Crock pot roast

There really is nothing better than coming home to a house full of the wonderful aroma from a roast (well, maybe not nothing).  It is one of my all time favorite meals, and it is so simple and delicious!  Here's how I make it.

You will need:
Crockpot
Beef roast (you can substitute a pork, turkey, or chicken roast)
Carrots
Onions
Celery - optional
Potatoes
Salt
Pepper (I use a seasoned pepper blend by McCormick - but it is quickly running out and I can't find more anywhere!)
Onion Powder - optional
Cornstarch (for gravy)

All you have to do is cut up the vegetable into chunks, size is up to you (I like to leave my onion chunks together rather than breaking them up - it makes them easier to find and enjoy later).  If you are short on cooking time, smaller chunks are better - they'll soften up quicker.

Next, place some veggies into the bottom of your crockpot, add meat, sprinkle meat with seasonings (salt, pepper, onion powder, and whatever else you feel like).  Finish adding your veggies around and on top of the roast.  Now pour in some water.  The amount of water you use is really based on preference, I usually like to cover all of my vegetables to make sure they all cook up nicely (usually I place my meat so it is still poking through the top of the vegetables and water).

Sprinkle the top of your veggies/roast with more seasoning, then let that baby (that just sounds bad) cook as long as possible!  Use the lowest setting and just leave it be.  I have one crock pot that has a timer and another that just has a low/high setting.  For the timer, I usually use the 8 hour, though 10 is best; for the other one I use the lowest setting and let it cook for at least 8 hours.  If you go for a shorter cooking time, it will still taste good, but won't be nearly as tender.

Ok, you've waited and waited and finally the time has come to enjoy your roast.  But I don't feel a roast is truly complete without GRAVY!  It is so simple to make and oh so good poured over your entire plate.  First, ladle out some of the liquid (I guess you could call it "stock") from your roast (as much or as little as you want).  If you don't have enough, get as much as possible from your roast, then just add some water.  You can add in more seasonings here (I usually add at least a little salt and pepper).  Place the liquid in a pan and heat it until it boils.

Now for the fun.  Get out the cornstarch, place a spoonful or two in a cup.  Add in about the same amount of COLD water.  Stir until everything is a nice smooth milky looking liquid.  Get a whisk and start whisking away on your boiling pot of stock.  Slowly add in the cornstarch mixer while continuing to whisk.  Once you have added and mixed in all of the cornstarch mixer, stop whisking and wait about 30 seconds to see how thick your gravy gets.
*If it is still too runny, just repeat the steps with the cornstarch (you can try adding less water to the cornstarch - but be careful, if you use too little water, when the cornstarch hits the stock it might just ball up and you'll have little white chunks floating around).
*If you discover your gravy is too thick, you can try adding in some plain water.
*This works for each kind of meat, but I don't think I would want to taste pork gravy...

Now, place your meat and veggies on your plate, smother with gravy, and enjoy!

*Yes, I did finish everything on my plate, and I believe I went back for more...

Leftovers are great reheated on their own, or add some barbecue sauce to your meat and have bbq sandwiches.