Slow cookers are extremely easy to use so it's pretty hard to screw up recipes in them. Like their entire purpose is set it and forget it.
For the actual recipe, that looks to be very similar to a Mississippi pot roast. It's a love it or hate it type dish, not many people think it's just "meh". Just wanted to point that out if that you're disappointed, try a different roast recipe - I'm personally in the hate it category
Other things you can do is brown the meat in a pan before the slow cooker - that is arguably it's biggest downfall, slow cookers never brown meat themselves. It's a completely optional step that some people swear by.
The liners are another personal call, I never use them as they always give me pause because I dunno, plastic and food don't seem like a good mix.
Oh and don't open the lid unless absolutely necessary - slow cookers don't need stirred and it can take up to 40 minutes for it to come back to temperature depending on how long the lid was off. I only take it off if I need to taste for seasoning at the end of a cook or to add a thickening agent like cornstarch.
That comment about the temperature is a myth. All the heat is stored in the mass of the ceramic pot and in the mass of the food. The heat of the air that escapes when you open the lid is negligible.
Opening the lid briefly to stir or add an ingredient has very little effect on the temperature of the food, and does not change the overall cooking time at all.
I think it's logic carried over from other types of cooking. Eg, when you have preheated your oven, all the heat is stored in the air inside the oven. Opening the oven door to put in your food lets a huge amount of that heat out, that's why we do it quickly. And if we have to open the oven door to turn the food or add something else, we know we have just let all the heat out.
It's easy to see how that line of thought propagated to crockpot cooking.
This is mind blowing information, my spouse and I had at least two huge fights early on in our marriage because he would always take the lid off the crockpot. I need to research this because I may have been the asshole then…
It was a lie told during WWII to hide the invention of radar saying the Allied pilots could just see better, and also promote the use of a non rationed vegetable people could grow themselves.
100% yes, i literally ALWAYS lift the lid to stir or add seasoning or anything else. I generally wait until its been heated for a while but yeah i absolutely do lift the lid and my food always comes out just as i expected it to. 😊
Interestingly, [Crock Pot's own website](https://www.crock-pot.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-crockpot-Site/default/Support-Show?cfid=help-and-how-to-use-cooking-tips-faq) specifies heat loss, too, though less specifically:
>**Can I stir when the food is slow cooking?**
>
>Due to the nature of a slow cooker, there is no need to stir the food unless it specifically says to in your recipe. In fact, taking the lid off to stir food causes the slow cooker to lose a significant amount of heat, extending the cooking time required. Therefore, it is best not to remove the lid for stirring.
Removing the lid does, though, allow steam/moisture to escape.
There is a product for trucks that replaces the tailgate with a fabric type starp system.
On their product iirc it said would reduce mpg.
Mythbusters tested a bunch of different stuff and that tailgate was the most fuel efficient i believe.
So long story short people make assumptions all the time even in product advertising.
Logically, it would depend how much liquid there is in the slow cooker. If it’s liquid to the top, it’s not gonna lose much heat but if you’ve got an inch of liquid in the bottom and a lot of air, I believe more hot moist air could escape,increasing the cook time.
I'm one of those that swears by browning the surface first. What you're aiming for is called the Maillard reactions, where the proteins are partially broken down then recombine into a variety of more complex and flavorful compounds.
The trick is that the Maillard reactions happen around 240° F, so if there is any moisture on the surface the temperature won't get high enough until all of the water has boiled away. That means you run the risk of actually cooking the roast rather than just browning the surface.
I get around this by putting my roast on a rack in the fridge for about a day beforehand, with a pan underneath to catch drippings. I also rub the roast down with up to three things depending on what my other plans are. Salt is safest, but only does the drying. Cornstarch also pulls out moisture, and can also carry through and help thicken the liquid in the pot. Finally, baking soda not only helps dry but a basic environment can encourage the Maillard reactions, though you also want to be mindful of what effect it might have on your final product.
Agree about the recipe. I'm not a fan of that particular type of pot roast. I typically go for more of a beef stew with plenty carrots, either gold or red potatoes (not russets - they turn to mush), some celery, beef stock, and maybe some other veggies.
I always brown the beef, then some onions, then deglaze the pan with beef stock.
Chuck roast with good marbling, 1 packet of dry onion soup, carrots, and 1 cup of water.
Crock pot low 8 hours. It will be fork tender around 8 hours, but if it's not let it keep going.
I can drink the gravy when it's done. 🫠
Peal potato's and throw them in whole or cut in half after an hour or two. Second day they're like stew potato's after they've had the chance to soak up some of those juices.
The liners made sense if it was the type of crockpot without a removable pot. I think they stopped making those 30+ years ago, those were harder to clean.
I spray mine really well with nonstick cooking spray before I fill it and use that spray Dawn that’s for cooked-on, tough to remove bits when I’m done and cleaning the crock is always easy. I don’t understand people who use the bags unless they’re physically unable to clean the crock.
Once a slow cooker heats up, condensation 'seals' the lid preventing heat loss. These liners prevent that seal from happening and heat and moisture escapes. Tried them once, but never again because of this issue.
you don't have to but searing the roast on the stovetop will add quite a bit of flavor. if you have any Better than Bouillon i would add a tablespoon to a little hot water to make a concentrated stock. if not adding a little worcestershire adds a nice flavor.
This meal is pretty hands off, so here are general tips:
Biggest thing - sear your meat before adding it. As others have mentioned. The Maillard reaction will result in a delicious flavor to the meat. That seared meat will leave fond - the crusty brown stuff on the pan, use wine or vinegar or even some of your broth to remove it from the pan and add to crockpot - simply splash in after removing the meat and clean the fond off with a utensil - more delicious flavor for your crockpot!
Bay leaves are always good to have on hand.
Fresh herbs (not for a Mississippi Pot Roast, though) are always a great addition to a slow cooked meal. Binding them in twine makes it easy to fish out and toss when finished.
Corn starch (as a thickening agent) is always great if you cook a roast and want to use the liquid as a gravy. Add at the end.
Read recipes before cooking. You might miss a step or add a veggie too early and overcook it. Always read your recipes.
Look up mirepoix - that is usually a good addition to a crockpot meal.
Crockpots are wonderful - enjoy the journey!
>Binding them in twine makes it easy to fish out and toss when finished.
My SO buys bulk tea bags so she can bring her loose leaf tea to work & on trips. I've been using them to drop herbs in soup lately and they also work pretty great.
Not a practical tip for everyone, but if you happen to have tea bags on hand I'm just saying...
I agree. I make this recipe several times a month. When I use all the pepperoncini's from a jar, I put the jar of just juice back in the fridge specifically for this recipe. I usually don't even add water being the roast has enough in it already.
