Printable recipe is at the bottom of this post. Cook along and visit with me by reading below or click here. to jump right to the printable recipe.
Y’all, I love me some pot roast. It’s one of my family’s favorite meals, too. For the most tender roast, I always use a slow cooker (known as crock pot to some) and a jar of my favorite store bought beef gravy. But there are a few additional tricks you can take advantage of to make that roast even MORE tender and add an extra little boost of flavor as well. Enter my Tuscany Pot Roast and Veggies.
The great thing? You don’t have to buy anything weird. Most of y’all reading this know exactly what I mean when I say that, too! 🙂
You’ll start with your traditional roast and veggie ingredients: Chuck Roast, Russet Potatoes, Carrots, Beef Gravy. Add in a packet of Italian Dressing Mix and some White Vinegar and we’ve just taken this up a notch.
What does the vinegar do? It helps to further tenderize the meat. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it in the roast.
A funny story about carrots:Â My sweet dog, Zoey, is part lab (I am assuming that may make a difference) and carrots are one of her favorite things IN THE WORLD. She gets so excited when I am in there peeling carrots because she knows I’m going to peel one just for her.
The funny part is that I have two little dogs (Sweetie and Pick) who absolutely hate carrots. But every time Zoey goes into the kitchen all excited, they get excited, too. Just watching her, they figure it must be something good. So Zoey sits there wagging her tail while she waits on her carrot and Sweetie and Pick sit right beside her, waiting just as anxiously for their mystery treat.
I hand Zoey a carrot, she snatches it an runs off, then I give each of the little dogs a piece of a carrot and they grab it up, then quickly spit it out, look at me like I am crazy, and lower their heads in disappointment as they leave the kitchen. I know they must be thinking “Again with the stupid carrots.”Â
On another note, my teenage son also loves carrots and cooked carrots are one of his favorite things so I usually double the amount I put in this roast because he will eat an entire plate of carrots alone. I find that kind of odd that a teenage boy loves cooked carrots so much, but I’m sure not questioning it!
Peel your carrots and potatoes and cut them up into bite sized chunks.
Place roast in bottom of slow cooker and put veggies on top.
Place gravy, vinegar, and dressing mix in small bowl and stir until mixed well.
Pour sauce over roast and veggies.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Printable recipe below!
I hope you get to make this soon. Keep me posted!
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- 1 chuck roast (3.5-5 pounds)
- 5-6 carrots, cut into chunks
- 5-6 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 12 ounce jar beef gravy
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 Packet Italian Dressing Mix
- Place roast in 6 quart slow cooker. Add carrots and potatoes.
- In medium sized bowl, mix together beef gravy, white vinegar, and Italian dressing mix. Pour over roast. Cook for 8 hours on low.
- Remove roast and veggies to platter to serve.
Be sure and check out the motivational quote at the bottom of this post…. 😉Â
Yum 
I’m sure this is very good!!! I will have to try it someday.
We used to have a Dalmatian and she loved raw carrots and cooked okra, as well as other kinds of people food.
I wonder if it is a big dog thing or if my littles just really hate veggies 😉
Our dog trainer said it was good to use carrots for dog behavior training-it is easy to digest and easy on their tummies. Our 5 lb teacup poodle grand-dog loves them and knows the bag when I get it out. We also have a Yorkie, a Springer Spaniel, and a mini pincher/jack Russell mix who love them as well but our Catahoula grand-dog is like your “Sweetie and Pick” and looks so dejected when he finds out the “treat” is carrots!
LOL, Isnt it funny to see their face when they realize? Pitiful, but funny.
My 2 little ones like raw carrots also.
🙂 We must have done something right along the way Pat!!
Hi Christy! This roast sounds amazing! I’m going to have to buy myself a new slow cooker and try this recipe. My slow cooker died a while back, after many years of faithful service, and I took a leap of faith and bought one of those instant pots everyone raves about. Big mistake, the darn thing will not work as a slow cooker, even though it claims it will. I’ve seen many complaints about this (after I bought one of course). I know you’ve said you have several different slow cookers, which is your favorite?
Anyway, I can’t wait to try this roast. I love the quote, and ain’t it the truth!
Blessings to you and yours!
Hey Lisa!
I have a few Hamilton Beach 6 quart slow cookers and have had them for YEARS with no issues at all. They cook perfectly every time. You can pick one up at Wal Mart for about $30, sometimes even cheaper. Of course, if you want bells and whistles they have all sorts of models but I tend to go back to my run of the mill one and never have a complaint 🙂 I hope you get a new one soon and thanks for visiting with me! 🙂 heehee, that quote! yup!
I especially enjoy roast beef in the slow cooker as well as split pea soup. If any of you are near an Aldi’s, you can sometimes pick them up for $19, a 7 quart size! I always keep a spare in the cupboard so I don’t have to spend a lot more more if my slow cooker dies.
Thanks for the tip Cyndy!!
I also have a Hamilton Beach slow cooker, the one with the travel lid. I bought it in 2006 I think. Definitely the best $28 I’ve ever spent.
Can’t wait to try this roast recipe as well!
We have a 7 lb Yorkie who adores raw carrots.
It’s so funny hearing her crunch on them.
I bet she is a doll!!!
My weirdo husky/lab/Heinz 57, Wilbur, hates raw carrots. But he absolutely loves cooked carrots and canned green beans. The boy goes nuts when I say green beans or carrots.
A question about the roast – Why the vinegar? Does it leave a vinegary taste?
