Nothing is as comforting as a flavorful, fork-tender oven pot roast. Best of all, this is ready for the oven in only 15 minutes, and uses simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry!
When it’s August in the South, consistently nearly 90 degrees, and humid enough that you want to take a shower the moment you step out the door, I feel like I should be eating things like cucumber tomato salad and light, refreshing raw veggies for dinner. Crunchy, cold things.
But what was I supposed to do when jumbo-packs of stew-meat pot roast chunks were half off at Harris Teeter? It was out of my control. I don’t know how that value pack ended up in my cart, officer.
Well, I considered making something exciting and unexpected like French dip sandwiches or Chipotle-knockoff barbacoa with it.
But then the more I thought about it, and the more we had dark, night-like afternoons filled with thunderstorms that make you want to curl up under a blanket, the more regular ol’ classic pot roast started to sound like just the thing to do with three pounds of beef.
My mom, you should know, has been known to make a mean pot roast. At one point I asked her about it and she said she had forgotten how to make it.
What?! FORGOTTEN how to make the pot roast? The legendary fork-tender fall-apart meat and potatoes? The loss of a national treasure! Tragedy.
Flashback: I’m not sure how long ago it was, but when cheesy computer clip art was in its heyday, my mom made me a cookbook of her favorite go-to recipes, the half-letter pages in plastic sleeves decorated with exciting little cartoony illustrations of the ingredients. It was great.
There are a few recipes I consistently reference the book for, but honestly, (sorry, mother) I’ve never made half the things in there and I don’t even know what’s on many of the pages. So when I was flipping through the book one day (and my foreshadowing skills are sooooo subtle here, I’m sure), I was surprised and thrilled to find the long-lost oven pot roast recipe!
It may not be a slow-cooker recipe, but this classic oven pot roast is just as simple.
It probably only took 15 minutes to prep, contained mostly pantry-staple ingredients, and then during the long cooking time, Mike and I got all the yard work done. All of it.
I’m talking mowing the lawn and weed-whacking by the fence and raised garden (thanks, dearest), trimming the monster bushes that shoot branches all the way to the freaking ROOF (no exaggeration, really!), watering all the potted plants, cutting all the dead sago palm branches off…
By the time we were done, it was dusk, we were dog-tired, and the most delicious aroma greeted us at the door. It was so powerful it even overpowered the sweat-and-bug-spray smell we brought in with us.
Much nicer than working in the yard for three hours, coming inside to no food and going “Wanna have mac and cheese?” Seriously, it was awesome. Just as flavorful and tender and comforting as I remembered, and much easier than I expected for a family-famous meal.
So, as my mother passed it on to me, I now pass it on to you: the famous pot roast.
Try serving this pot roast with:
- No-Knead Rosemary Thyme Dutch Oven Bread
- Lemon Broccoli Salad
If you like easy comfort food recipes, also check out:
- Stove Top Beef Stew with Red Wine
- Easy Turkey Chili
- Kielbasa and Cabbage with Egg Noodles
- Italian Sausage Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
Or visit my comfort foods category page!
Classic Oven Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 lbs stew meat chunks or blade cut chuck roast
- 1 package dry onion soup mix
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 onion, halved and sliced
- 3 medium potatoes (red, yellow, or white), cut into large chunks
- 1 lb bag of baby carrots or 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2 can beef broth, if necessary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Place onion slices in bottom of large baking dish and top with meat. Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over meat, cover with undiluted cream of mushroom soup, and sprinkle with soy sauce.
- Tightly cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven, uncover, and surround roast with potatoes and carrots. If using stew meat chunks, toss ingredients together to make sure vegetables are coated with soup and juices. If meat seems dry, add beef broth.
- Recover pan and return to oven for 2-3 hours, or until meat is fork-tender.
50 Comments
Christina Nelson
August 14, 2015 at 4:10 pmOh yum. I think I have wasted too much time trying to recreate the flavor “from scratch”. Maybe I’ll try making it this simple old fashioned convenience cooking way.
Caroline Lindsey
August 17, 2015 at 11:52 amI’m sure you know I, too, tend towards from-scratch type recipes, but who was I to argue with the recipe you so lovingly illustrated for me? It did not disappoint. It’s like the ranch mix on the pork chops – when the onion soup mixes with the mushroom soup and the beef juices, the flavor is so much more complex than you’d imagine! If you make it, let me know if it’s how you remembered it!
Carol
April 20, 2019 at 12:28 pmI’m using this recipe for Easter dinner. I don’t have beef broth and I have two angus chuck roasts totaling 5 lbs. help! Also don’t u sear meat first?
Caroline Lindsey
April 27, 2019 at 10:34 amI don’t sear the meat in this recipe, although you certainly could! It would add a little extra flavor, but at the expense of having to wash another dish and taking a little longer to prep. Definitely a valid choice though!
Diana L. Eppens
October 14, 2019 at 6:10 pmI sear mine on the BBQ grille. I put oily on the meat and sear it on all 4 sides. Sometimes it is a little hard to stand them up, I manage to do it. Adds an amazing flavor.