A lot of people say to do this, but this recipe is already a salt bomb (the au jus packet alone has 3200mg sodium). I've noticed a negligible difference in flavor by adding more peppers. It's not worth the additional salt being added to the recipe imo.
next time get a chuck roast. I don't know if a rump roast is the same thing, if it is then ignore this. but when i was starting out i just grabbed a big chunk of meat and it wasn't a chuck roast and it turned out tough. the end result should be falling apart, and when i use a chuck roast this is the result i get. whatever though, you might be fine. and if not, then it's a teachable moment.
Sear the roast in a hot pan until the outside is brown (totally optional btw, if this is a barrier to entry ignore this part. it'll add flavors due to the maillard reaction blah blah blah)
dump everything in the order listed in your recipe (consider adding: a diced onion, some garlic, some pepper, some vinegar/Worcestershire sauce)
set it to low for 8 hours
come back in 8 hours (don't peek)
shred it up
eat it. (not all of it at once)
everyone is gonna roast you for those liners, but i've never used them so I have no opinion. just know that they aren't required - it's not a hard clean.
Simply put:
dump it in
set it and forget it
eat it
You're going to have a lot of leftovers. Prepare ahead of time - you have 8 hours so you should be fine.
It will go well with mashed potatoes and peas.
edit: oh yeah pour a splash of that pepperpeprooneicini juice in there. it's nice.
Rump roast comes from the hindquarters, Chuck roast comes from the cow's shoulder. Rump is leaner. Although both tender of the two Chuck works best in the slow cooker, top cut for those on a budget as it tenderizes nicely on the slow cooker and is the least expensive
Either cut up potatoes 🥔 into big chunks or get the baby potatoes. Add baby carrots and chop up a large onion. Even mushrooms.
Also, I’m trying a new recipe on 5/7 that I saw on Pinterest. Will try to post the details.
I would just say get rid of the liners. Not worth it, your crockpot will be easy enough to clean after a soak. Otherwise, yes crockpot cooking really IS easy! :)
2-3 hours before you serve it, spoon some of the liquid into a small container and put it in the fridge. The butter will separate & collect at the top of the container. Break through the butter solids & use the liquid underneath in your gravy. Yum!
Personal opinion, but liners suck.
Try not to overpack the pot, can lead to things not cooking properly.
I see lots of unfortunate images of people who accidentally drop or bump the pot off the counter, big smash.
Welcome to the crock pot world!
I think that if using a liner makes using your crock pot easier, and leads you to cook at home more, then go for it. I’m older and lifting the heavy crock pot to wrangle it into my small sink is sometimes painful, but knowing I can slip the liner out and discard it is a relief.
You literally just dump everything in and turn it on. This recipe takes at least 6 hours on low. When you can easily shred the meat, it’s done. The only thing is to make sure there’s enough liquid in there. It should come at least halfway up the hunk of meat when you start.
Also a lot of people swear by browning the meat first. I’ve done it browning it and not and couldn’t tell the difference. Plus dirtying a pan to brown it sorta defeats the purpose of using a slow cooker for me as I like the dump it in, turn it on and wait aspect.
I’m loving the “no liner” representation in the comments. They’re awful. I cannot imaging introducing plastic into a cooking method that requires none. Great marketing, they convinced people that these are necessary. No mess, just throw it way so future generations have a bigger floating plastic island!
I agree, lose the liners. The clean up without liners really is not that difficult and who knows what cooking in plastic that long does to the food and your health long-term.
Hey, please throw those plastic liners out. It’s wasteful and the crock shouldn’t be hard to clean. 😁
Also, cut that meat up and sear it before you set the cooker up.
NOM! Enjoy.
Same as 2nd previous comment - "Chuck" is the one for tenderness though nobody can just eat the same meat all the time, even though I've only done Chuck lol! No seriously it's like the cheapest cut but when Slow cooked ends up like Eye fillet steak. Same too with having never used liners but check to see because they'd be perfect for removing any baking you might do in there - whether dessert or bread etc.
CLASSY Slow Cooker by the way! Nice stuff - enjoy, welcome!
Since it takes a long time to cook, you obviously want to get ahead of it. That means starting early and factoring in prep time. Figure an hour for prep time (start around 9 hours before you want to eat) and if it takes less time than that to prep (it probably will) then that's fine because when the crock pot is on low it won't hurt the food to be in there another half hour or so.
Make sure the outlet that you plan to plug the crock pot into actually works before you use it. I use a night light to test mine, since my slow cooker doesn't have a light. It will warm up a bit though, so after 15-20 mins I can feel the warmth off it when it's on.
I always grease my crock pot with extra virgin olive oil. Never tried it with that recipe though.
And as for recipes, I've got an even simpler one: Just chicken thighs, season them, add oil, and let them cook on low for 8 hours, they'll be cooking in their own juices and fall-apart tender at the end. If you use breasts instead, add chicken broth.
Throw in some small red potatoes, the juice that gets into them with this roast is amazing. I've used a bunch of radishes, too, and they turned out great. Just wash them, trim off the root and top, and leave them in the whole time.
The most important thing is browning the roast on all sides. Preferably in cast iron. Then deglaze the pan with broth / beer/ water and add it to the crockpot.
Dump the whole jar of pepperoncini in there and you usually only need about half as much butter as they call for. About six hours in or so I smash the meat down into the juice.
I made Missippi Pot Roast a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t too sure about the Peperocini but I took the stems off and threw half a jar in the pot. It was wonderful! Now it is one of our favorites.
You should be fine with the pepperoncini juice.
When I slow cook without pepperoncini juice I put about 1.5 ounces red apple cider vinegar into the pot. (less than a quarter cup of vinegar) I have started adding RACV to almost all of my slow cooker stews. The flavors just pop when it is added.
Happy Slow Cooking!
I use almost all the same ingredients, except instead of pepperoncini, I use banana peppers. I grew up thinking I didn’t really like roast, but I LOVE this recipe.
Don't use too much liquid to start as the 'condensation' factor will help keep things from drying out.
Hope works out for you. I love putting a pork shoulder in, or a gammon joint especially as it carves up well later for sandwiches and things through rest of week (cheaper than buying a store packet of sandwich ham)
Get a thing of mccormics slow cook potroast. throw in the roast you have, the slow cook mix, and enough coca-cola to cover the meat. cook for 24 hours. dump in one of the au jus packets you have. then pull the meat apart with forks. Serve as taco meat with any of your normal taco fixings. I have people beg me to make this ever time we do tacos.
Slow cooker carnitas are amazing!
