Crock pot cooking help please
 

I want to make a beef or pork roast in my crock pot and here is the recipe I want to use:

Ingredients
3-4 lbs beef roast (or for that matter Pork roast)
1 (2 ounce) envelope onion soup mix
salt and pepper
2 cups water

Directions
1 Put roast in crock pot and empty soup mix on the top of the meat.
2 Add the water.
3 Cook on low for about 6 hours.
4 The soup acts as a meat tenderizer.
5 Very good roast and makes excellent gravy.


Some users on the site I got this from said they added potatoes and carrots and that sort of thing, but I am curious how to go about this. Do I just put them in there and then put the roast on top and cook that way or do I need to add them later?

Thanks!

I put my veggies in at the same time as the meat, but I like mushy veggies. :)

Here's a twist on your recipe:

3-4 pound lean roast
1 large onion
seasoning to taste (I use Cajun Seasoning)
1/2 cup water

Add all to crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred meat and serve on crusty rolls. Yum!

Thanks!!!! I may try your twist on the recipe...

Yup. If you put them in on top of hte roast, they cook a little slower. If they cook underneath the roast (closer to the heat source) they cook a litlte faster and absorb more meat juice. So it just depends - if you want firmer veggies with the meat juice underneath, or if you want your veggies more cooked and softer, soaking up more juice.

I do some of each, actually, so that I can have variety. :)

.

Thanks photochick, I think I will do some of both so I can decide what I like better. Now I'm hungry. =)

If I put veggies in with that recipe I always add them at the same time.

I use the onion soup mix recipe, but I add garlic, steak seasoning mix (weber's is a great one.)and horseradish to the water and then pour it over the meat and cook on low about 6 hours. It is one of my husbands favorite meals. It also works well with boneless chuck ribs instead of a roast.:)

I just throw mine in all at once, I just did this last week and it all came out soooo yummy.

I made it and put the potatoes and carrots in at the same time, it all worked well, the meat was alittle tought but I think it may have been the cut... not sure what cut it was though.

I put in a lot of veggies, usually on the bottom, and then a can of beef broth or water and bouillon and put roast on top and I'll cook it on low for 10 hours or more. The longer it cooks, the mushier the veggies get, and the more tender the meat gets (until it falls apart), but I think the flavor compensates for the loss in texture. So sometimes I'll start a roast late at night, just before going to bed (we're nightowls so that's usually around midnight or later) and then by noon it's ready for lunch (with the veggies still fairly firm) and then just keep the crockpot on until suppertime (where the meat and veggies are softer and more stewlike).

We laugh that it's like the stewpot over the fireplace in the middle ages, "peas porridge in the pot, nine days old." Though we've never had a crockpot going more than 24 hours (but a couple times, we've come close).

I prefer to add everything in at once and let it all cook up. So tasty!