Caroline Lindsey
October 18, 2019 at 9:26 amSearing your meat first will definitely add a nice flavor! I do like the ease of this recipe since you don’t have to break out an additional piece of cookware to sear the meat too. Both ways have excellent benefits!
David
January 12, 2016 at 2:33 pmWe missed comfort foods like this when we first moved to Tucson. Now, we just crank the AC and give into our desires whenever we want them. (It helps that we are fully solar…)
Gosh, I remember those corny clip art illustrations – they were revolutionary at the time. I wonder if anyone is still getting royalties from them… 🙂
Caroline Lindsey
January 12, 2016 at 10:18 pmDid you not make comfort foods when you first moved to Tucson because it wasn’t cold enough? I’m very cold natured so I didn’t have a problem with that when I lived there. I have two space heaters by my feet at work!
I did feel a little weird making this pot roast in the late summer but it was still delicious! Now that it’s actually a bit cold (we got a frost last night!) I will make it again for sure. I should post some photos of the clip art recipe pages!
Bonnie
March 9, 2019 at 3:23 pmDon’t the potatoes and carrots get too done being in there for 2-3 hrs?
You don’t bring the meat first?
Caroline Lindsey
March 11, 2019 at 10:41 pmI put it all in at once! It’s great, and the juices from the meat really flavor the veggies.
Maria
October 26, 2019 at 9:15 amThank you so much for this wonderful classic recipe . I have been looking for this for years. My late mother in law used to make it , it was all ways so darn good. She wasn’t from the south but from up state New York , this good woman would cook up a storm of delicious foods . She gave me the recipe 55 years ago than lost it or misplaced after her passing . She used the same ingredients,except she wrapped it in thin coil and baked
Thank you very much
Caroline Lindsey
November 1, 2019 at 9:02 amThat is so heart-warming to hear! Isn’t it wonderful to rediscover an old recipe that brings back memories? <3
Laura
August 29, 2017 at 12:29 amThis pot roast sounds delicious, the mushroom cream is a great idea. Storm on its way, after 3 months of intense heat. Perfect time for it.
Caroline Lindsey
September 3, 2017 at 7:35 pmHopefully not too bad of a storm! It’s nice when the rain cools off the heat though. Pot roast is perfect for days like that!
Nancy
November 12, 2017 at 8:07 amI’ve made this pot roast twice and followed the recipe exactly. I must say that it is the best pot roast I have cooked. I used a 3 lb Chuck roast and cut it in pieces removing a lot of the connnecting tissue. It is so much better than the ones I have cooked in a slow cooker.
Caroline Lindsey
November 12, 2017 at 9:11 amThanks so much for your comment, Nancy! Glad you liked the recipe!
Traci
April 2, 2018 at 4:40 pmVery close to my nana’s pot roast recipe! 🙂 Hers uses golden mushroom soup instead of cream. In the oven now and I’m dyyyyyyying from the good smells! 💜 Thanks!
Caroline Lindsey
April 16, 2018 at 10:56 pmOh yummmm, I can imagine that delicious smell now! Such a cozy meal. Hope it tastes like your nana’s!
Diane Billigsley
October 19, 2018 at 1:36 pmThanks for the “how-to” for adding the vegetables to the classic roast! Delicious and easy on this cool fall day.
Caroline Lindsey
October 25, 2018 at 7:15 pmI’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s definitely that time of year again!
Leo Rousseau
November 11, 2018 at 1:06 pmI’ve got this in the oven right now! My second time making it and I wouldn’t change a thing! Thanks for sharing this!
Caroline Lindsey
December 13, 2018 at 7:06 pmThanks so much for your lovely comment! I’m glad you enjoy it!
Denise Oakes
November 27, 2018 at 3:27 pmMaking this now. Smells delicious already. I am only using a 2 pound blade cut (that’s what I bought before finding this recipe). I am sure it will come out perfectly. I will update in a few hours.
Caroline Lindsey
December 13, 2018 at 7:04 pmYum!! Hope you enjoyed the pot roast!
Andi
February 6, 2019 at 3:25 pmOh my goodness! I made this recipe for my boyfriend and mother last night. My mom who is 62 years old said it is the best pot roast she has ever had in her entire life! I’ll take that as a huge compliment! Anybody looking for a yummy quick and easy dinner this is it! Takes about 10 to 15 minutes to prep it. All you have to do is pop it in the oven.
Caroline Lindsey
February 16, 2019 at 2:50 pmSo glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!
Mona estrafax
February 22, 2019 at 7:00 pmI just send my son for another Chuck roast because one won’t be enough! Lol.and I using cream of celery soup instead cuz it’s what I’ve got. My Italian pot roast is great but I’m trying yours today! Ty for sharing
Caroline Lindsey
March 7, 2019 at 6:35 pmHope you liked the pot roast! Yum!
