much of a pot roast fan... I think it's because as a kid pot roast was always served to me as dry, tough pieces of unseasoned meat but now I have a couple pot roast recipes in my regular rotation. This recipe is so easy. Just a few short minutes of prep is all it takes to set the slow cooker and then be on with the rest of your day. The grits whip up in a jif as well.

This recipe has been adapted from Plain Chicken after seeing it posted on Pinterest. I am so happy to have stumbled upon it.


Ingredients

For the Roast:
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
Fresh Ground Pepper
Salt
1 (2-4 lb.) Boneless Chuck Roast, trimmed
12 oz Coke
1 (12 oz) bottle Heinz Chili Sauce (you can find it near the ketchup/cocktail sauce)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco Sauce
3 tablespoons Cornstarch
1/4 cup Milk

For the Grits:
1 1/2 cup Grits (Quick Cook or Regular, not instant)
3 cups Chicken Broth (for stiff grits, for soupier grits use more)
1 packet (1 oz.) Ranch Dressing Mix
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions

In your slow cooker, sprinkle garlic powder, salt and pepper over roast. Top with Coke, chili sauce, Worcestershire and Tabasco Sauce. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 7-9 hours depending on the size of your roast. I just made a 3 lb roast on high for 5 hours and it was perfect. 

Once your roast is cooked remove it from the slow cooker, momentarily. Combine cornstarch and milk in a small bowl, mix well until there are no clumps. Pour the milk mixture into the juices reserved in the slow cooker, mixing well. Place roast back into slow cooker. Cook on high for an additional 15 minutes to thicken up the sauce.

While your sauce thickens you can work on your grits. I recommend quick grits but in a pinch I've used regular old fashioned grits - just make sure to adjust your time accordingly (Quick grits take about 5 minutes where regular grits take about 15-20)

In a medium-large saucepan bring chicken broth to boil. I like my grits kind of stiff, almost like a mashed potato, if you prefer yours to be a little wet, add more chicken broth. Once boiling, slowly add in grits, while stirring. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 5 minutes for quick grits or 15-20 minutes for regular grits. Stir in ranch packet and cheese. 

Serve your roast over the grits, with sauce generously poured over top. It's amazing that this much deliciousness can come from so little effort.




12 comments :

  1. All right, I did it: I made the whole thing, ranch and all. I did throw an onion, two carrots, and four red potatoes into the bottom of the crock pot, because I like some veggies with my pot roast. Only complaint I have is that the vegetables absorbed ALL of the Tabasco flavoring and were super-spicy, particularly the carrots--no idea why! And I only used one tablespoon of Tabasco in the first place!

    Overall rating: A++++, would make again, would eat every day. It was dinner for two nights and just as good the second time around.

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    Replies
    1. Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! Bizarro about the veggies. Was I right about the ranch? It's really not too overwhelming. I just had the last of the leftovers for dinner tonight and I agree, I would eat it everyday too!

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    2. The ranch was totally fine. I think the issue I have with ranch, more than the flavor, is the creaminess of the dressing (I'm much more of a vinaigrette person). The seasonings made it really tasty, and the cheese was where most of the texture came from, which was good. Even my dad liked it!

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  2. Coke? This reminds me of the corned beef recipe I have that calls for corned beef and orange juice (that's all). Surprisingly delicious.

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    Replies
    1. Yum! I might have to steal that recipe for St. Patrick's Day!

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  3. Is the meat spicy because of the tobasco sauce?

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  4. Hi! I know it's been years since this post, but just wanted you to know I tried this tonight and am crazy in love! This was SOOO good, and I laughed because I never like pot roast!! My husband does tho, so I thought I'd try it once again, and came across your recipe, so glad! Made a few subs (like Dr Pepper - just what I have!, and mild tobasco cause -didn't even know they made it!, and cream instead of the milk, just for fun!), but it came out absolutely delightful! I have a small confession to make - that I couldn't do the grits. Cooked red potatoes for the last couple of hours (should have been three hours, I think) and mashed them with cooked cauliflower, butter, milk, and shredded cheese. Served this as the base, with the yummy meat and sauce all smothering the top. Amazing. Simply Amazing! God's blessings to you! And Thank you!! :)

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  5. oops, should have read "tobasco sauce" (thanks auto-correct!) and clarify that I cooked the potatoes IN the pot with the roast - three hours any other way and I'd have either over cooked potato soup base, or fine batch of glue! ;)

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