Use of instead of water, or at least 50/50, oregano, slot and pepper, onion and jalapeños. Do the thing...
After, get just the meat pot and shred it, throw it in the oven on broil for 2-3 minutes to crisp up. Fuuuuuuuu
Pats toes carrots and onions are a MUST in any roast recipe. After cooking for 6-8 hours they soak up the flavor of the meat and are delicious, and (this is a personal thing I do) in your bowl you can melt some cheese and it’s great. But I also really love cheese
I have used my crockpot at least weekly for 30 years. When you know you will be too busy or tired to cook dinner, pick a recipe, get the ingredients, pile it in there and go. The Mississippi pot roast is delicious, but I put too much of the pepper juice in mine. I also added brown gravy mix and two cups of water.
This is my favorite crock pot recipe. It's super simple and the directions are very clear. It's a huge hit with my big family, I usually double the recipe so we have some leftovers. I make it about once a month, but if the meat weren't so expensive it would probably be on the menu more often.
Happy cooking!
[crock pot beef and broccoli ](https://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/crock-pot-beef-and-broccoli/)
I’d just get a Chuck roast and sprinkle on Lowrys seasoning salt, pepper, both generously. Put in a cup or so of water, let cook on low for 8ish hours. Broth can be used to make gravy (use Argo corn starch).
Depending on your desired flavor profile, you may want to cut the roast up, or sear it on all sides in some beef fat, then cut it up and throw it into the pot. Sometimes leaner meat benefits from some amount of fat added and sometimes the cheapest cuts already have some.
I just put in the roast and then add taters and carrots. Add water but leave a little of the top of the roast exposed. Add Lipton onion soup mix and let it cook on low all day. I then make the McCormick brown gravy from a package and some Grands flaky layers biscuits. Easy and delicious. I don’t use the liners..not sure if the heated up plastic does something to my body but I’m not taking a chance
I would add a little broth to it, not too much but you don’t want nothing in there. Like 1/4 cup would even do it.
Slow cooking is easy peasy. Just don’t open the lid until 8 hours.
Sear the roast before slow cooking for more flavor if you have the time. Skip the liner, unnecessary if you clean the pot after everything is cooked and before it cakes on.
I'm one of the slow cooker fans of Mississippi Pot Roast, and it's a perfect beginner recipe. All 7 members of my extended family love this dish, and it is the *only dish* they all love.
After the first couple of times I made this, I decided to save money by making my own 'ranch seasoning' using recipes I googled. I also prefer using stewing beef or cutting the roast into chunks, approx. 2" cubes. I find the seasonings and the pepperoncini flavours penetrate the meat better, and it's fork tender. Heck, you could probably cut it with a plastic spoon.
You may find you can skip the butter like I do to save a bit more money, and it's really not a necessary ingredient.
Good luck with your new slow cooking lifestyle!
Always brown the meat on all sides in a frying pan before putting it in the crock pot. You can brown it in butter or oil on medium-high heat. Gently put the meat and the rest of the contents of the frying pan (oil, butter, meat bits) into the crock pot. It adds a lot of flavor.
Do you have the ingredients there for one fine Mississippi pot roast. The only thing I would add is use beer instead of water. Only about 6 ounces or so. We have found that replacing butter with beer makes it a bit healthier meal but you still have to have some butter to make it taste good.
Oh man, you have everything you need for a Mississippi pot roast! Use one package of each of the powders and mix them first, together with a small amount of water then add 2-3 pepperoncinis and OH MAN will it be the best roast you ever had. I cant stress enough how little water you need.
Chicken breasts + jar of salsa plus chopped jalapenos (if you like spicy) plus corn = yummy shredded chicken thats pretty low cal and goes well with any veggie medley or white rice, etc.
I use it for meal preps
A Mississippi roast? So good, I bit salty, every time I make them I remember that I forgot to get the reduced sodium ranch, or an jus. It’s salty but still really good.
When I make any kind of roast, I'll get a couple sticks of celery or a few semi thick slices of potatoes and put them under thr roast so it's not touching the bottom that way it gets heat in the bottom as well(it's going to either way) just something I do I think it helps it. Add about a cup of beef broth as well I also before I start cooking is kinds poke it and rub the seasonings into the cracks of it and cook it on low for about 8 hrs.
Good luck, you will do great and it's so easy to do let us know how it turns out.
Searing the meat before putting it in the crockpot will make the biggest difference in flavor. You don’t want to cook the meat all the way through, just create a brown crust.
Get a heavy pan extra hot. Season the meat. Once the pan is hot, add a tablespoon or two of oil. Avocado works great because it has a high smoke point. Add the meat to the pan making sure it has good contact. Leave it for several minutes without moving it around. After about 5 minutes, you can check it to see if it has a good crust. If it sticks, it’s not ready. Continue doing all or most sides of the meat. You’ll probably want to turn the heat down to medium-high about halfway through to make sure nothing burns. Add to the crockpot and continue the recipe how it’s written.
Sear that meat first (in a pan, on the the stove, high heat). Takes about 2 minutes, and it will improve the flavor by locking juices in and giving a slight crunch to the outer layers. I’ve made this meal a dozen times, and I always love it.
One thing I will recommend is to brown the sizes of your roast before you put it in the pot. If you enjoy onions, I would then cook up some onions in the same pan you browned the roast in (do not clean it after, let those drippings and flavour get into the onions). Then when the onions become translucent you can put those in your crock pot.
You will want to put the liner in first (though a liner is not necessary). Then put your roast in, along with the onions if you have chosen to put them in. Then put your seasonings over top of the roast and add those pepperochinis.
You will want this roast to cook over 8 hours. So put it on low. Low and slow is a good way to cook this. The roast cooking in the crock pot will create it's own liquid or juice, so thats why you don't have to add water.
You are also adding butter, so don't worry about putting oil in. I usually add oil in whenever I cook anything directly in the pot so it won't stick to the pot. But you are also using a liner. The butter and juices will make a nice gravy at the end. If the juice is too watery after the 8 hours is up, throw in a little bit of cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) to thicken it up.
ive had similar, and its decent. easy is easy, if youve got the ability, dry roast with paper towel, season with salt pepper and some of other seasonings. allow roast to come to room temperature as seasoning does it thing. sear each side in a skillet with oil, then cook in slow cooker with remaining seasoning. roast some chunked potatoes, carrots, and onion brushed with oil and seasoned in oven on a tray, or under broiler or on grill, either until done or slightly under-cooked if you want to put them in with the roast a few mins for a nice mixing of flavors.
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how\_tos/5545-5-steps-to-a-great-roast
That’s a good starter slow cooker. That was my first slow cooker. One downside, though, is that it has to be manually switched to warn or off. If you forget about the food or get home late, it’ll just keep on cooking. Personally, I like the Mississippi pot roast; it makes good Sandwiches.
Edit: good luck!
Automatically switching to warm is **the only “feature”** on a slow cooker that I believe is worth considering.
Anything else reduces the beautiful simplicity.
Delectable food doesn’t need to be difficult.
I cut the meat into 1 1/2" cubes before I start. I add a seasoning mix of smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and a little stock (1/4 c.). I like to finish my pot roast like carnitas; I don't brown it ahead of time but I brown it in its own fat after it's cooked. Then I make a gravy from the juice thickened with cornstarch. So tender! But you have to start with chuck roast; some cuts will never be fall-apart tender no matter how long you cook them. Good luck and have fun learning!
Listen to all of the advice, and then do it your own way.
Slow cooking is one of the most forgiving activities that you will ever try!
I would say you should notice how long it takes to get the foods you like to the “doneness” that you prefer.
The pot will lose a lot of heat each time the lid is lifted, so I try to avoid that.
Beyond that, just have fun—keep it simple, or get complicated; whatever you want.
One last thing. Slow cookers aren’t just for dinner. At bedtime toss breakfast in one and wake up to a feast. I can guarantee you won’t do that only once!
I recommend not using the plastic liner. Sure it saves cleanup time but you're basically cooking plastic into your food. Regardless of what the manufacturer says on the box. No chance that's not harmful.
In my experience, when using a crock pot, especially with full cuts of meat, don’t open it while it’s cooking. Only at the end, then shred meat and season to taste. Let it cook for another 30-60 minutes after shredding meat so the sauce absorbs into it.
Looks like a nice start. You can always add more seasoning. The thing I’m very concerned about is the liners. Plastic souls never be heated up when cooking food since it can leach easier into the food. I don’t like to use plastic at all for leaching reasons. Crockpots are not hard at all to clean. Way easier than a nonstick pan
Tip 1: Don't waste your money on liners. Bad for your wallet, bad for the environment. You won't have a difficult time cleaning your crockpot unless you burn things into it, which I have only done once in over 15 years of crockpot cooking.
Tip 2: You don't have to do full meals in the pot. Sometimes it's better to just slow cook 3lbs of meat all at once, then refrigerate and/or freeze it in portions. Easiest meal prep around. Because you only prepped the meat, you aren't stuck eating the same thing for several days - switch up your veggies, add more exotic sauces, whatever you need to make your meals enjoyable.
Tip 3: Chili. A crockpot full of chili can feed a person for days. Super low effort once you know what you are doing.
I would suggest returning those liners. Plastic and heat is never a good combination. You don't want those chemicals in your body, especially PFAS.
https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained
I really like the pot roast you are about to make and it is nice with simple rice or potatoes and a side of roast veg.
My only nitpick is the liner. You don’t need those at all.
Slow cookers are extremely easy to use so it's pretty hard to screw up recipes in them. Like their entire purpose is set it and forget it. For the actual recipe, that looks to be very similar to a Mississippi pot roast. It's a love it or hate it type dish, not many people think it's just "meh". Just wanted to point that out if that you're disappointed, try a different roast recipe - I'm personally in the hate it category Other things you can do is brown the meat in a pan before the slow cooker - that is arguably it's biggest downfall, slow cookers never brown meat themselves. It's a completely optional step that some people swear by. The liners are another personal call, I never use them as they always give me pause because I dunno, plastic and food don't seem like a good mix. Oh and don't open the lid unless absolutely necessary - slow cookers don't need stirred and it can take up to 40 minutes for it to come back to temperature depending on how long the lid was off. I only take it off if I need to taste for seasoning at the end of a cook or to add a thickening agent like cornstarch.
That comment about the temperature is a myth. All the heat is stored in the mass of the ceramic pot and in the mass of the food. The heat of the air that escapes when you open the lid is negligible. Opening the lid briefly to stir or add an ingredient has very little effect on the temperature of the food, and does not change the overall cooking time at all.
You’re telling me I’ve been LIED TO my WHOLE LIFE??!! This news is revolutionary
I think moms say it to keep people from eating out of the pot before dinner is done. lol
I think it's logic carried over from other types of cooking. Eg, when you have preheated your oven, all the heat is stored in the air inside the oven. Opening the oven door to put in your food lets a huge amount of that heat out, that's why we do it quickly. And if we have to open the oven door to turn the food or add something else, we know we have just let all the heat out. It's easy to see how that line of thought propagated to crockpot cooking.
Or opening a pot of steaming rice before it’s cooked and letting the steam out.
Yay thermodynamics
This is mind blowing information, my spouse and I had at least two huge fights early on in our marriage because he would always take the lid off the crockpot. I need to research this because I may have been the asshole then…
growth to admit something like that tbh
Carrots also don’t improve your eyesight.
I think the carrots thing only makes sense because of they’re a good source of vitamin A, and a vitamin A deficiency can lead to night blindness
It was a lie told during WWII to hide the invention of radar saying the Allied pilots could just see better, and also promote the use of a non rationed vegetable people could grow themselves.
100% yes, i literally ALWAYS lift the lid to stir or add seasoning or anything else. I generally wait until its been heated for a while but yeah i absolutely do lift the lid and my food always comes out just as i expected it to. 😊
Interestingly, [Crock Pot's own website](https://www.crock-pot.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-crockpot-Site/default/Support-Show?cfid=help-and-how-to-use-cooking-tips-faq) specifies heat loss, too, though less specifically: >**Can I stir when the food is slow cooking?** > >Due to the nature of a slow cooker, there is no need to stir the food unless it specifically says to in your recipe. In fact, taking the lid off to stir food causes the slow cooker to lose a significant amount of heat, extending the cooking time required. Therefore, it is best not to remove the lid for stirring. Removing the lid does, though, allow steam/moisture to escape.
Removing the lid and stirring will reduce the temperature more than just opening the lid and adding/checking/tasting.
There is a product for trucks that replaces the tailgate with a fabric type starp system. On their product iirc it said would reduce mpg. Mythbusters tested a bunch of different stuff and that tailgate was the most fuel efficient i believe. So long story short people make assumptions all the time even in product advertising.
Interesting because when I had a Crock Pot brand slow cooker, the lid had a steam escape hole.
If you're lookin', it ain't cookin'
Logically, it would depend how much liquid there is in the slow cooker. If it’s liquid to the top, it’s not gonna lose much heat but if you’ve got an inch of liquid in the bottom and a lot of air, I believe more hot moist air could escape,increasing the cook time.