Emily
March 10, 2019 at 8:59 pmI’m going to make this recipe this week for my parents. Since I work, 4 hours of cooking would put dinner Tim too late. So I was wondering if the prep work could be done the night before, and then cooked the next day. For example, could I do steps 1-2 and then put it in the fridge overnight so it could be cooked the next day?
Caroline Lindsey
March 11, 2019 at 10:40 pmStep 2 only takes a couple minutes, so it wouldn’t save you much time if you did that the day before! Pre-cutting veggies the day before is never a bad idea though.
I’m guessing you mean steps 1 through 3? I don’t know how well that would work, since the long cooking method is necessary to melt all those fats and break down the tough tissue. I think putting it back in the fridge overnight would halt the breakdown of the tissues and it would have to catch up again when re-cooking. I don’t know if it’s a cumulative effect or if the cook time has to be all in a row.
Your best bet for not having dinner too late on a weekday, for this recipe, would probably be to try it in a slow cooker. Not having tried it myself, though, I can’t say for sure if your veggies will be overcooked after 9 hours or so on low (I’m guessing an 8 hour workday plus commute time). But I’d say it would be worth a shot!
Chrisy
March 30, 2019 at 7:09 pmI’ve got this in the oven right now. One question, when I take it out after 1 hour to add veggies, do I cover it back up with foil again or cook the remaining amount of time uncovered? Anyone can answer me 😁
Caroline Lindsey
March 30, 2019 at 9:37 pmHey Chrisy! Don’t know if I caught you in time, but you recover it with the foil before returning it to the oven. Hope you enjoy it!
Linda Appling
April 20, 2019 at 6:38 pmlm trying beef roast and pork roast together
I remember my aunt would do this and the gravy was fantastic. so I trying it for easter.
Caroline Lindsey
April 27, 2019 at 10:47 amYum! Sounds delicious! Hope it turned out well for you!
Sherry
May 19, 2019 at 2:36 pmCould I add green beans with the other veggies or would it be too long for them.
Caroline Lindsey
May 22, 2019 at 7:22 amIt would be too long for green beans if you left them the entire time, but you could probably add them in in the last 45 minutes or so!
Tonnie
May 22, 2019 at 3:06 amThis is absolutely the best recipe ever!!! Thank you so much
Caroline Lindsey
May 22, 2019 at 7:21 amSo glad you enjoyed it!
Maria
June 4, 2019 at 2:46 pmI’m about to make this !! Super excited is it possible to sub the mushrooms (allergic) with maybe beef broth ?
Caroline Lindsey
June 4, 2019 at 3:12 pmI would replace it with another kind of cream-of soup – maybe cream of potato, cream of celery, or cream of chicken. Good luck!
Krista
July 2, 2019 at 5:27 pmWhy do we use a cream soup?
I added it to the pot but I’m just curious
Caroline Lindsey
August 29, 2019 at 10:03 amIt helps make a nice thick and creamy gravy! Hope you enjoyed it!
John Balazentis
August 20, 2019 at 6:53 pmAbsolutely the best we’ve ever made!!! I added a little extra cream of mushroom soup as well as beef broth. Love love love this!!!
Caroline Lindsey
August 29, 2019 at 9:42 amExtra gravy is never a bad idea! Thanks for sharing!
Jasmine
September 6, 2019 at 12:13 pmThis recipe is really good and easy to prepare, very tasty. I’m satisfied with how it came out, I’ve made it twice already and they were great both times. It also takes away the time you would spend cooking something else with pots and pans, it’s all prepared in one dish and everything stays clean.
Caroline Lindsey
September 13, 2019 at 1:26 pmDon’t you love one dish meals? Glad you liked it!
Heather
September 16, 2019 at 8:23 pmCooked for a total of 4 hours. Added the broth like recipe said. Only used 2.75 lb roast & it came out raw. Carrots were not cooked properly either. Had no flavor whatsoever. Threw it in garbage b/c it wasn’t good enough for my husband.
Caroline Lindsey
September 19, 2019 at 6:06 pmHi Heather, I’m sorry your pot roast didn’t come out well! However, based on what you said I think there may be a problem with your oven. A 2.75 lb roast should definitely be fully cooked at 325 after 3 hours and falling apart after 4. Carrots would definitely be cooked through! My guess is that your oven needs to be recalibrated – you can check your oven temp easily with an oven thermometer. This one is only $7 and will let you know if your oven is getting up to the temperature you set it to. (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/30bIujp By using one of these I discovered my oven is consistently 25 degrees cool and takes much longer to preheat than it says it does. I didn’t actually recalibrate my oven, but I go by what the oven thermometer says now instead of the oven itself. Please check your oven and if it’s off please try this recipe again! Once it cooks at the proper temperature I assure it will have all the flavor it’s supposed to have!
Linda Klink
October 8, 2019 at 4:42 pmBest pot roast I’ve ever made, delicious.
Caroline Lindsey
October 11, 2019 at 4:04 pmI’m so glad you liked this recipe!