Comfort food brings to mind different things for different people. For some, they crave creamy and decadent like mac n cheese or scalloped potatoes. Others associate pots of chili or a rich lasagna as a homey favorite.
One thing is clear, most are reminiscent of our childhoods and our Mother’s or Grandmother’s cooking. For me, it’s my Mom’s homestyle pot roast.
When I was growing up, my mother used a big harvest-orange-colored Le Creuset dutch oven to prepare soups, stews and braises. Her pot roast was one of my personal favorites. It wasn’t fancy, just hearty, warm and satisfying. With big chunks of carrots and celery and lots of tender mushrooms.
(Update: I’ve had several inquiries about whether a dutch oven is needed for this recipe. I have to say, yes. A quality dutch oven (my personal favorite) is very heavy and conducts heat evenly — which is essential for a good braise. This one will do the job without breaking the bank:
Lodge Logic Dutch Oven, otherwise, a slow cooker will work too.)
The sauce was a fragrant amalgam of red wine, broth and tomato paste with a healthy dose of fresh herbs thrown in.
I’ve added porcini mushroom powder for even more richness. It’s optional, but it adds a great umami boost to this homestyle pot roast — and it’s so easy to make. Just buzz dried porcini mushrooms in a spice grinder for a few seconds.
By the way, when I say spice grinder, I actually mean coffee grinder. I have two – one for coffee and the other for spices. This is my favorite
Krups Fast Touch Grinder Black 203-42 and it’s under $30.
A low oven does most of the heavy lifting for this meal, slowly braising and tenderizing the chuck roast.
Best of all, as it cooks, the whole house is filled with a meaty, heady aroma that makes your stomach growl with anticipation. I guarantee you won’t have any problem getting the family to the table if this is on the menu.
Make sure to serve it with some crusty bread to sop up all the juices. If you’re craving a homestyle pot roast, this is it!
On a cold rainy day, you want comfort food. This is it.
- 2 1/2 pound boneless chuck roast
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
- 16 ounces button mushrooms thick sliced
- 1 medium onion peeled and sliced root to tip into eighths
- 4 carrots peeled and cut into 1" pieces
- 2 stalks celery cut into 1" pieces
- 4 small red skinned potatoes cut into quarters
- 1 1/4 cups beef broth
- 2/3 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried mushroom powder optional, see note
- 3-4 sprigs of thyme and 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary tied into a bundle with kitchen twine
- 2 bay leaves
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
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In a large dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat.
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Use a paper towel to dry all the moisture off the chuck roast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sear the meat in the dutch oven for 3-4 minutes on each side, until it forms a nice crust. Transfer the meat to a platter and add the mushrooms with a sprinkle of salt. Stir and place the lid on the pan until the mushrooms start to give up their liquid. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. When most of the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms, add the onions and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until crisp tender. Add the chuck roast and any accumulated drippings back to the dutch oven. Add the carrots, celery and potatoes, thyme bundle and bay leaves.
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Stir together the broth, red wine and tomato paste and pour over the vegetables. Cover and heat to boiling. Transfer the covered pot to the oven and braise for 2 1/2-3 hours until meat is tender.
Sometimes the dried mushrooms in my pantry go past the point of reconstituting in water and look more like a fossil from the cretaceous period than the aforementioned dried mushroom. I don't waste them, though. I make mushroom powder. To make mushroom powder, put dried mushrooms (like porcini) into a spice grinder and pulse until a fine powder forms. Store in an airtight container. Whenever I want to add more umami flavor to a braised dish, I add a tablespoon or two of mushroom powder. Delish!
I agree… Pot Roast is delicious comfort food! I just made one last week but was not impressed with how it turned out. I can’t wait to try this one!
invite me! I’ll bring dessert!
Looks fab! Pinned! 🙂
Thank you, Natasha!
Hi Lisa! I just got an awesome crock pot and am very excited to use it; if I wanted to use your recipe and make the roast in my crock pot, do you think this would work / do you have any recommendations?
Hi Max! I’m excited for you and your new crock pot. I would follow the recipe of searing the meat and cooking the mushrooms, then transfer everything including the rest of the veg, broth etc. to the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
What a great question about using the crockpot. I was thinking the same thing as I don’t have anything like a dutch oven to go into the oven. I hope you saw Lisa’s answer. I was thinking along the same lines as Lisa. Nice to have a confirmation. This recipe sounds delish!
Hi there, bit of a novice cook here..this recipe looks awesome, but I’m wondering what temp the oven should be on for the final braising?
Thanks!
Hi Katy! Glad you like the look of this pot roast. It’s super-simple to make. The oven should remain at 325?F for the braise. Let me know how it works for you!
Currently have this in the oven and it smells so delicious!! I can’t wait to eat it!
Enjoy, Monica!
I can’t wait to make this. I just got a le creuset dutch oven, any more recipes to share?
You’ll love your Le Crueset! I make soups, stews and braises in mine. Good food times ahead for you!
I don’t usually comment on blogs but this recipe turned out so well I had to comment. Best roast I have ever had!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Leanne – and thank you for letting me know!
I agree a Dutch oven is a must. The flavor you have developed in this pot roast makes my mouth water even more.
It’s a favorite of ours! The dutch oven is great – but a crock pot would work too!
Pot roast really IS the ultimate comfort food. This is gorgeous!
Lisa! You’re killing me with all this delicious comfort food! This pot roast looks to die for!
Yikes – not trying to kill you! Hopefully just giving you a little culinary inspiration!
Wonderful comfort food recipe. I just made the same thing yesterday:)
Great minds think alike!
This looks incredible! Tender fall apart meat of any kind if the best and recipes that come down from generations in the family are my favorite! Love that you added some porcini mushroom powder – I bet that packs in a ton of flavor!
Yes, the porcini is a great way to add more umami depth!
Oh I used to love pot roast growing up – we would have one just about every Sunday. I haven’t had one in years though!!
I think it’s time, don’t you?
love mushrooms and that umami flavor it gives to dishes!
Can I just confess that the husband has been asking for a pot roast like this for MONTHS.. maybe over a year.. I’m a terrible wife. Lol. I need to just follow this recipe and make it for his little beef loving self
Yes, I’m afraid you do! Come on, he deserves it!
My husband has been begging for pot roast! I so need to make this recipe for him! I think it sounds fantastic!
Thank you Sara!
Cold weather is perfect for a big pot roast – we’ll definitely make this on a cold weekend this winter!
They’re the ultimate comfort food!
Your pot roast looks perfect – gosh, wish you were my neighbor cos you bet I’d be over as soon as I smelt this! 🙂 Glad to have stumbled by through FBC
Glad you like it Shashi!
We shared your recipe over on SuperSafeway as a great recipe to make with chuck roast! Can’t wait to try this tonight. Thanks for the great recipe.
Oh fun! Hope you enjoy!
Hey Lisa,
Instead of using the mushroom powder, what about using fresh porcini mushrooms? And one thing I’m worried about, I made some tasty roast potatoes with roasemary but they were ruined by the grainy spices >.< will the same thing happen here? Or do I remove the bundle of thyme and rosemary and hope the leaves don't interfere?
You can absolutely use fresh porcini mushrooms instead of the mushroom powder. Remove the bundle of thyme and rosemary after braising — generally, 95% of the leaves will remain attached to the stems and don’t come off in the stew – since you braise this in the oven, there’s no stirring and thus, less opportunity for the leaves to come loose. If you want, you could wrap the herbs in cheesecloth and tie it with a string — that way you still get the flavor without worrying about errant leaves. Hope that helps!
I love those quintessential family recipes that always take you back to childhood – your pot roast looks just like what I’d expect from one of those family traditions!
Recipe looks delicious. Nice pictures.
I can’t live without my Dutch oven, it’s perfect for braising meats. I bet this pot roast would taste absolutely divine with an earthy red wine used, such as a Grenache. Mmmm, can’t wait to try this!
As usual, your excellent recipe and delicious photo makes me ready to dig in!
This looks delicious and with all of those flavors, I can only imagine how amazing it smells too! I love all of the veggies you’ve included in this recipe. Thanks for sharing!