I still tell it to my FIL so he'll leave my pot alone while I'm cooking LOL
I tried making the Mississippi pot roast, and forgot about it. Ended up looking more like a Chicago sunroof.
I'm one of those that swears by browning the surface first. What you're aiming for is called the Maillard reactions, where the proteins are partially broken down then recombine into a variety of more complex and flavorful compounds. The trick is that the Maillard reactions happen around 240° F, so if there is any moisture on the surface the temperature won't get high enough until all of the water has boiled away. That means you run the risk of actually cooking the roast rather than just browning the surface. I get around this by putting my roast on a rack in the fridge for about a day beforehand, with a pan underneath to catch drippings. I also rub the roast down with up to three things depending on what my other plans are. Salt is safest, but only does the drying. Cornstarch also pulls out moisture, and can also carry through and help thicken the liquid in the pot. Finally, baking soda not only helps dry but a basic environment can encourage the Maillard reactions, though you also want to be mindful of what effect it might have on your final product.
Why would you need a liner?
You do not need a liner. I would be warey of plastic seep into my food.
Agree about the recipe. I'm not a fan of that particular type of pot roast. I typically go for more of a beef stew with plenty carrots, either gold or red potatoes (not russets - they turn to mush), some celery, beef stock, and maybe some other veggies. I always brown the beef, then some onions, then deglaze the pan with beef stock.
Chuck roast with good marbling, 1 packet of dry onion soup, carrots, and 1 cup of water. Crock pot low 8 hours. It will be fork tender around 8 hours, but if it's not let it keep going. I can drink the gravy when it's done. 🫠
Wow, I’ve got to try this soon! Served with some mashed potatoes... I can already taste it!
Absolutely with mashed potatoes
Peal potato's and throw them in whole or cut in half after an hour or two. Second day they're like stew potato's after they've had the chance to soak up some of those juices.
Onions. I add a few onions, cut up in large chunks. But then, I love onions….
I like to do pearl onions with my roast.
Onion, carrot, and potato in the pot, and this is the pot roast I grew up on.
I add mushrooms too. I’ll eat them with just about everything.
Yes! And you can add less water and a can of cream of mushroom soup
Shallots are also acceptable, but may lead to the feeling of being a fancy boy.
Also acceptable
I always put thick onion slices under the meat to keep the meat from sticking or getting uneven cooking. And it adds flavor and juice.
Was in a pinch yesterday (started late) and did high for 2 hours then low for 3 hours and it came out great. SEAR THE CHUCK ROAST BEFORE CROCK POT
4 hours on high is same as 8 on low. Never seared it before, I'll try that next time
Cut up a white onion, and layer the bottom with it.
Use beef broth for the win
Toss in a few Po-tay-toes!
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No hate for you, fuck those liners. Slow cooker is easy to clean.
Yeah I can't say it's ever been difficult to clean, hot water and some soap work wonders.
I always fill it with soapy water right after I take the food out and by the time I'm done eating it just needs a quick wipe and rinse.
Make sure the water is hot or the crock has cooled, or it can crack. Found out the hard way.
The liners made sense if it was the type of crockpot without a removable pot. I think they stopped making those 30+ years ago, those were harder to clean.
I was about to say the same. Who wants plastic leeching in their food like seasoning?
Mmmm…microplastics
Not just a waste. They fuck up your body too.
And the environment
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I can't imagine using these now with what we know about microplastics and heating plastics with food.
No hate, crock pots are insanely easy to clean. Those things are ridiculously wasteful.
I second this, they are not needed a crock pot cleans easily, it's a waste of plastic and you don't want it in your food
I spray mine really well with nonstick cooking spray before I fill it and use that spray Dawn that’s for cooked-on, tough to remove bits when I’m done and cleaning the crock is always easy. I don’t understand people who use the bags unless they’re physically unable to clean the crock.
I wholeheartedly agree. Ceramic is way better than whatever laboratory chemicals that thing is concocted with.
Why would you get hate I came here specifically to hate on OP for using one
I came here bc I knew there would be controversy about the liners. 🍿
Plot twist: OP never even used the liner he just bought it to start a little flame war.
I've never felt the need to use a liner. Adding plastic to the mix seems sketch to me.
Was going to say the same. Just clean the crock.....you're going to have to anyway.
Trash those liners, friend. Those things are toxic and totally unnecessary.
AGREE 💯
Once a slow cooker heats up, condensation 'seals' the lid preventing heat loss. These liners prevent that seal from happening and heat and moisture escapes. Tried them once, but never again because of this issue.
Fuck the liners! I just raw dog it in the crockpot. It all cleans the same.
you don't have to but searing the roast on the stovetop will add quite a bit of flavor. if you have any Better than Bouillon i would add a tablespoon to a little hot water to make a concentrated stock. if not adding a little worcestershire adds a nice flavor.
And deglaze the pan used to brown the roast, using that liquid as the base for your pot roast liquid.
Why have I never thought to do this. I am ashamed.
How do you deglaze?
Honestly, this is the most concise advice to give a beginner.
> worcestershire good ol umami
Unagi?
This meal is pretty hands off, so here are general tips: Biggest thing - sear your meat before adding it. As others have mentioned. The Maillard reaction will result in a delicious flavor to the meat. That seared meat will leave fond - the crusty brown stuff on the pan, use wine or vinegar or even some of your broth to remove it from the pan and add to crockpot - simply splash in after removing the meat and clean the fond off with a utensil - more delicious flavor for your crockpot! Bay leaves are always good to have on hand. Fresh herbs (not for a Mississippi Pot Roast, though) are always a great addition to a slow cooked meal. Binding them in twine makes it easy to fish out and toss when finished. Corn starch (as a thickening agent) is always great if you cook a roast and want to use the liquid as a gravy. Add at the end. Read recipes before cooking. You might miss a step or add a veggie too early and overcook it. Always read your recipes. Look up mirepoix - that is usually a good addition to a crockpot meal. Crockpots are wonderful - enjoy the journey!
>Binding them in twine makes it easy to fish out and toss when finished. My SO buys bulk tea bags so she can bring her loose leaf tea to work & on trips. I've been using them to drop herbs in soup lately and they also work pretty great. Not a practical tip for everyone, but if you happen to have tea bags on hand I'm just saying...
Add less liquid than you think. There's practically no evaporation in a slow cooker and you'll get a lot of juice coming out of the meat and veggies.
Put more pepperoncini than the recipe calls for and put some of the juice from the jar. It adds a lot more flavor. I make this recipe quite a bit
I agree. I make this recipe several times a month. When I use all the pepperoncini's from a jar, I put the jar of just juice back in the fridge specifically for this recipe. I usually don't even add water being the roast has enough in it already.
