Description
This Cranberry Pot Roast features a tender, juicy chuck roast slow-baked with a flavorful blend of whole berry cranberry sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and herbs. The roast is cooked on a bed of sliced onions and infused with savory Worcestershire sauce, resulting in a delightful combination of sweet and savory flavors perfect for a comforting family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 4 lb chuck roast
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 large yellow onion (sliced into rings)
- 4 garlic cloves (finely minced)
Sauces and Condiments
- 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce (not jellied)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for slow baking the roast.
- Prepare Onion Bed: Evenly layer the sliced yellow onion rings in a large baking dish, creating a bed for the chuck roast to rest on during cooking.
- Place Roast: Set the 4 lb chuck roast on top of the onion bed, ensuring it is centered and stable.
- Season Roast: Sprinkle the minced garlic, brown sugar, dried minced onion, ground thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper evenly over the roast to build flavor.
- Add Cranberry Sauce: Spoon the whole berry cranberry sauce evenly over the top surface of the roast, spreading it gently to cover.
- Drizzle Worcestershire Sauce: Drizzle the Worcestershire sauce around the sides of the roast to add depth to the pan juices.
- Cover and Bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil to trap moisture and bake in the preheated oven for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender.
- Shred Meat: Remove the dish from the oven, shred the roast meat directly in the pan using forks, mixing it with the pan juices and softened cranberries for moist, flavorful meat.
- Serve: Serve the cranberry pot roast warm, ideally with mashed potatoes and green beans or your preferred side dishes.
Notes
- Use a chuck roast around 4 pounds for optimal tenderness and cooking time.
- Whole berry cranberry sauce is preferred for texture; avoid jellied cranberry sauce to keep a pleasant consistency.
- Covering the dish tightly with foil helps retain moisture, making the roast tender and juicy.
- This dish pairs excellently with mashed potatoes and green beans for a complete meal.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently to maintain moisture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
