Tasty Tuesday: The Perfect Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes!

 *scheduled post*

Okay so most of you probably know The amazingly talented Pioneer women…and if you don’t you are REALLY missing out! Her cookbook is one of my favorites, and every recipe I have tried has been amaaaazziinnggg!!

Now that it is getting cooler, I cannot wait to make this pot roast again! Seriously it is to die for! Give it a try- you will NOT be disappointed!

 

picture courtesy of The Pioneer Women.

The Perfect Pot Roast!

from The Pioneer Women

• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Onion
• 6 whole carrots
• Kosher Salt
• Pepper To Taste
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

(I left out the thyme and rosemary once and it still tasted great!!)

Preparation Instructions

First generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

The Pioneer Women’s  mashed potatoes… These are literally to die for and worth EVERY calorie!! If you’re going to make an amazing roast, you might as well make delicious potatoes too!

I just adjusted a few things…

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 1/2 cups Butter
• 1/2 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
• ½ cups (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

For the gravy I used the drippings from the pan and added about a cup of rue. I brought it to a soft boil stirring continually and added s & p to taste!

There you have it The Perfect Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes! mmm…