Slow Cooker Dinner Pot (Printable version)
Tender beef and root veggies cooked slowly with herbs for an easy, hearty family meal.
# What you need:
→ Meat
01 - 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large cubes
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
03 - 3 large carrots, sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, chopped
05 - 1 large onion, diced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids
07 - 2 cups gluten-free beef broth
08 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 1 tbsp gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
→ Seasonings & Herbs
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp dried rosemary
13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - 1½ tsp salt
15 - ½ tsp black pepper
→ Optional
16 - 1 cup frozen peas
17 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
# How To:
01 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef cubes on all sides to enhance flavor. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker.
02 - Place potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic into the slow cooker with the beef.
03 - Pour in beef broth and diced tomatoes with juice. Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Add thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper, then mix thoroughly.
04 - Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until beef and vegetables are tender.
05 - Stir in frozen peas during the last 30 minutes of cooking if using.
06 - Remove bay leaves. Taste and season as needed before serving.
07 - Ladle hot into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It cooks itself while you do absolutely anything else, no hovering required.
- One pot means one thing to wash, and thats a gift on a weeknight.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to settle in.
02 -
- Browning the beef is not required, but the first time I skipped it the flavor felt flat and I learned my lesson.
- If you want a thicker sauce, mix cornstarch with cold water in the last half hour, it transforms the broth into something you can soak up with bread.
03 -
- Cut your vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly and nothing turns to mush while something else stays hard.
- Taste the broth before serving and adjust the salt, slow cooking can dull flavors and a pinch at the end wakes everything up.