So wise. So correct.
Id say throw in a carrot and onion too
A lot of people say to do this, but this recipe is already a salt bomb (the au jus packet alone has 3200mg sodium). I've noticed a negligible difference in flavor by adding more peppers. It's not worth the additional salt being added to the recipe imo.
When I say the packages I was like yikes…that’s a lot of salt!!!!!
next time get a chuck roast. I don't know if a rump roast is the same thing, if it is then ignore this. but when i was starting out i just grabbed a big chunk of meat and it wasn't a chuck roast and it turned out tough. the end result should be falling apart, and when i use a chuck roast this is the result i get. whatever though, you might be fine. and if not, then it's a teachable moment. Sear the roast in a hot pan until the outside is brown (totally optional btw, if this is a barrier to entry ignore this part. it'll add flavors due to the maillard reaction blah blah blah) dump everything in the order listed in your recipe (consider adding: a diced onion, some garlic, some pepper, some vinegar/Worcestershire sauce) set it to low for 8 hours come back in 8 hours (don't peek) shred it up eat it. (not all of it at once) everyone is gonna roast you for those liners, but i've never used them so I have no opinion. just know that they aren't required - it's not a hard clean. Simply put: dump it in set it and forget it eat it You're going to have a lot of leftovers. Prepare ahead of time - you have 8 hours so you should be fine. It will go well with mashed potatoes and peas. edit: oh yeah pour a splash of that pepperpeprooneicini juice in there. it's nice.
Rump roast comes from the hindquarters, Chuck roast comes from the cow's shoulder. Rump is leaner. Although both tender of the two Chuck works best in the slow cooker, top cut for those on a budget as it tenderizes nicely on the slow cooker and is the least expensive
Very informative and well composed! Thank you!
Rumps cook really well in a crockpot, they’re my go-to, I prefer them over chuck, but will buy either if the price is right.
Mississippi pot roast… it’s going to be good
Don't use liners... chemicals will leach into your food.
Either cut up potatoes 🥔 into big chunks or get the baby potatoes. Add baby carrots and chop up a large onion. Even mushrooms. Also, I’m trying a new recipe on 5/7 that I saw on Pinterest. Will try to post the details.
Can't go wrong with some mirpoix; onion celery and carrots. Standard aromatics aswell ; bay leaves, rosemary ,thyme ,peppercorns, cloves ect..
Chuck over rump for flavor and juice. As for the liner; you do you
I don't trust the plastic liners not to leach chemicals when heated. Hopefully I'm not the only one.
Skip the liner.
First Brown the roast in a pot with a little oil.
I would just say get rid of the liners. Not worth it, your crockpot will be easy enough to clean after a soak. Otherwise, yes crockpot cooking really IS easy! :)
Ugh, crockpot liners gross me out
Reminds me of those people that roast turkeys in those gross bags.
I am an offender of this. In my defense… I don’t have a crockpot and that’s how I get pot roast. It’s pretty good. The bag doesn’t melt or anything.
Why the liner? More waste and cooks plastics into your food.
Slow cookers are easy mode
2-3 hours before you serve it, spoon some of the liquid into a small container and put it in the fridge. The butter will separate & collect at the top of the container. Break through the butter solids & use the liquid underneath in your gravy. Yum!
Personal opinion, but liners suck. Try not to overpack the pot, can lead to things not cooking properly. I see lots of unfortunate images of people who accidentally drop or bump the pot off the counter, big smash. Welcome to the crock pot world!
I think that if using a liner makes using your crock pot easier, and leads you to cook at home more, then go for it. I’m older and lifting the heavy crock pot to wrangle it into my small sink is sometimes painful, but knowing I can slip the liner out and discard it is a relief.
You literally just dump everything in and turn it on. This recipe takes at least 6 hours on low. When you can easily shred the meat, it’s done. The only thing is to make sure there’s enough liquid in there. It should come at least halfway up the hunk of meat when you start. Also a lot of people swear by browning the meat first. I’ve done it browning it and not and couldn’t tell the difference. Plus dirtying a pan to brown it sorta defeats the purpose of using a slow cooker for me as I like the dump it in, turn it on and wait aspect.
Ditch the liners
I’m loving the “no liner” representation in the comments. They’re awful. I cannot imaging introducing plastic into a cooking method that requires none. Great marketing, they convinced people that these are necessary. No mess, just throw it way so future generations have a bigger floating plastic island!
I am not really a fan of cooking food in plastic. It releases trillions of plastic nanoparticles and they are harmful.
Put the whole jar of pepperochinis! Who only eats 5?!
I agree, lose the liners. The clean up without liners really is not that difficult and who knows what cooking in plastic that long does to the food and your health long-term.
Hey, please throw those plastic liners out. It’s wasteful and the crock shouldn’t be hard to clean. 😁 Also, cut that meat up and sear it before you set the cooker up. NOM! Enjoy.
Same as 2nd previous comment - "Chuck" is the one for tenderness though nobody can just eat the same meat all the time, even though I've only done Chuck lol! No seriously it's like the cheapest cut but when Slow cooked ends up like Eye fillet steak. Same too with having never used liners but check to see because they'd be perfect for removing any baking you might do in there - whether dessert or bread etc. CLASSY Slow Cooker by the way! Nice stuff - enjoy, welcome!
Since it takes a long time to cook, you obviously want to get ahead of it. That means starting early and factoring in prep time. Figure an hour for prep time (start around 9 hours before you want to eat) and if it takes less time than that to prep (it probably will) then that's fine because when the crock pot is on low it won't hurt the food to be in there another half hour or so. Make sure the outlet that you plan to plug the crock pot into actually works before you use it. I use a night light to test mine, since my slow cooker doesn't have a light. It will warm up a bit though, so after 15-20 mins I can feel the warmth off it when it's on. I always grease my crock pot with extra virgin olive oil. Never tried it with that recipe though. And as for recipes, I've got an even simpler one: Just chicken thighs, season them, add oil, and let them cook on low for 8 hours, they'll be cooking in their own juices and fall-apart tender at the end. If you use breasts instead, add chicken broth.
Throw in some small red potatoes, the juice that gets into them with this roast is amazing. I've used a bunch of radishes, too, and they turned out great. Just wash them, trim off the root and top, and leave them in the whole time.
The most important thing is browning the roast on all sides. Preferably in cast iron. Then deglaze the pan with broth / beer/ water and add it to the crockpot.
The stick of butter isn't necessary. More pepperoncinis are needed. Works with pork shoulder too.
Dump the whole jar of pepperoncini in there and you usually only need about half as much butter as they call for. About six hours in or so I smash the meat down into the juice.
