This is a recipe for classic old fashioned Sunday Pot Roast Dinner, including a recipe for roast beef gravy. Cooking vegetables, traditionally potatoes and carrots, makes this is a complete dinner in one pot.
And speaking of classic old fashioned comfort food dinners, don’t miss my recipe for Pan Fried Chicken with Homemade Fried Chicken Gravy.
What You Can Expect From This Old Fashioned Pot Roast Recipe
When we talk about the comfort food we love as adults, the conversation most always turns to meals we loved as a child.
Every Sunday before church, my mom would put a pot roast in the oven so when we’d return our Sunday Pot Roast dinner was ready to serve. The only thing left to complete the meal was to prepare the pot roast gravy.
Hearty, savory, homey, and so comforting, this old fashioned method to make pot roast will warm your heart.
Watching my mom make our traditional Sunday dinner roast all of those years, it was most certainly the first recipe I made once I was married, and in my own kitchen. And I’ve been making it the same way my mom did for 40 years.
This is an easy no-full recipe with only a couple rules for success.
- Flouring and searing the meat.
- And cutting the carrots and potatoes in uniform pieces to insure even cooking.
Once in the oven, you’ll have a couple of hours of hands off time. Once the meat is fall apart tender, the roast beef gravy is quick and easy to make.
Let’s take a look at our family’s Sunday Dinner Roast.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beef Chuck Roast: A chuck roast is a primal cut that comes from the shoulder. It’s famous for it’s rich beefy flavor and is ideal for slow roasting. It’s a traditional choice for this pot roast dinner. It’s easily found in the supermarket meat cases. You can also use a bottom round rump roast or a sirloin tip roast.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold Potatoes are a medium starch potato which means they’re sturdier and will hold up better with the long slow cooking time required for the pot roast. Russet potatoes can be used, but with their high starch content, they can be prone to breaking down during the long cooking process. Save russets for Baked Potatoes.
Oven roasting is one of the simplest cooking methods. Because of using a lower temperature it requires little attention, and become a “set it and forget it” dinner. This Sunday Pot Roast Dinner with potatoes, carrots and gravy is simple, old-fashioned perfection. Grab a chuck roast and let’s get started.
Step by Step Ingredients – How To Make Pot Roast Dinner With Vegetables
- Step 1: Season and flour the pot roast. Lay the chuck roast on a platter. Salt and pepper both sides of the meat, then generously flour. I even like to gently rub the flour into the meat to make sure I’m completely coating the roast.
- Step 2: Sear: A very important step is to sear the meat. Heat 3 tablespoons of neutral oil in a large Dutch oven. I use my 7-quart Le Creuset. You can also use an old fashioned roasting pan, like this Granite Ware brand. I love these and wish I had the one my mom used. Sear the meat on each side until well browned. This will take about 5 minutes per side, depending on how hot your pan is. Place the roast in the oven, uncovered, and cook at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the vegetables. Turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees. Sprinkle chopped carrots and potatoes around the roast. Add 2 cups of water, cover and it’s ready for the oven.
Pro Tip: Don’t skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it’s responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or seared burger taste charred. It’s a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.
When the roast is fall apart tender, remove from oven and place on a plate. Tent with foil while you make the gravy.
Ingredients to Make Roast Beef Gravy
- You’ll add beef broth to the pan drippings to equal two cups.
- Flour and butter will make the roux
- Worestershire sauce to add some savory flavor.
How to Make Roast Beef Gravy, It’s Easy
Before you start: Pour any drippings from the pan into a Pyrex measuring up. Add enough beef broth to equal 2 cups. There are times when there is no liquid left in the roasting pan. I use one 14.5 ounce can of beef broth and add enough water to make 2 cups.
- Step 1: Add the fat: Place the pot stove top over medium low heat. Add the butter. As the butter is melting, use a spatula to scrape those beef bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. They add so much flavor to the roast beef gravy.
- Step 2: Make the Roux: Once the butter melts, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly. Cook for 3 minutes to allow the raw flour flavor to cook out. Watch it close, so it doesn’t burn, you simply want a golden color.
- Step 3: Add the liquid: Add the beef broth/drippings mixture and the Worcestershire. Stir over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. The pot roast gravy will thicken beautifully.
Tips For Success
- When searing the meat, make sure the oil is hot enough that the meat sizzles when it hits the oil.
- You’ll know when the meat is ready to turn when it easily releases from the pan. Use a meat fork to spear the meat, and don’t try to force turn. The meat will let you know when it’s brown by easily releasing.
- I like using Yukon Gold potatoes for this pot roast dinner. Not only for their medium starch texture, but they also don’t need to be peeled. Simply wash, cut away any bad spots and chop.
Questions You May Have
Salt and pepper. The cuts of beef used to make pot roast are traditionally rich with beefy flavor. Let that flavor shine with a simple seasoning. Some people season with Montreal Steak Seasoning, which adds a garlic component. I never have.
Depending on the size of the roast, plan for up to three hours.
