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It’s almost as though I can feel November in the air.
Wait, I literally can! Do you guys know how cold it is here? COLD.
But I promise, I am not talking about the weather today. Cause um, we have a cranberry pot roast to talk about!! Sounds so good, right? Like what meat-eater is not a fan of pot roast? My mom always made pot roast on Sunday or Monday nights throughout the fall. Pot roast was another one of “her” meals and probably one of her favorites to eat too.
Mom’s pot roast recipe was very retro. Think add a can of this, another can of that, some broth, some beef and throw it in the oven. Key word here: can. I’m not majorly opposed to canned food (sometimes convenience rules), but typically I try to omit the cans of soup with a mega list of ingredients and low nutritional value whenever possible, because… I will not lie, they creep me out just a bit.
Watch the How-To Video Here:
Cranberry Pot Roast from Half Baked Harvest on Vimeo.
But don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for them. Hello cheesy potatoes…you just are not the same without that can of cream of chicken. <–Truth.
Anyway, my pot roast recipe is clearly a little different from mom’s. For one, no canned goods. Two, and most importantly, the cranberries!
Guys, don’t be freaked. I promise, this combo isn’t weird, just good. Really good!
Beef and cranberries are like two peas and a pod. They just work together, especially when slowly cooked all day. The cranberries add SO much flavor, but they are not overpowering in any way. It’s kind of hard to describe, but I just know you guys will love it. I also added a bit of balsamic to really play up the cranberries and honey and balance them out. Think of it like cranberry sauce, but with red wine, thyme and then served with beef as opposed to turkey.
The pot roast is just slightly sweet, but mostly savory. You see, cranberries can be used for things other than the once of year batch of cranberry sauce!! I was actually just saying that cranberries are good with so many things, it’s kind of a bummer their season is so short! Oh well, it just makes me all the more excited for them when this time of year rolls around again!
Of course, there are also all the other typical pot roast ingredients: the chuck roast, onions, carrots, thyme, a little red wine, some mushrooms, potatoes… the works.
SIDE NOTE: As a kid I never had any interest in the beef. I did love pot roast, but I swear, it was solely because of the carrots. Mom would always add extra carrots just for me, because I honestly only ate the carrots. I love how they get all caramelized and delicious in the sauce. I know, weird, but carrots in pot roast are my favorite!
Okay, so you may have noticed that I served this pot roast with not only mashed potatoes, but with egg noodles as well. I just could not decide which way to go and neither could the fam. I put a call out on our Group Me message board to the cuz’s and the sibs, but got equal amounts of masher lovers to noodles lovers. The decision… the struggle was REAL!
So I just gave in and went with both. I personally think mashers go best with pot roast, but my mom strongly disagrees. She is a noodle girl all the way. To each their own I guess!
And now I must mention how easy this meal is. I know that pot roast is generally an easy meal, but I myself haven’t made that many, so I’m always kind of in awe when I do.
Just use one-pot, sear the veggies, sear the meat and then add in all the remaining ingredients and slow cook away. Depending on the size roast you have it should take around 3-4 hours. Once the meat is tender and falling apart, it’s done! You don’t even need to cut the meat, it just pulls right apart making serving this right out of the pot easy-peasy. Which is nice cause that means less dishes to wash. YES!
And finally, I have to say that this is the PERFECT easy meal to get you through the busy month of November. I know that November is all about Turkey Day, but we still have to eat during the 25 days leading up to Thanksgiving. This is your meal for one of those busy days! Feed it to your family, feed it to your holiday guests and then devour the leftovers for lunch….YUM.
Serious question for the day: Are you a buttered noodles or a mashers person when it comes to what to pair with your pot roast?!
Cranberry Pot Roast.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 484 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 (4-5) pound chuck roast
- salt + pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion quartered
- 6 carrots, chopped
- 12 ounces baby potatoes (optional I would omit if serving with mashed potatoes)
- 1 cup red wine or another cup beef broth
- 2-3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons honey
- mashed potatoes or egg noodles for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
- Season the chuck roast liberally with salt + pepper all over.
- Heat a large dutch oven, over high heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, carrots and potatoes (if using) and cook, stirring once or twice until the veggies are just slightly browned on the edges, about 5 minutes. Do not leave the veggies in there too long, you don't want them to become soft. Remove the veggies to a plate.
- Add another drizzle of oil and once hot, add the chuck roast and sear all over, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chuck roast from the pan.
