Dinner has to be good, not pretty

While summer doesn't officially end until next week, the weather has not felt like summer. Between the rain and the cold, it seems winter is on its way fast!

What a better way to warm up dinner than with a tasty pot roast, one you can throw into the slow cooker and walk away from. Served with cheesy mashed potatoes and caramalized carrots, this was a tasty dinner.


Southwestern Pot Roast Cooked in the Crockpot
recipe created by Kalyn

3 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed of visible fat (I used a sirloin tip, couldn't find anything else)
1 can reduced sodium beef broth
1 1/4 cup salsa (I used the last jar of homemade, but next time will use Pace or something I like to dip chips in)
steak rub or your favorite seasoning for steak to rub on meat before browning
1-2 tsp. olive oil for browning meat

Put beef broth in a small saucepan. Boil until the broth is reduced to 1/2 cup.

While beef broth is reducing, trim all visible fat from chuck roast. Rub pot roast on all side with steak rub (or your favorite seasonings for steak.) Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan. Brown roast well on all sides.

When roast is browned on all sides, put in crockpot. Pour reduced beef broth into frying pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape off any carmelized bits from the browned meat. Add salsa and stir into broth, then pour salsa/beef broth mixture over pot roast.

Cook on high for one hour, then turn to low and cook 3-4 more hours, or until meat is very tender when pierced with a fork. (My crockpot has one setting only, so set the timer for 5 hours then left.) Remove meat from crockpot, tent with foil, then pour sauce into small saucepan, simmering until reduced to about 1 cup.

To serve, slice meat across the grain and serve hot, with sauce spooned over the top.