Beef Pot Roast with Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce

Slow-Simmered Chuck Roast with a Creamy Herb Gravy

The scent of bacon rendering in a heavy iron pot signals the start of a meal meant to linger. This pot roast begins with that savory foundation, searing the beef in drippings before slowly simmering it in a broth rich with thyme and onion. It is a dish of patience, allowing the tough fibers of the chuck roast to soften over hours until they yield easily to the fork. The final step transforms the pan juices into a velvety sauce, thickened with sour cream and studded with mushrooms, creating a gravy that clings perfectly to hot noodles.

To complete the table, pair this rich meat and noodle dish with a bright vegetable side. The crunch of Green Beans with Bacon & Mushrooms echoes the savory notes of the roast, while Steamed Carrots with Garden Herbs offer a sweet, earthy contrast to the creamy sauce.

Yields: 8 to 12 servings | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours | Temperature: Stovetop

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon
• 1 (2- to 3-pound) beef chuck pot roast
• 1 (10 1/2-ounce) can condensed beef broth
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (4-ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 2 tablespoons snipped parsley
• Hot cooked noodles (for serving)

Instructions

1. Render: In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon, drain on paper towels, and crumble once cooled. Reserve the bacon drippings in the pot.
2. Brown: Trim any excess fat from the pot roast. Brown the meat on all sides in the reserved bacon drippings over medium-high heat.
3. Simmer: Add the beef broth, chopped onion, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.
4. Rest: Remove the meat to a heated platter and cover to keep warm.
5. Prepare the Sauce: Skim the excess fat from the pan juices and discard the bay leaf. In a small bowl, blend the sour cream with the flour until smooth. Stir about 1/4 cup of the hot pan juices into the sour cream mixture to temper it, then return the mixture to the Dutch oven.
6. Thicken: Cook and stir the sauce over medium heat until thickened. Do not allow it to boil.
7. Finish: Stir in the drained mushrooms, snipped parsley, and the reserved crumbled bacon.
8. Serve: Slice the roast and serve with the hot cooked noodles, spooning the sour cream sauce generously over both.

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