- Carefully pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits off the bottom. Remove from the heat.
- Add the meat back to the pan and cover with 2-3 cups of beef broth, the worcestershire sauce and the balsamic. Throw in the mushrooms + browned veggies, thyme, rosemary, cranberries + honey. If the liquid is not covering the meat at least half way, add more until it is.
- Cover the pan and place in the oven. Roast for 3-4 hours or until the roast is cooked to your liking. Serve over mashed potatoes or eggs noodles.
Make this, take a photo and then SHOW ME your answer!! Mmm, k?!? Cool, I can’t wait! 🙂
Ok, so I recommend AGAINST using a slow cooker for this. The recipe is great, but the slow cooker just doesn’t brown anything, or reduce the liquid at all, & the cranberries pretty much floated on top, & were their usual TART selves when bit into. This needs an OVEN. Very tasty though otherwise. Served up with noodles.
Hey Robin,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear the oven version turned out well for you! xT
Can’t find fresh cranberries anywhere! What about using canned whole cranberry sauce? Just cut the quantity? Or do you have another recommendation?
Made this last year and it was amazing so trying to make it for New Years!! Thanks!
Hi Amber,
I would use frozen cranberries, I think that would work best for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I have 2 2.25lb roasts – would I stick to the same timeframe for cooking?
Hey Misty,
Yes, that should work well for you! Let me know how this dish turns out, I hope you love it! xx
Made this with 1.5 lbs of beef Chuck. I stuck it in the oven for two hours (about half the time suggested) and the meat wasn’t falling off the bone. Any suggestions for next time? Did I Mot cook it in the Dutch oven long enough?
Hi Samantha,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear you had some issues! Did you use bone in? If so, it’s definitely going to take longer to cook. So sorry! xT
Going to make for Christmas with 2 bone in 2.5 lb chucks, how long would you cook in oven for? Thank you!!
Hey Caroline,
You can follow the recipe as written:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this turns out well for you! xT
I have two 4 lb roasts but I don’t think they will fit in one Dutch oven pot. Can I put two Dutch oven pots in the oven to cook at the same time and, how long do I cook them?
Hey Ronnie,
Sure, that will work well for you! I would do at least 4-5 hours in the oven. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi there- can I just double this recipe to make a 10 lb roast and can I cook in one Dutch oven or should I do two? Also need to transport this for an hour long drive – how should I do that?
Hey Lauren,
Sure, just be sure your pot is large enough, you may just want to use 2 pots. I would cover your pots and then pop in the oven on low to keep warm. I hope you love this recipe! xx
So delicious! I cooked a 1.5 lb roast (1/2 recipe) in the Crockpot on low for 6-6.5 hours. I did whole mushrooms instead of sliced so they wouldn’t get too mushy. I seared the meat and browned the veggies first – definitely only cook the veggies for 3-4 minutes for cooking them that long in the crockpot. For a healthier alternative you could do mashed/whipped parsnips instead of potatoes or noodles.
Following these modifcations it turned out amazing – fell apart when I served it up! 5/5 would make this again and share the recipe with friends and family!
Hey Hannah,
Happy Friday!!❄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx
Looks delicious, could I make it in a instant pot ?
Hey Mary,
Sure, that should work for you, I would cook for 50 minutes on high pressure:) I hope you love the dish! x
Just made this for dinner, and loved it. My lovely fiancé made a delicious gravy with the cooking liquid. Extra carrots are a great idea. Tender. My child really enjoyed this.
Very easy, very tasty. Would make again.
Hey James,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review:)
Will this work with wild Colorado elk meat?
Hi Zach,
Sure, I bet that would be yummy! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Hi! If I don’t face a Dutch oven, is there an alternative way I could braise the meat and vegetables? Thank you; looking forward to making this!
Hey Sarah,
Any large oven safe pot will work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Can I make this recipe in a crock pot?
Hey Kristina,
Totally, I would cook on low for 6-8 hours. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Thanks for your response!! 😀 I would put the red wine, broth etc in the crockpot the entire 6-8 hours?
Correct:)
Made this and was DELICIOUS!!! Could not find cranberries anywhere so I didn’t use them but still was so so good!
Hey Kristina,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for trying it out! Have a great weekend! xx
If I were to thaw and use frozen cranberries, do you think it would fare well? Trying to use up some freezer goodies first!
Hey there,
Totally, that would work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT