Slow Cooker Bavarian Pot Roast

I love that slow cookers and crock pots have made a resurgence over the past several years. When they first became popular (back in the late 70’s and into 80’s), I remember receiving a crock pot as a bridal shower gift but I never used it. It seemed like an extravagance to me at the time and I really felt like I wanted to do more “hands-on” cooking, not just the set-it-and-forget-it type.

Fast forward to today (30 years later). With everyone’s lives so very busy, set-it-and-forget-it type meals are what everyone is looking for these days (me included) and the slow cooker has become one of my favorite kitchen appliances. I love knowing that if I take just a minimum of time in the morning to brown some meat and prep some veggies, the entire rest of the day the aromas in the house will be tantalizing and that basically come dinnertime, no significant effort is required, short of setting the table and calling the family for dinner.

What I love most about this Slow Cooker Bavarian Pot Roast (other than the tenderness of the meat) is the tang of German-style grainy mustard combined with sweet pickles (along with their juice) and the unmistakable zip of dill weed. The aroma will knock your socks off and have your counting the minutes until dinnertime. I served mine over buttered egg noodles but this would be equally good over mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, spaetzle or even rice.

Here’s a little synopsis of how this recipe came together, start to finish.

I used Reynolds Slow cooker liners. They worked great and the clean-up was virtually nothing,

Brown the beef in the oil in a large Dutch oven. The more color you can get here, the better your dish will taste. Don’t rush this step (like I did). Take the time to develop the color on the meat.

Add the beef stock, mustard, dill weed, bay leave and pickle juice into the same pot the roast was browned in and make sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the cut up veggies into the slow cooker along with the meat.

Pour the beef stock mixture over the meat and veggies in the cooker.

Allow the beef and veggies to cook for 6-7 hours in the cooker on high until the meat is outrageously tender.

Serve this delicious Slow Cooker Bavarian Beef Pot Roast over buttered egg noodles (or an accompaniment of your choice) and enjoy!

SLOW COOKER BAVARIAN POT ROAST   {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
Serves: 4-6      Prep Time: 15 minutes      Cook Time: 6-7 hours

4-5 pound boneless beef chuck roast, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
5-6 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large red onion, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
5 sweet pickles, chopped
1½ cup beef stock
½ cup sweet pickle juice
½ cup German style coarse mustard
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 dried bay leaves

-In a large Dutch oven, brown the seasoned roast on both sides in a the canola oil, over medium/high heat.
-Place a slow cooker liner in the cooker itself (optional but it makes clean-up a breeze).
-Place the browned roast into the slow cooker. Add in the carrots, red onion, celery and pickles.
-In the same Dutch oven, bring the beef stock, pickle juice, mustard, dill weed and bay leaves to a simmer, making sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
-Pour the beef stock mixture over the roast.
-Set the cooker to high and cook, covered, for a minimum of 6-7 hours (longer is fine, if necessary).
-To serve, place the meat and veggies over buttered egg noodles, (or an accompaniment of your choice) and ladle with the juice.

What can I say?…It’s a match made in slow cooker heaven… 🙂

Speaking of matches made in heaven…how about this cute custom engagement wine glass that was requested from a customer not that long ago? Don’t you just love the whimsical nature of this glass? I know I do… 🙂

If there is ever anything I can paint for you, please don’t hesitate to contact me or visit my shop which is located within the navigation bar. Custom orders (like this one) are always welcome, and I can work from any photo or description you send my way. Kudos Kitchen by Renée ~ Where food, art and fun collide on a regular basis! Until we eat again,