Pot Roast in Savory Cheese Sauce
Submitted by digger
Pot roast in savory cheese sauce made with beef chuck braised in cream of cheddar soup, tomato sauce, mushrooms, and Italian herbs. Fork-tender and rich with cheesy gravy.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
4 hrsREADY
4 hrsThis pot roast takes a different turn from the classic. Instead of the usual onion soup or beef broth braising liquid, the sauce here is built on cream of cheddar soup mixed with tomato sauce, sliced mushrooms, oregano, and basil. It sounds unconventional, but after hours of low, slow simmering, that cheddar soup melts into a velvety, savory gravy that clings to every slice.
Brown the chuck roast hard on all sides first. That sear isn’t just for color; it builds a fond on the bottom of the Dutch oven that dissolves into the sauce as everything braises. The onions go in next, cooking in those drippings until soft, then the sauce ingredients pile on top.
Three to three and a half hours of covered simmering turns that tough chuck into something you can pull apart with a fork. Turn the roast once halfway through so both sides get equal time submerged.
Kitchen Tips
- Skim the fat from the surface before making the gravy. Chuck renders a lot of fat during a long braise, and leaving it in will make the sauce greasy instead of rich.
- If the sauce is too thin after braising, pull the meat out and thicken with a flour-water slurry. Add it slowly while stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
- Let the roast rest for 10 minutes on a platter before slicing. This lets the fibers relax and the slices hold together better.
- A Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid is a must. Steam escaping means less liquid in the pot and tougher meat.
Variations
- Swap cream of cheddar for cream of mushroom soup and add extra sliced mushrooms for a double-mushroom version.
- Stir in a splash of Worcestershire sauce with the tomato sauce for deeper, more complex savory flavor.
- Add quartered potatoes and carrots in the last hour of cooking for a complete one-pot Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
Directions
In a Dutch oven, or large pan with a tight-fitting cover, brown meat in fat. Season with salt and pepper and remove from pan. Pour off fat drippings.
Cook onion in drippings remaining in pan until soft but not browned; stir often.
Add soup, tomato suace, mushrooms, oregano, and basil; mix well.
Return meat to pan. Cover and simmer for 3 to 3½ hours or until done. (Or cook in a 325F oven for same amount of time.) Turn meat once to cook it evenly throughout. Skim off excess fat.
If sauce is too thin, remove meat to a platter and keep warm. Mix 2 tablespoosn flour in ⅓ cup cold water. Add mixture slowly to sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Taste sauce and correct seasoning, if necessary, with salt and pepper.
If sauce needs only a little thickening, remove meat, skim off excess fat, and simmer, uncovered, for a few 7. Slice meat and serve with gravy. Forzen beef chuck arm pot rasts and beef chuck blade roasts may be browned under the broiler. Place meat on boiler pan rack, then place pan in center of oven. Brown to one side, about 10 minutes. Turn meat and brown other side, about 8 to 10 minutes. Meat should be completely thawed after browning.
Comments
