I called this the Colorado Pot Roast because I live in Colorado – no special reason. I modified this from the traditional Mississippi Pot Roast because I find that recipe too salty and too greasy. I have considered adding green chiles instead of pepperoncini or banana peppers – I’ll have to try that sometime and report back.
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My Colorado Pot Roast – 3 Ways
I did include directions for pressure cooker, slow cooker and dutch oven below – this is honestly nearly a bomb proof recipe – the longer you cook it low and slow – the better it is!
- Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 4-6 lb Beef Pot Roast Chuck Roast or 7 Bone Roast are my favorites if you can get them
1/4 Cup Pepperoncini or Banana Peppers A splash of juice too
1/2 Packet Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 Packet Au Jus Gravy Mix
1 Cup Water You may need a big more – depends upon your pressure cooker “minimum line”
1 Tbsp Corn Starch
1/4 Cup Water
Instructions
Pressure Cooker
- Cut the roast in half so it fits in your pressure cooker. I generally have the roast thawed out enough to hack it apart with my cleaver – but usually never out long enough to completely thaw
- You can brown off the roast in a few Tbsp of oil if you like. I used to and didn’t notice a huge difference the one time I didn’t brown it, so I started skipping that step. Also hard to brown a frozen roast.
- Add the mixes and pepperoncini on top of the roast
- Pour 1 C of beef stock over the top – you may need a bit more to make it to the “minimum” line if your pressure cooker has one. If you don’t have beef stock, you can use water – but using only 1/2 packet of ranch & gravy might make this a bit “flat” so you might want to add a bit of bouillon OR use full packets.
- Put the lid on, push the vent to “seal” and set it for High Pressure for 1 hour
- While roast cooks – make your sides – we like brown sugar glazed carrots and mashed potatoes.
- After pressure cooker is done, let it sit for 15 minutes natural release, then vent the rest of the way manually
- Remove roast and turn pressure cooker to “saute” setting and let juices/gravy come to a boil
- Use a gravy separator to clear your broth a bit if it seems super greasy – it probably will because roast has fat – even if we eliminated the original stick of butter in a MS pot roast.
- Mix the cornstarch with the 1/4 C water and whisk into the boiling juices/gravy from the roast. You may need a bit more cornstarch if you had to add more water. Whisk until it boils again and thickens.
Notes
Dutch Oven
Use a thawed roast and sear it on both sides – follow the same instructions but put it in a 325 degree oven, covered, for 3-4 hours minimum (depending on your roast)
Crock Pot
Again – same instructions as the Dutch Oven and Pressure Cooker – but put it on low for about 6-8 hours until its falling apart. You may need to thicken the gravy on the stove because crock pots dont get hot enough.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Mains
- Cuisine: American