All you need to do is check the roast using a meat fork. Pull on the the edge of the roast and if the meat easily separates, it’s done. Officially that means it’s reached a temperature of around 200 degrees which causes the marbled fat to melt.
Variations
- In addition to carrots and potatoes, you can also add wide sliced onions or frozen pearl onions. Large chopped celery is also a common vegetable for this one pot dinner.
- Add a glug or two of red wine to the gravy once it’s thickened.
Storage
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days. For best results, I recommend storing the gravy separately. This allows you to pour it over the leftovers when reheating, keeping the pot roast moist and flavorful.
- If you’d like to freeze the leftovers, use freezer-safe containers, and they’ll stay fresh for up to three months. Be sure to let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- When it’s time to reheat, the 50% power setting on your microwave works perfectly for dense dishes like pot roast. Add a little gravy to each individual serving and heat in 30-second intervals at 50% power until warmed through.
Pot Roast Dinner Sides
Since potatoes and carrots are cooked in the roaster with the pot roast, it’s somewhat of a complete dinner. However, green beans make an excellent side dish for pot roast. Take a look at my recipe for Brown Sugar Green Beans with Bacon which I routinely serve to make a complete dinner.
Pot Roast Dinner Recipe
I hope you give this old fashioned roast beef with gravy recipe a try. Sunday Pot Roast for dinner is a timeless American comfort food meal that the family will love.
More Roast Beef Dinner Recipes
- Peppery Beef Rib Roast
- Chile Rubbed Braised Beef Tacos
- Mexican Pot Roast
- Cooking A Four Rib Prime Rib Roast
And if you’re looking for more beef dinner recipes, don’t miss my Beef Category. You’ll find a ton of terrific recipes. Including the most popular on my site for Beef Tagliata. A super easy popular Italian steak recipe.
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Sunday Pot Roast Dinner With Potatoes Carrots and Gravy
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Neutral Oil Avocado, vegetable or canola work well here.
- 2-3 pounds Beef Chuck Pot Roast I look for a weight towards 3 pounds.
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Fresh ground black Pepper
- 1 cup water or beef broth
- 3-4 Cups Carrots washed, peeled, cut into chunks. About 4 good sized carrots
- 3-4 Cups Yukon Gold Potatoes Cut into chunks
- TO MAKE THE BEEF GRAVY
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 4 Tablespoons All purpose flour
- 2 Cups Liquid from the pot roast Add beef broth if needed to make 2 cups
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Sprinkle the chuck roast with salt and pepper and dust with flour, covering the entire pot roast.
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the roast. The oil should be hot enough that the meat sizzles when it hits the pan.
- Brown the roast on two sides. About 5 minutes per side.
- Place the seared roast beef in the roasting pan uncovered. Cook the roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees.
- Add the water or broth and sprinkle the vegetables around the meat.
- Cover and oven roast for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until meat is fall apart tender. Check the meat about half way through cooking time to see if more water needs to be added. Add up to one to 1 ½ cups.
- Use a meat fork and large spoon to remove the pot roast and the vegetables to a serving platter. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Pour the drippings/liquid from the roasting pan into a Pyrex measuring cup. Add enough beef broth or water to equal two cups of liquid. Many times, my Le Creuset Dutch Oven is so heavy duty that there's no liquid left at the end of the cooking time. Use one 14.5 ounce can of beef broth and add a little water to make 2 cups.
- Heat the Dutch oven over medium heat stove top. Add the butter to the Dutch oven. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and stir over medium low heat making a roux.
- To serve, simply transfer roast to a serving platter and arrange vegetables around the roast. Serve the gravy in a gravy boat on the side.
- Cook for about 3 minutes to cook the raw flour flavor out of the roux, stirring to dislodge any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom. That's what makes a better gravy. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn. Add the beef stock and Worcestershire and and stir until thickened. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
Notes
- When searing the meat, make sure the oil is hot enough that the meat sizzles when it hits the oil.
- You’ll know when the meat is ready to turn when it easily releases from the pan. Use a meat fork to spear the meat, and don’t try to force turn. The meat will let you know when it’s property seared by easily releasing from the pan.
- I like using Yukon Gold potatoes for this pot roast dinner. Not only for their medium starch texture, but they also don’t need to be peeled. Simply wash, cut away any bad spots and chop.
Nutrition
Sunday Roast Beef with Gravy …It’s What’s For Sunday Dinner.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Listen, Lea Ann, after hearing someone on TV list the ridiculous questions asked about cooking turkeys (truly a shocking list), it doesn’t surprise me that those warnings are on our appliances!
Our Sunday suppers were roast chicken….Love reading about your memories.
I tell you, common sense is not so common these days, which is why there needs to be so many disclaimers.
This Sunday pot roast would be my favorite too. It’s so hearty!
I agree Christine. There wouldn’t be a warning if someone hadn’t done it. As always thanks for stopping by and thecomment.
