This family recipe for slow-cooker pot roast requires only five ingredients.
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One of my favorite comfort foods to make in a slow cooker is pot roast.However, my family's recipe for slow-cooked pot roast is a little different from others. It only requires five ingredients: chuck roast, gingersnaps, chili sauce, carrots, and water.
As the days get shorter and workdays feel extra long, I find myself relying on slow-cooker comfort foods that make meal-prepping a breeze.
One recipe that I've eaten many times throughout my life, and especially during the fall and winter seasons, is my mom's slow-cooker pot roast. My mom told me she first got a version of the recipe from a coworker, who recommended it for people wanting something easy and comforting at the end of a long workday.
The recipe utilizes a slow cooker, a device that allows individuals to prepare their meals in the morning and then safely cook them throughout the day, so they can come home to a hot, ready-to-eat dinner.
My mom has been consistently making this slow-cooker meal for over 10 years, and her spin on the original recipe involves adding carrots and mashed potatoes as a side dish.
Here's how to make my family's favorite pot roast.
The recipe uses a slow cooker to make the pot roast.
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I use a Crock-Pot, but any slow cooker with various heat settings will work for this recipe.
In addition to a slow cooker, you'll need a small beef chuck roast, a bottle of Heinz chili sauce, gingersnap cookies, and about seven carrots.
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I started by searing my chuck roast in a cast-iron pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, and then I added the meat to the slow cooker.
I used a chuck roast steak, but you can also use a whole chuck roast. Using a steak cut means your meat may cook slightly faster and pull apart easily when it's done, but both work well.
Perhaps the most surprising ingredient in this pot-roast recipe is the gingersnaps.
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When you really think about what's in a gingersnap — flour, sugar, ginger, and molasses — it begins to make sense why this addition would help make a rich, thick gravy.
Other traditional recipes use gingersnaps in this way. For example, some recipes for Sauerbraten, a German beef roast, use gingersnaps to thicken and flavor the gravy.
I chose to go with Mi-Del ginger snaps, but you can use any brand.
The recipe calls for eight cookies.
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These hard cookies can be difficult to crumble, but you should try to break them into the smallest pieces you can.
I use Heinz — yes, the ketchup brand — chili sauce for this recipe, too.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
When I asked my mom what kind of chili sauce to use, she said this was the only brand she'd ever used. Knowing that ketchup is a common ingredient in many pot-roast recipes, I rightly assumed this famous ketchup brand's chili sauce would add a lot of the same flavor to the dish, with a slight kick.
The consistency and flavor of this chili sauce are admittedly really similar to ketchup, so you may be able to use that as a substitute if you're unable to find this specific bottle. If you choose to do this, you may want to also add a splash of hot sauce to more closely resemble the original recipe.
Although chili sauce and gingersnap cookies might seem like surprising additions to a pot roast recipe, I assure you that the final result is delicious.
After adding the meat and gingersnaps to the slow cooker, pour in the bottle of Heinz chili sauce and fill the Crock-Pot halfway with water.
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My mother explained that the roast should also be covered halfway, and it's important to add more water to the pot if the gravy gets too thick.
About one hour before it was done cooking, I added seven sliced carrots. My mom has also used whole baby carrots in the past; either works for this recipe.
After cooking on low heat for five hours, the beef should be tender.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
After the pot roast is done cooking, you should be able to gently pull apart the meat with a spoon. If it's not tender enough to do that, you can take the meat out, carve it on a cutting board, and add it back into the pot.
Then, set your slow cooker or Crock-Pot to the warm setting if available. By far, one of the best things about this recipe is the mouthwatering smell that will waft through your home.
I like to make some sort of starch to go with the pot roast.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
Mashed potatoes work really well with the gravy and meat, so I decided to make some red-skin mashed potatoes. You'll want to boil the potatoes for around 20 minutes until they are fork-tender and easy to mash.
You can also use russet or yellow gold potatoes to make the side, but I prefer red potatoes for their texture and the fact that you don't need to peel them.
Then, drain the potatoes, mash them, and add in 2 tablespoons of butter or cream.
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The red skin of the potatoes adds a nice texture.
The finished pot roast is the perfect cozy comfort meal for multiple people.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The recipe I use makes around five servings, so it could easily feed a family. If you're cooking for fewer people than that, I've also found that leftovers keep well in both the fridge and the freezer.
My family's pot roast recipe is a delicious home-cooked meal, featuring a few interesting ingredients you might not have considered using before.
Pot roast is a slow-cooker staple for many home cooks, and after trying out this particular recipe for myself, I can see why.
