Mariner's Cookbook Ad-Hoc Pot Roast of Beef

Ad-Hoc Pot Roast of Beef

Apr 12, 2026

by Mariner

Sometimes we get in a rut with our eating habits. Lately it seems like we're always eating pork in some form or another. We've even neglected our favorite chicken recipes for far too long. Today we decided it was time to do something with beef, other than hamburgers, because we had found a nice piece of chuck roast in our freezer, just begging to be cooked.

We didn't really use a recipe for this one; basically we just added a bunch of stuff to a crock pot, turned it on, and let it cook for about 4 hours. It turned out surprisingly well. Here's what you need to do if you want to duplicate our success!

Suggested Equipment:

Slow cooker (crock pot), 4 or 5 quart capacity
Knife, vegetable peeler, and cutting board
Common kitchen tools and measures

Ingredients:

This is not actually measured. Just use the shaker package and apply as directed in the recipe.

Feel free to substitute your preferred salt-free seasoning mix.

If you are on a salt-restricted diet, you can substitute any of the common brands of salt replacements.

If you don't happen to have ready-made beef broth on hand, bouillon cubes in hot water work just fine.
1½ - 2	lb	Beef, chuck roast or similar cut
3 - 4	ea	Carrot, medium
12	oz	Potato, bite-size any color, cleaned
2	ea	Celery, trimmed whole stalk
½	cup	Bell Pepper, variegated, chopped
½ - 1	ea	Onion, sweet red, small
12	oz	Broccoli florets
1	ea	Mushrooms, small can
2	Tbs¹	Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning Blend²
1	Tbs¹	Common salt³
2	cup	Beef broth⁴

Directions:

Wash and dry the celery stalks as necessary, then cut into chunks of length 1 inch or smaller. Place the chunks in the bottom of the slow cooker and turn it on "high".
Open the package of chuck roast, drain any liquid, and rinse under cold water. Dry with a paper towel. Generously sprinkle all exposed surfaces with salt and Mrs. Dash or other seasoning mix. Place the roast in the slow cooker, on top of the celery.
Drain the mushrooms and add them, along with the chopped Bell peppers, to the cooker, distributing them evenly .
Peel carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces, and add to the cooker, distributing them more or less evenly.
Add potatoes, distributing evenly. Add the onion, placing it in the center of the mass of potatoes.
Add the broccoli florets, and one more time, distribute evenly.
Add the broth, being careful not to disturb the layers of vegetables.
Cover and allow to cook up to four hours until the broccoli florets are tender, turning the temperature selector to "low" when the liquid reaches boiling.

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This makes for a massive main meal for 4 people, or 2 meals for 2 people. Tastes great, and doesn't require a lot of babysitting. When it's done, simply fish out the solids with a slotted spoon. If you want the broth, use a ladle, and portion into cups or bowls (we like to use pasta bowls for the whole thing!).

Very good, especially for something we didn't research before trying.

Catagories: Beef, Stews, Pot Roast