Easy Pot Roast

 I must say, that sometimes, I feel I bit guilty about being a stay at home mom, mostly when it´s cold outside, and I send everyone out the door in the early chilly morning. The kids go off to school, and Mr. G off to work, and Luna and I get to hang out in a toasty, warm home and wait for them to come back. We are a couple of weeks shy of winter, but they leave when it's dark, & arrive when it´s dark at the end of the day. Now we, in fact do not get snow, we might get the odd hail storm, but it does get chilly for us. So when they do come home, I want them to eat something warm and comforting. Pot roast is one of those comfort meals I  love to make for them. It is really easy to make, do not be scared, aside from browning the meat, everything else just goes into the pot. It´s also a one pot meal, and you know you can´t beat that, little to no clean-up. It just needs time, to bubble away in the oven, while the super delicious smell of the roast wafts through your home.  It's easy peasy I promise, if you like, make some mashed potatoes for a side dish, I like make  polenta, ohhh and use a red wine you like, some for you.... some for the roast, it will make all the difference!

2 tablespoons vegetable oil ( I used oil oil)
1 5-pound beef chuck roast (2.5 kilos)
Salt and pepper
2 cups beef stock ( I added 3 cups)
1/2 cup red wine ( I used 1 cup)
3 onions, cut into large wedges
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 dried bay leaves ( or more)
1 teaspoon dried thyme ( I used 2 springs)
2 tablespoons tomato paste ( I used 1 cup tomato sauce)
2 pounds carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks ( 1 kilo)
2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks ( 1 kilo)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to  180//350 degrees. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place in pan, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Turn meat fat side up. Add stock, wine, if using, onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir in tomato paste. Bring to a simmer, cover; put in the oven, and roast for 3 hours. Add carrots and potatoes, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 1 hour more.
Transfer the roast, carrots, and potatoes to a platter. With a spoon, skim the fat off the surface of the cooking liquid. Cut the roast into thick slices, and serve with the vegetables. Pass the pan juices separately.


**Or just serve in the pot, at the table... that's how I do it !
**Browning the meat makes the whole dish tastier and gives the pan juices a deep brown color.
**any roasting pan/ pot that can go in the oven will work if you don´t have a dutch oven
adapted from here