Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast

This Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast simmers low and slow in a rich, tomato-based sauce with tender carrots. It’s a rustic, comforting meal – perfect for a cold day!

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Hi guys. I’ve got something real special for you today. Every time I make this Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast I’m just floored out how delicious it is. If you’ve got a slow cooker in your kitchen, this is a must try recipe!

It starts with a lean top round roast and roughly chopped carrots that cook low and slow in a mixture of delicious but simple ingredients. One of the things I love most about this recipe is the sauce that is created as the roast cooks in your slow cooker throughout the day. It is ready to serve with no thickening and no skimming of fat. It’s luscious and it is delicious!

While we love our Dutch Oven Pot Roast and Instant Pot Pot Roast, this is a pot roast with a nod to Italian flavors including a tomato-based sauce and an assortment of dried herbs.

Ingredient Notes

• Beef roast: I recommend that you use a boneless top round beef roast in the 2 ½- to 4-pound range, depending on how may you are serving. Count on about ½ pound of beef per person. So, a 3 pound roast will be enough to serve 6 adults. Go bigger if you’d like leftovers. See more about this cut below.
• Canned tomato products: A can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and a tomato sauce.
• Fresh produce: Diced white or yellow onion, a couple of ribs of celery, diced, a few carrots cut into chunks, and minced garlic.
• Broth: I use Reduced Sodium Better Than Bouillon to mix up the exact amount of beef broth I need.
• Seasoning: Dried spices pack more of a punch than fresh and hold up far better in slow cooker recipes than fresh. You’ll need rosemary, thyme, basil, a bay leaf, and a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Flavor boosters: Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and a little red wine add big flavor to the sauce. For the best result, use a medium to full-bodied wine, like Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon. And, remember, if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it.

How to Make Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast

1. Season the roast with salt and pepper and sear it in olive oil until nicely browned. Remove from heat and Transfer the browned roast to a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Return the skillet to heat and saute the onion, celery, and minced garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan.
3. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker with the roast.
4. Scatter the carrots over the top and pour the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce around the roast. Whisk together the beef broth, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a measuring cup or small bowl. Pour the mixture around the roast. Sprinkle rosemary, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper over the roast and tuck a bay leaf into the sauce mixture. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 9 hours or on for High for 6 to 7 hours.

Serving Suggestions

Once the roast is fork tender, there a are a couple of different options for serving it.

• Transfer the roast it to a cutting board and slice against the grain or use two forks to pull it apart. Place it on a serving dish with the carrots and garnish with a little parsley. Transfer the sauce from the slow cooker to a gravy boat.
• Or, just break up the tender roast right into the sauce and serve it straight from the slow cooker.

Such a beautiful thing to come home to – a beautifully cooked roast and carrots with a to-die-for sauce.

If you want to serve your Italian Pot Roast with potatoes I highly recommend the easy Parsley Potatoes pictured in this post. Or, spoon it over a mound of Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red-Skinned Potatoes. Browse my entire collection of side dish recipes for more ideas.

Gravy Options

The sauce that is created as you cook the roast will have texture to it from the tomatoes like you can see in this post. This is how I serve it most often, however, if you prefer a smoother sauce, see the options below.

• Use it as is – just spoon it into gravy boat.
• Strain it through a fine mesh colander for a smoother gravy.
• Blend it with an immersion blender.

Storage Tips

Refrigerate: Transfer leftover pot roast and carrots to an airtight container and the sauce to a separate container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer: For longer storage, transfer leftovers to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating Tip: Warm leftovers with some of the sauce in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave, just until warmed through. The sauce will keep the roast moist and ensure that it won’t dry out.

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Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast

4.37 from 11 votes

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Servings: 6 to 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 8 hours hrs

Total Time: 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

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This Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast simmers low and slow in a rich, tomato-based sauce with tender carrots. It’s a rustic, comforting meal – perfect for a cold day!

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 ½ to 4 pound boneless top round beef roast, see notes below
• ▢ salt and pepper, to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional as needed
• ▢ 1 cup diced white or yellow onion
• ▢ 2 ribs celery, diced
• ▢ 3 to 4 carrots, cut into chunks
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ ½ cup medium to full-bodied red wine, like Pinot Noir or Cabernet Savignon
• ▢ 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• ▢ 8 ounce tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 cup low sodium beef broth
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ fresh Italian parsley, optional for garnish

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Instructions 

• Season both sides of beef roast with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a large skillet and place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add roast and sear for a few minutes on each side, or until nicely browned. Remove from heat and transfer to 6 quart slow cooker.
• Return skillet to heat add additional olive oil, if necessary. Add diced onion, celery, and minced garlic. Cook and stir for a couple of minutes and then and add red wine. Cook, stirring to deglaze the pan for just a minute or two and then transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker with the roast. Scatter the carrots over the top and pour the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce around the roast.
• Whisk together the beef broth, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a measuring cup or small bowl. Pour the mixture around the roast.
• Sprinkle rosemary, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper over the roast and tuck a bay leaf into the sauce mixture.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or on for HIGH for 6 to 7 hours.
• When the roast is fork tender, transfer it to a cutting board and slice against the grain or use two forks to pull it apart. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the carrots to a serving dish with the beef. Transfer the sauce to a gravy boat (or see the options in the notes below).
• Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve the beef with the carrots and sauce (see notes below for options).

Notes

For the Roast: I recommend that you use a boneless top round beef roast in the 2 ½- to 4-pound range, depending on how may you are serving. Count on about ½ pound of beef per person. So, a 3 pound roast will be enough to serve 6 adults. Go bigger if you’d like leftovers. 

Gravy Options

The sauce that is created as you cook the roast will have texture to it from the tomatoes like you can see in this post. It is delicious as it is, however, if you prefer a smoother sauce, see the options below.

• Use it as is – just spoon into gravy boat.
• Strain for a smoother gravy.
• Blend it with an immersion blender.

Nutrition

Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 987mg | Potassium: 1178mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5609IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.

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This post was originally published on November 11, 2016. It has been updated with new text and images.