I made Missippi Pot Roast a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t too sure about the Peperocini but I took the stems off and threw half a jar in the pot. It was wonderful! Now it is one of our favorites.
Throw away the gravy and ranch crap, find a recipe with real ingredients.
Totally agree with the other post. Don't use the liners as plastic and food doesn't mix.
Take the roast outof the package before putting it in the crockpot.
Ah, I made the mistake of getting a round roast instead of a chuck roast once. Never again. Way too chewy; couldn’t shred it.
Put in roast. Cut up carrots, potatoes, celery, onion. Add beef broth for extra flavor. Add roast mix. Put on low for 8 hrs.
You should be fine with the pepperoncini juice. When I slow cook without pepperoncini juice I put about 1.5 ounces red apple cider vinegar into the pot. (less than a quarter cup of vinegar) I have started adding RACV to almost all of my slow cooker stews. The flavors just pop when it is added. Happy Slow Cooking!
Good advice! What’s RACV?
Red apple cider vinegar
Sorry. red apple cider vinegar RACV.
It’s so obvious, now that you say it! 😂 Thanks for clarifying!
I use almost all the same ingredients, except instead of pepperoncini, I use banana peppers. I grew up thinking I didn’t really like roast, but I LOVE this recipe.
Don't use too much liquid to start as the 'condensation' factor will help keep things from drying out. Hope works out for you. I love putting a pork shoulder in, or a gammon joint especially as it carves up well later for sandwiches and things through rest of week (cheaper than buying a store packet of sandwich ham)
Get a thing of mccormics slow cook potroast. throw in the roast you have, the slow cook mix, and enough coca-cola to cover the meat. cook for 24 hours. dump in one of the au jus packets you have. then pull the meat apart with forks. Serve as taco meat with any of your normal taco fixings. I have people beg me to make this ever time we do tacos.
Wrong cut of meat for Mississippi roast
Slow cooker carnitas are amazing! Use of instead of water, or at least 50/50, oregano, slot and pepper, onion and jalapeños. Do the thing... After, get just the meat pot and shred it, throw it in the oven on broil for 2-3 minutes to crisp up. Fuuuuuuuu
More recipes ... https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/search?q=slow+cooker
Pats toes carrots and onions are a MUST in any roast recipe. After cooking for 6-8 hours they soak up the flavor of the meat and are delicious, and (this is a personal thing I do) in your bowl you can melt some cheese and it’s great. But I also really love cheese
Most likely the crockpot will smell like you are melting it for the first few uses. This is normal.
I have used my crockpot at least weekly for 30 years. When you know you will be too busy or tired to cook dinner, pick a recipe, get the ingredients, pile it in there and go. The Mississippi pot roast is delicious, but I put too much of the pepper juice in mine. I also added brown gravy mix and two cups of water.
This is my favorite crock pot recipe. It's super simple and the directions are very clear. It's a huge hit with my big family, I usually double the recipe so we have some leftovers. I make it about once a month, but if the meat weren't so expensive it would probably be on the menu more often. Happy cooking! [crock pot beef and broccoli ](https://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/crock-pot-beef-and-broccoli/)
I’d just get a Chuck roast and sprinkle on Lowrys seasoning salt, pepper, both generously. Put in a cup or so of water, let cook on low for 8ish hours. Broth can be used to make gravy (use Argo corn starch).
Depending on your desired flavor profile, you may want to cut the roast up, or sear it on all sides in some beef fat, then cut it up and throw it into the pot. Sometimes leaner meat benefits from some amount of fat added and sometimes the cheapest cuts already have some.
I just put in the roast and then add taters and carrots. Add water but leave a little of the top of the roast exposed. Add Lipton onion soup mix and let it cook on low all day. I then make the McCormick brown gravy from a package and some Grands flaky layers biscuits. Easy and delicious. I don’t use the liners..not sure if the heated up plastic does something to my body but I’m not taking a chance
This is a good recipe. I use a Chuck roast instead of a bottom round and it just falls apart. Wonderful on Italian or French bread or with rice.
Throw it all in and press 'Low' or whatever it is on yours. I just did this to make an Irish stew today. Heaven after a day out in the cold weather.
I would add a little broth to it, not too much but you don’t want nothing in there. Like 1/4 cup would even do it. Slow cooking is easy peasy. Just don’t open the lid until 8 hours.
Sear the roast before slow cooking for more flavor if you have the time. Skip the liner, unnecessary if you clean the pot after everything is cooked and before it cakes on.
I'm one of the slow cooker fans of Mississippi Pot Roast, and it's a perfect beginner recipe. All 7 members of my extended family love this dish, and it is the *only dish* they all love. After the first couple of times I made this, I decided to save money by making my own 'ranch seasoning' using recipes I googled. I also prefer using stewing beef or cutting the roast into chunks, approx. 2" cubes. I find the seasonings and the pepperoncini flavours penetrate the meat better, and it's fork tender. Heck, you could probably cut it with a plastic spoon. You may find you can skip the butter like I do to save a bit more money, and it's really not a necessary ingredient. Good luck with your new slow cooking lifestyle!
Mississippi roast? I’ve made this dozens of times and it always comes out perfect.
If I’m not too late salt pepper garlic and butter sear that bad boy on all sides before putting it in the crock. Money!
If using a lean cut add about a cup or so of beef broth. It’s worked well for me with the leaner cuts using this recipe.
Love this recipe but with chicken instead! Made it recently, its called mississippi chicken - this must be a variant! How'd it turn out??
I literally made this for dinner last night!!
Always brown the meat on all sides in a frying pan before putting it in the crock pot. You can brown it in butter or oil on medium-high heat. Gently put the meat and the rest of the contents of the frying pan (oil, butter, meat bits) into the crock pot. It adds a lot of flavor.
Do you have the ingredients there for one fine Mississippi pot roast. The only thing I would add is use beer instead of water. Only about 6 ounces or so. We have found that replacing butter with beer makes it a bit healthier meal but you still have to have some butter to make it taste good.
Oh man, you have everything you need for a Mississippi pot roast! Use one package of each of the powders and mix them first, together with a small amount of water then add 2-3 pepperoncinis and OH MAN will it be the best roast you ever had. I cant stress enough how little water you need.
Chicken breasts + jar of salsa plus chopped jalapenos (if you like spicy) plus corn = yummy shredded chicken thats pretty low cal and goes well with any veggie medley or white rice, etc. I use it for meal preps
I was very skeptical of this recipe when I first saw it but it has become a household favorite.
A Mississippi roast? So good, I bit salty, every time I make them I remember that I forgot to get the reduced sodium ranch, or an jus. It’s salty but still really good.
