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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! 🙂
You said “Make this, take a photo and then SHOW ME your answer!! Mmm, k?!? Cool, I can’t wait! ?” but where do we put the photo?
I’m curious how you’d adjust this if cooking in a crockpot? Looks so delicious! Thanks!
Hey Julie,
I would cook on low for 6-8 hours in the crockpot. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hello— wanting to make this in the spring and I can’t find frozen cranberries. Any suggestions for a substitute? Thank you
Hey Julie,
Fresh or frozen cranberries will work, you could also use pitted cherries. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you make this recipe using a sirloin tip roast??
Hey Emma,
I haven’t tested this, but I think it would work well for you. I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! My family and friends loved this recipe! I was wondering if you’ve made this and reheated it? I wanted to make it and then bring it right over to my in-law’s house about an hour away, but wanted to make sure it would hold up well.
Hey Katie,
That would be totally fine to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Thank you for the Awesome Recipe!! My Daughter and I chose to fix this for our Christmas dinner this Christmas!! We chose a couple of our family recipe side dishes. It was refreshing and exciting to try a New Dish! Everyone enjoyed & didn’t have leftovers!!
Hey Tonya,
I am so glad that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Can I make this in the crockpot? Any different directions?
Hey Patty,
I would do this for 6-8 hours on low. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious. I wasn’t sure about the cranberries, but it added a fresh twist to pot roast. Really great recipe! Thank you!
Hey Cheri,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan
I made this for me and my husband on Christmas Eve and it turned out fantastic!! We both really loved how the cranberries and honey cut the rich savoriness of the pot roast. I threw in half the cranberries and all the carrots (whole) in the beginning. I ended up taking out the carrots after 2 hours of cooking because I was worried they break apart if cooked further. The last hour I put in the rest of the cranberries and then the last 20 minutes I threw the cooked carrots back in to warm up. I served it over mashed potatoes with greenbeans on the side.
I will definitely be making this again! I really enjoy the way you write your recipes, Teighan….simple and straightforward with room to customize. I think this is the first of your’s I’ve made, but I’ll definitely be seeking out more now!!
Thanks for a great holiday meal!
Hey Kate,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I loved the flavor the cranberries brought to this roast! I did a 3ish lb roast and since I don’t have a Dutch oven I seared the meat and then did an hour on high in the crock pot followed by 6 hrs on low and it was perfect! So easy and very yummy.
Hey Sarah,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This will be my third Christmas making this recipe! It’s delicious, simple, and fills the house with the most wonderful smell! I always serve it over mashed potatoes so I leave out the baby potatoes. I also leave out the mushrooms because no one in my family likes them but me. Thanks!
Hey Cassie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Can you provide instructions for if you would like to use a crockpot instead? Thank you!! Exited to try it and love your recipes.
Hey Christine,
I would cook on low for 6-8 hours in the slow cooker. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
So I have been in the habit of coating the roast in real horseradish – it helps break down the meat in the slow cooker- do you think I could try this in a slow cooker with the horseradish? And keep the recipe otherwise?
Hey Casey,
Sure, I think that would work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This looks amazing!! We don’t like mushrooms what do you recommend adding in place for those?
Hey Bernadette,
You can just skip the mushrooms:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi there! Will this recipe fit in a 4-quart dutch oven? If not, how should I modify to make sure it works – thanks!
Hey Grace,
It should fit! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan