I woke up the other day to 40 degree weather and thought it was the perfect weather for roast! It's one of those meals that just screams fall and Christi's last post about fall just made me more excited to cook a pot roast. It is one of my husband's favorite meals, so I hope you enjoy too!
To start, trim up your roast if you need to. I do not like a lot of fat on my roast, so I will usually pick out one with less fat. If you have one with a lot of fat, just remove it. Some fat is good for flavor, too much makes your gravy greasy! In a skillet, heat up a small amount of oil and brown all sides of your roast. Browning the roast seals the moisture in the meat. Also, it adds a nice color to the roast.
Place your browned roast in the crock pot. I had some fresh rosemary from my Mom's garden, so I placed a sprig on the roast to infuse a little rosemary flavor into the roast.
Mix 1 1/2 cups of water with your onion soup mix and let dissolve for a few minutes.
Cover your roast with the potatoes and onions. You do not need to use pearl onions, I just thought they looked pretty.
Peel your carrots (and potatoes if you don't like the skins.) For you time strapped families out there, baby carrots are an easy option. My husband doesn't like them as much as regular.
I like to leave my carrots to last because I do not like a soggy, overcooked carrot. I placed the carrots on top of the potatoes and topped it off with another sprig of rosemary.
Pour your onion soup and water mixture evenly over the veggies and roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
When your roast is cooked all the way (usually an internal temp of 150) you can start making the gravy. You need to make a rue for the gravy. To make a rue, melt some butter in a skillet.
Add a few tablespoons of flour and stir until you have a somewhat paste-like consistency. 
Next you add in a dry red wine for flavor. I used a 2009 Montes Classic Series Cabernet Sauvignon and LOVED this bottle of red wine. (Look for a later Uncorked post.)
Pour in 1/2 cup of the dry red wine to the rue and then pour yourself a glass. (I love sipping on wine while cooking!)
Stir it until the rue and the red wine are thoroughly mixed. (Using a fork makes it easier for breaking up clumps of flour.)
Now it's time to add in your roast drippings. You will need to remove your roast and veggies from the crock pot. Cover with foil to keep warm. (Also, this is double duty because you should always let meat rest before cutting, it helps the juices solidify and keeps the moisture in the meat.)
Pour the juices into the skillet with your red wine rue.
Turn the heat up to high and bring your gravy mixture to a boil. Once it begins to boil, turn it down to medium and keep stirring until the gravy has thickened.
Once your gravy has thickened, slice up your roast and serve with veggies, gravy and a nice glass of red wine!
You will need the following ingredients:
Roast (I usually like the bottom round for a tender roast)
1 envelope of Onion Soup Mix
1 envelope of Onion Soup MixPotatoes
Carrots
Onions
Rosemary (optional)
2 tablespoons of Butter
1-2 tablespoons of Flour
1/2 cup Dry Red wine
The amount of veggies depend on how many veggies you want. You can make as little or as much as your crock pot will hold. Also, you can choose any type of potato or onion that you would like. If they are large, just quarter them so they will cook all the way.
To start, trim up your roast if you need to. I do not like a lot of fat on my roast, so I will usually pick out one with less fat. If you have one with a lot of fat, just remove it. Some fat is good for flavor, too much makes your gravy greasy! In a skillet, heat up a small amount of oil and brown all sides of your roast. Browning the roast seals the moisture in the meat. Also, it adds a nice color to the roast.Place your browned roast in the crock pot. I had some fresh rosemary from my Mom's garden, so I placed a sprig on the roast to infuse a little rosemary flavor into the roast.Mix 1 1/2 cups of water with your onion soup mix and let dissolve for a few minutes.Cover your roast with the potatoes and onions. You do not need to use pearl onions, I just thought they looked pretty.Peel your carrots (and potatoes if you don't like the skins.) For you time strapped families out there, baby carrots are an easy option. My husband doesn't like them as much as regular.I like to leave my carrots to last because I do not like a soggy, overcooked carrot. I placed the carrots on top of the potatoes and topped it off with another sprig of rosemary.Pour your onion soup and water mixture evenly over the veggies and roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.When your roast is cooked all the way (usually an internal temp of 150) you can start making the gravy. You need to make a rue for the gravy. To make a rue, melt some butter in a skillet.Add a few tablespoons of flour and stir until you have a somewhat paste-like consistency. Next you add in a dry red wine for flavor. I used a 2009 Montes Classic Series Cabernet Sauvignon and LOVED this bottle of red wine. (Look for a later Uncorked post.)Pour in 1/2 cup of the dry red wine to the rue and then pour yourself a glass. (I love sipping on wine while cooking!)Stir it until the rue and the red wine are thoroughly mixed. (Using a fork makes it easier for breaking up clumps of flour.)Now it's time to add in your roast drippings. You will need to remove your roast and veggies from the crock pot. Cover with foil to keep warm. (Also, this is double duty because you should always let meat rest before cutting, it helps the juices solidify and keeps the moisture in the meat.)Pour the juices into the skillet with your red wine rue.Turn the heat up to high and bring your gravy mixture to a boil. Once it begins to boil, turn it down to medium and keep stirring until the gravy has thickened.Once your gravy has thickened, slice up your roast and serve with veggies, gravy and a nice glass of red wine!Enjoy!
~Beth 
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