My mom had a terrific pot roast recipe too. It was a real treat in our house to have pot roast. I love your hair dryer warning! The next time I take my blow dryer to bed, I’ll think of you. Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too Donna. and LOL Kristi. Now, let’s go eat some turkey!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Lea Ann, Our Mom’s thought alike. We always had Pot Roast after church!! Must be a Salem thing! It was always ready when we got home. Have a great Thanksgiving.
I spent enough time at your house, and I do remember that. Your mom was a good cook too.
Too funny Joanne. Craziness, I agree.
Haha the thing is. Let’s say you were a sleepwalker. And thus did attempt to use your hair dryer while you were sleeping. You would have NO idea that you were doing it! Craziness.
I love a good pot roast. This sounds like some serious comfort food. So long as you don’t put it in the dish washer.
My mother made something similar and, like your mom, always made it for us when we came home to visit. Brings back fabulous memories of home and the Ozzie and Harriet lifestyle we grew up in.
Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving Lea Ann.
Sam
I agree about the Ozzie and Harriet lifestyle. It did exist! 🙂
Love those smells from the oven. My aunt used to make a lot of pot roasts, too. Usually we were a big crowed and everybody was happy about the delicious meal. Thanks for sharing your memories.
Thanks Kirsten
Fried or roast chicken was the thing when I was growing up. Today we usually throw something on the grill on Sundays unless there’s snow on the bbq. Thanks for sharing your memories.
Karen, I usually save something sinfully good for Sundays, it’s my splurge day. 🙂
We love Pot Roast for Sunday dinner! It’s my girls’ favorite meal and the house smells so yummy when we get home. I usually pan sear my meat and put all the ingredients in the crock pot. Add some green beans, coleslaw, and rolls and you have a very feast! 🙂
My ex-mother in law always served cole slaw with her pot roast. I loved draging a piece of beef through the sweet sauce. Delicious.
This is such a homey meal – I love that your mom made it for you at the end of a journey. Mine always had a beef stew waiting.
Growing up, we didn’t have a specific dish on Sundays, but sometimes it was potroast. Quite often, Mom would fry a couple of chickens (complete with the giblets because we had a BIG family) and she’d make mashed potatoes and cream gravy on the side. That was my absolute favorite meal and I loved every piece. Seems like the little ones ( meaning me and the two younger ones) usually got a wing or a drumstick. I didn’t care, I just loved Mom’s crunchy breading. Nice memory.
Great post – I’m going to try adding flour next time to see what that does. 🙂
Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy is just the best! I make it about once a year and savour every bite.
I love the title Sunday Pot roast; I can imagine the anticipation of that pot roast slowly braising on the stove!
Thanks Jourma
Mmmm… Zio’s mother makes a lovely pot roast that looks a lot like yours. I’ll have to try your method, it sounds easy and nice to have on a cold day when I’m painting the guest room. Thanks for a great post!
Man, I need to paint the guest room. 😉
Luv a meal tradition… I haven’t made pot roast in awhile – sounds really yummy on a night with a houseful of hungry people!
I make it about twice a year. Such a yummy meal and with just the two of us lots of good leftovers.
YUM! I love family traditions! When we were kids, Sunday was spaghetti day, this week I am already so sick of turkey (and had so much leftover) that we went out for Korean and gave the turkey to neighbors. Happy Holiday!
I can only imagine how delicious that spaghetti was. I’m heading over tomorrow to get Tony’s brine and poultry rub. I won’t be sick of turkey until Sunday. 🙂
The classic pot roast meal, it looks delicious. This looks just like the ones my grandma and mom did it except they would brown the meat first on the stove top, then add the water to deglaze the pan (except they never used that word), then add the other stuff. Your finished shot makes we want to run and see if I have a roast in the freezer, but I’d best just keep focused on turkey.
And I too have browned the meat before the roast. But always seem to go back to the flour thing. Just because I don’t see a lot of difference. It’s the slow cook that makes this so wonderful. I didn’t know the word “deglaze” until about 10 years ago. Didn’t realize I was so sophisicated until I knew what it meant. tee-hee. Ah…turkey, tis the season.
I find the concept of a specific meal for a specific day of the week to be quite novel and charming. This was never the case when I was growing up, and it doesn’t happen in my house now. I think the predictability wouldn’t go over very well, but if you crave rituals, I can see how it would be comforting.
That pot roast looks delicous!
Thanks Susan. It was delicious. I only make it about once a year, along with my mom’s Fried Chicken which was a Saturday thing. 🙂 I always choose what I’m in the mood for, and I don’t hear anyone complain about what’s served. As always, thanks for stopping by and the comment.
I love these warnings. I try to imagine what lawsuit prompted them.
Well exactly Pam. The only reason those crazy things are there is because someone did it. Too funny.
It is my favorite meal still. I can’t make it like my grandmother, however. Hers was unbelievable. I miss it almost as much as her.
Tami I bet you can. Surely someone in the family could help fill in the blanks with her method. We’re both mid-west. Do you think it’s the flour thing?