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The Best Pot Roast

Raquel Hazlett

THE BEST POT ROAST (Whole30)😍

Sundays were meant for Pot Roast. There’s something about having a meal slow cooking away all day that makes dinner that much more special. It just takes a few minutes of hands on time and then your slow cooker or oven does the work for you! I especially love making Pot Roast on Sundays, as it doubles as easy heat-up lunches for the week. Make this ASAP and you too can eat a meal all week that delivers more in the comfort department than a memory foam mattress.



A few notes before we begin:

  • I personally like to make my mashed potatoes separate from the roast, but I have also included instructions below on how to add them in with the roast for more convenience and less cleanup.

  • Because of the arrowroot we add to the meat prior to searing, the juices from the roast come out relatively thick, but if you want them thicker, strain the juices, add them back to the pot, and make a little slurry with 1 tbsp arrowroot and 1 tbsp water to add to the pot and simmer until thick.

  • I included both crockpot and Dutch oven methods below, as they are my personal favorite. If you are looking to use your InstantPot, follow the same instructions for searing the meat first, then cook on high pressure for 45 minutes with a 10 minute natural release.



Serves 6.

Ingredients:

For the Best Whole30 Pot Roast:

  • 3 lb chuck roast

  • 2 tbsps arrowroot powder

  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into ¼” slices

  • 4 celery stalks, cut into 2” pieces

  • 3 large carrots, cut into 2” pieces

  • 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, quartered (or follow the mashed potatoes recipe below)

  • 4 cups chicken broth

  • 7 cloves minced garlic

  • 2 tbsps tomato paste

  • 3 sprigs rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)

  • 3 sprigs thyme (or 1 tsp dried)

  • 1 tsp Trader Joe’s mushroom umami seasoning or porcini mushroom powder/umami seasoning

  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos (or Worcestershire sauce if not on Whole30)

  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tbsp avocado oil

  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Whole30 Mashed Potatoes:

  • 3 lbs red potatoes, cut into 1” cubes

  • 4 cups chicken broth

  • 2 tbsps ghee

  • ½ cup original nutpods or coconut milk

  • 4 roasted garlic cloves (optional)

  • Salt and pepper to taste



Directions:

For the Dutch Oven Pot Roast:

  • Remove the roast from the fridge 30-40 minutes prior to cooking to come to room temperature.

  • Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

  • Pat roast dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper.

  • Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat and drizzle in the avocado oil.

  • Sprinkle arrowroot powder evenly all over the roast.

  • Sear roast for 3-4 minutes per side until brown and crusted. If the roast sticks to the bottom of the pan a bit when you try and flip, it means it’s not quite ready to flip yet. It will release once properly browned. Remove and set aside on a plate.

  • Add onions to the pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add in carrots, celery, garlic, and tomato paste and sauté 1 minute more.

  • Reduce heat to medium and add rosemary, thyme, mushroom umami seasoning, coconut aminos, and apple cider vinegar and cook for 1 minute.

  • Pour in a little bit of chicken broth and scrape off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spoon. Pour in half of the remaining chicken broth, stir, and bring to a boil.

  • Reduce heat to a simmer and nestle back in the roast with any resting juices and pour in the rest of the chicken broth around the roast. If cooking the potatoes in the roast, add them here. If choosing to make separate mashed potatoes, follow the recipe below.

  • Cover with a lid and roast at 275 degrees for about 4-4½ hours for a 3lb roast. You may need up to an hour longer for a 4-5 lb roast.

  • Remove the meat from the pot and shred. Remove the veggies, strain the sauce and serve the roast with the sauce drizzled over top. Enjoy!

For the Crockpot Pot Roast:

  • Remove the roast from the fridge 30-40 minutes prior to cooking to come to room temperature.

  • Pat roast dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper.

  • Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat and drizzle in the avocado oil.

  • Sprinkle arrowroot powder evenly all over the roast.

  • Sear roast for 3-4 minutes per side until brown and crusted. If the roast sticks to the bottom of the pan a bit when you try and flip, it means it’s not quite ready to flip yet. It will release once properly browned. Remove and set aside in your crockpot.

  • Add onions to the pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add in carrots, celery, garlic, and tomato paste and sauté 1 minute more.

  • Reduce heat to medium and add rosemary, thyme, mushroom umami seasoning, coconut aminos, and apple cider vinegar and cook for 1 minute.

  • Pour in a little bit of chicken broth and scrape off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spoon. 

  • Transfer veggies and the liquids from the pot to the slow cooker with the remaining chicken broth and potatoes (if not following mashed potato recipe below).

  • Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

  • Remove the meat from the pot and shred. Remove the veggies, strain the sauce and serve the roast with the sauce drizzled over top. Enjoy!

For the Whole30 Mashed Potatoes:

  • Add potatoes to a large pot along with enough broth to just barely cover the potatoes. Use water if you don’t have enough broth to cover.

  • Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

  • Once cooked, drain the potatoes, reserving the broth for later use. 

  • Add the garlic and nutpods or coconut milk to the potatoes and using a potato masher, mash the potatoes, slowly adding back in a little broth at a time. You will not use all the broth - continue adding until you get the desired texture. 

  • Mix in ghee and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!