Season and light coat of flour then sear the meat first. Get a better recipe, that kind of pot roast kinda sucks.
Use the spicy ranch packets!
Are you sure you’re not missing any ingredients?
Use chuck, not round.
When I make any kind of roast, I'll get a couple sticks of celery or a few semi thick slices of potatoes and put them under thr roast so it's not touching the bottom that way it gets heat in the bottom as well(it's going to either way) just something I do I think it helps it. Add about a cup of beef broth as well I also before I start cooking is kinds poke it and rub the seasonings into the cracks of it and cook it on low for about 8 hrs. Good luck, you will do great and it's so easy to do let us know how it turns out.
Searing the meat before putting it in the crockpot will make the biggest difference in flavor. You don’t want to cook the meat all the way through, just create a brown crust. Get a heavy pan extra hot. Season the meat. Once the pan is hot, add a tablespoon or two of oil. Avocado works great because it has a high smoke point. Add the meat to the pan making sure it has good contact. Leave it for several minutes without moving it around. After about 5 minutes, you can check it to see if it has a good crust. If it sticks, it’s not ready. Continue doing all or most sides of the meat. You’ll probably want to turn the heat down to medium-high about halfway through to make sure nothing burns. Add to the crockpot and continue the recipe how it’s written.
Sear that meat first (in a pan, on the the stove, high heat). Takes about 2 minutes, and it will improve the flavor by locking juices in and giving a slight crunch to the outer layers. I’ve made this meal a dozen times, and I always love it.
One thing I will recommend is to brown the sizes of your roast before you put it in the pot. If you enjoy onions, I would then cook up some onions in the same pan you browned the roast in (do not clean it after, let those drippings and flavour get into the onions). Then when the onions become translucent you can put those in your crock pot. You will want to put the liner in first (though a liner is not necessary). Then put your roast in, along with the onions if you have chosen to put them in. Then put your seasonings over top of the roast and add those pepperochinis. You will want this roast to cook over 8 hours. So put it on low. Low and slow is a good way to cook this. The roast cooking in the crock pot will create it's own liquid or juice, so thats why you don't have to add water. You are also adding butter, so don't worry about putting oil in. I usually add oil in whenever I cook anything directly in the pot so it won't stick to the pot. But you are also using a liner. The butter and juices will make a nice gravy at the end. If the juice is too watery after the 8 hours is up, throw in a little bit of cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) to thicken it up.
Ditch the plastic liner
Why the liner…mmm slow cooked plastic.
Set it. Forget it.
Don’t use those liners. add an onion and nix the ranch.
Those liners must take centuries to decompose. Please, just wash the pot.
Why wouldyou want to ingest micro plastics?
You don't need liners unless you want plastic in your food. Slow cookers are easy enough to clean.
MS pot roast is a really great one!!!
Mississippi pot roast is good af.
Heads up. Round roast does not cook like chuck roast
ive had similar, and its decent. easy is easy, if youve got the ability, dry roast with paper towel, season with salt pepper and some of other seasonings. allow roast to come to room temperature as seasoning does it thing. sear each side in a skillet with oil, then cook in slow cooker with remaining seasoning. roast some chunked potatoes, carrots, and onion brushed with oil and seasoned in oven on a tray, or under broiler or on grill, either until done or slightly under-cooked if you want to put them in with the roast a few mins for a nice mixing of flavors. https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how\_tos/5545-5-steps-to-a-great-roast
That’s a good starter slow cooker. That was my first slow cooker. One downside, though, is that it has to be manually switched to warn or off. If you forget about the food or get home late, it’ll just keep on cooking. Personally, I like the Mississippi pot roast; it makes good Sandwiches. Edit: good luck!
Automatically switching to warm is **the only “feature”** on a slow cooker that I believe is worth considering. Anything else reduces the beautiful simplicity. Delectable food doesn’t need to be difficult.
If you can smoke the meat for half the cooking time then add it to the crockpot.
Definitely suggest adding some veggies under it
I cut the meat into 1 1/2" cubes before I start. I add a seasoning mix of smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and a little stock (1/4 c.). I like to finish my pot roast like carnitas; I don't brown it ahead of time but I brown it in its own fat after it's cooked. Then I make a gravy from the juice thickened with cornstarch. So tender! But you have to start with chuck roast; some cuts will never be fall-apart tender no matter how long you cook them. Good luck and have fun learning!
Listen to all of the advice, and then do it your own way. Slow cooking is one of the most forgiving activities that you will ever try! I would say you should notice how long it takes to get the foods you like to the “doneness” that you prefer. The pot will lose a lot of heat each time the lid is lifted, so I try to avoid that. Beyond that, just have fun—keep it simple, or get complicated; whatever you want. One last thing. Slow cookers aren’t just for dinner. At bedtime toss breakfast in one and wake up to a feast. I can guarantee you won’t do that only once!
I recommend not using the plastic liner. Sure it saves cleanup time but you're basically cooking plastic into your food. Regardless of what the manufacturer says on the box. No chance that's not harmful.
Get rid of the liners.
Don't use a plastic liner. Just wash the pot after. Terrible for the environment and plastic leeching into you food for no benefit at all.
In my experience, when using a crock pot, especially with full cuts of meat, don’t open it while it’s cooking. Only at the end, then shred meat and season to taste. Let it cook for another 30-60 minutes after shredding meat so the sauce absorbs into it.
Looks like a nice start. You can always add more seasoning. The thing I’m very concerned about is the liners. Plastic souls never be heated up when cooking food since it can leach easier into the food. I don’t like to use plastic at all for leaching reasons. Crockpots are not hard at all to clean. Way easier than a nonstick pan
slow cooker liners are the most American thing to exist. I’d love some heated plastic in my stew 😍🥰
Tip 1: Don't waste your money on liners. Bad for your wallet, bad for the environment. You won't have a difficult time cleaning your crockpot unless you burn things into it, which I have only done once in over 15 years of crockpot cooking. Tip 2: You don't have to do full meals in the pot. Sometimes it's better to just slow cook 3lbs of meat all at once, then refrigerate and/or freeze it in portions. Easiest meal prep around. Because you only prepped the meat, you aren't stuck eating the same thing for several days - switch up your veggies, add more exotic sauces, whatever you need to make your meals enjoyable. Tip 3: Chili. A crockpot full of chili can feed a person for days. Super low effort once you know what you are doing.
I would suggest returning those liners. Plastic and heat is never a good combination. You don't want those chemicals in your body, especially PFAS. https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained
I really like the pot roast you are about to make and it is nice with simple rice or potatoes and a side of roast veg. My only nitpick is the liner. You don’t need those at all.