Cranberry Pot Roast
The ingredients sound strange, but everyone I've made it for begs for the recipe because they can't get enough of it. My family and I are super picky eaters and we absolutely love this dish plus it's super easy!
The ingredients sound strange, but everyone I've made it for begs for the recipe because they can't get enough of it. My family and I are super picky eaters and we absolutely love this dish plus it's super easy!
- Carbohydrate 54.781075 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 14.204275 g
- Fiber 1.76349999070168 g
- Protein 1.193925 g
- Saturated Fat 1.7882375 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (493g)
- Sodium 1076.7525 mg
- Sugar 53.0175750092983 g
- Trans Fat 3.0892 g
- Calories 340 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.
- Cook on low for eight hours.
- Serve over mashed potatoes.
Deep crimson juices pool thickly around shredded beef, releasing a pungent aroma of tart fruit and dehydrated onion powder. Skepticism is entirely rational when combining French dressing with canned cranberry sauce and a beef roast. The resulting braising liquid relies heavily on the sugar content of the fruit and the emulsified oil and vinegar in the dressing to break down connective tissue over eight hours on low heat. Beef chuck roast works best here because its abundant collagen melts during extended simmering. Leaner cuts like top round will dry out entirely over eight hours in an acidic liquid. Adjusting this dish for different dietary needs is straightforward. Swapping the beef for a firm root vegetable like rutabaga requires cutting the cooking time down to six hours.
Equipment Setup and Heat Management
A standard six-quart slow cooker is mandatory for this three-pound roast and liquid volume. Lid seals must remain closed for the first six hours to maintain internal steam pressure. Opening the ceramic insert drops the ambient temperature by roughly 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, adding significant recovery time. Ceramic inserts retain heat unevenly if placed directly on gas burners without a diffuser.
- Stir the onion soup mix thoroughly into the liquid before sealing the unit to prevent dry pockets of seasoning from scorching against the heating element.
- Line the ceramic insert with a slow cooker bag rated for temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to simplify cleanup of sticky caramelized sugars.
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours in an airtight glass container for up to four days.