I should have explained that! The vinegar helps further tenderize the meat. There isn’t a vinegar taste though. 🙂
i have a very lazy pot roast recipe. i use one can cream of mushroom soup, one can of water, and an envelope of Lipton onion soup mix. Mix, dump over the roast and veg, and let ‘er rip! I do use Lipton’s because I’ve had bad luck with the store brands.
HI Christy I love pot roast and this sounds like it would be good.I sort of wondered about the vinegar too does it affect the taste?I never had a dog that liked carrots I don’t think my son had a cocker spaniel thatl loved green beans and pinto beans a pizza.we also had a cat named Buddy and he like veggies too so when my son would vixit with Blitzen the cocker spaniel he and bujddy would sit and wait for handouts of veggies.I loved the quote at the bottome I amgoing to print it out.have a blessed night.ms Pat McCurry York s.c.
You won’t even know the vinegar is in there Patricia!!
This Pot Roast recipe sounds delicious. I’m going to have to get me a chuck roast and try this recipe.
I hope you get the chance to try it soon Cindy!!!
I’m surprised that there are no onions in the pot roast, but I am going to try it your way. Speaking of carrots, my dogs are overweight and I’ve been cooking 7-8 pounds of chopped up carrots at a time (they are always really cheap at Aldi) , then freeze them in plastic cups at abought 4 cups per container. I keep a thawed container in the refrigerator and mix some with their food when I feed them and give them a little less dog food. They are loosing a little weight thank goodness. They will NOT eat them raw either. Animals are funny aren’t they? But we all love them like family.
Alas, I love onions but my family doesn’t.
I can’t imagine life without a good dog. I’d be cooking for them, too! Lol. They give us so much love.
Edited: my original post said cooking them instead of cooking FOR them! I love dogs and am horrified. I will go peel carrots now.
I’m gonna,try this for dinner. Your recipes have never let me down and I’m gonna keep on making them!!
Thank you so much Robert!! I hope you enjoy this one!!
This looks so good. I love how you can cook everything together and save time and dishes.I did have a quick question I was wondering though do you think using a pork roast and pork gravy would work instead of beef? Thank you for any help in advance.
I can’t see why not!! Let me know if you try it, would love to hear how it turns out!!!
Thank you Christy I will let you know 🙂
This pot roast sounds delicious. I do a turkey breast somewhat similar. Use 1 cup vinegar mixed with the gravy packet that usually comes with a turkey breast or use canned turkey gravy. Pour over turkey breast placed in slow cooker and cook for about 6-8 hours on low. When you take it out let it cool some. The vinegar changes the taste and texture of the turkey. No vinegary taste at all. Tastes like pork. I then shred for BBQ or make brunswick stew or just use for sandwiches. We don’t like turkey at all and this makes a healthier version for BBQ.
Going to try soon your pot roast!!
Our two dogs love vegetables. Their teeth are a bit too bad to have them raw any more, though. I am going to qualify by saying our Dachshund will eat anything….he snagged a tiny piece of a Thai pepper that I dropped and that is basically the only thing I’ve ever seen him spit back out. They will go crazy for cauliflower, and they are pretty happy with broccoli, cucumber, apples are a fave, carrots, sweet potato, squash, banana -although our cockapoo sometimes needs the Dash to have his piece first as a motivator. We try to limit fruit because of the sugar, but veggies are fair game. When we feed our rabbits, the dogs are there mooching….when we feed the fish, the cat shows up (he’s a big, big fan of fish food).
Oh my goodness, I bet I would have spit the pepper out as well :-). Those things are HOT!
I love God’s timing of things and how we can see him even in the little things! I was fixin’ to make a pot roast for my dad and brother’s birthday this Friday and was going to use the typical cream of mushroom soup and French onion soup mix recipe that we have used for 40+ years. However, last night as I was mentally compiling my shopping list in lieu of counting sheep, I thought how nice it would be to have a special, fresh, & new recipe for a rather ordinary meal. Then I came to my e-mail and opened up your newsletter to find your recipe awaiting me!! I was so tickled, also, to see that particular gravy brand you use as this is the only one my dad likes, it reminds him of the gravy his mother used to make back in the 40’s!! Thanks, Christy, for being part of a “God Wink” for me! He makes us feel so special when he does little things like this, both for the recipient and for the one he works through! Blessings to you and thanks again!!
Oh my goodness, this just made my day!! I love God Winks and am now looking forward to Friday and hearing how y’alls celebration goes!!!
Hey Christy, could this be done in a pressure cooker. I treated myself to an 8qt. Instant Pot pressure cooker and really love it. I think I can use this in it but, may need to add abit more liquid.
Thanks, Bill
It sure could!
Throw in some fresh or frozen green peas or green beans for a few minutes at the end- looks pretty with the green and tastes great. We love some of those little tiny pearl onions (Birds Eye frozen) for the last half hour or so, too. Seems kind of fancy!
Thanks for sharing Jenny, great ideas!
My guide dog, who is an English lab, loves carrots and knows just what your zoe dog knows. She also loves apple too.
Oh my goodness, I had to look up what an English Lab looks like. Gorgeous dogs!!!
I just made this recipe yesterday and it was delicious and so very easy. This will be my go to recipe for now on when I’m craving roast.
I am so glad to hear you liked it!!!
I made this recipe and it is wonderful. Even the carrots ad potatoes have the best flavor. My husband loved it, too and I shared some with my brother and he said it was yummy and so tender. He said that is a keeper recipe and I agree.
I am so glad to hear it was a hit!! Thank you so much for giving it a try!!
Just threw this in the crock pot with pork and pork gravy I will let you know tonight how it is.
We made this a month ago but couldnt try it since our old crock pot decided to die with this meal in it.