For Flavor-Packed Beef Pot Roast, All You Need Is 3 Seasoning Packets

A long and slowly cooked pot roast is one of the ultimate comfort foods. It's perfect for a cold, winter evening, sitting by the fire, with a glass of a nice cabernet in hand. But while a delicious pot roast usually takes time to cook, it's actually quite simple to make. All you really need is the beef itself — preferably a boneless rump (the best cut of beef for pot roast according to Julia Child) or chuck roast — as well as just a few other ingredients.

For just a simple but flavorful pot roast, those few other ingredients come down to beef broth and three seasoning packets — ranch, Italian, and dry brown gravy. That's truly it. You simply whisk the seasoning packets into the broth and pour it over the roast as it sits in a slow cooker. Let it cook for about eight hours on low or four to five hours on high. It's really that easy. You might also consider mixing up the flavors with beefy onion or herb and garlic seasoning packets.

Now, if that seems a little too basic, we get it. What about all those delicious vegetables, herbs, and other ingredients that typically are included in a pot roast? Well, you can still add them in while keeping things simple with the seasoning packets.

Of course, most pot roast recipes include some tasty root vegetables — and that's where we'll start. Think about carrots, celery, parsnips, and potatoes, which can all be added to this three-packet pot roast. You might also want to include a yellow onion, some leeks, and definitely fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. A cup of red wine or so is another hearty addition to the beef broth. Be sure to sear the meat before adding it to the slow cooker to give it a nice, brown crust that will produce even more flavor. These are just a few of many tips you need to know when making a delicious pot roast.

As for sides, all you really want is something that complements the chunks of meat, vegetables, delicious broth, and all those pot roast seasonings. The obvious choice is some creamy mashed potatoes, which is the perfect bed to place the roast on. You could also use polenta, rice, or even egg noodles. Serve everything alongside a light salad with buttery dinner rolls and you've got one heckuva meal.

The great thing about pot roast is you can make it as simple or as complex as you want. Just a few seasoning packets will create a tremendous amount of flavor, but all of the other steps we've explained will make your pot roast even more of a hit — whether you're serving a small family or a larger dinner party.