Ingredients:
1 whole (3-5 pound) Chuck Roast (well marbled with fat, will yield a more tender pot roast)
2-4 Tablespoons olive oil (or 2 TBL olive oil and 2 TBL butter)
2 whole onions, peeled and cut in half
6-8 whole carrots, washed, cut into 2 in pieces (peeling is optional)
4-8 potatoes (if using russet, just 2-4 small medium ones, if using baby potatoes or fingerlings as many as you think your family will eat), cut potatoes that are larger in half or thirds
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup red wine (optional, beef broth or stock may be used instead)
2-3 cups beef broth or stock
3 sprigs fresh Thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
3-4 sprigs fresh Rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
1 bay leaf
2-3 sprigs fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions:
Pot Roast:
Preheat oven to 275° F, moving racks to make sure your pot (with the lid) will fit in the oven.
Heat oil (and butter if desired) in a large dutch oven or pot, medium to medium high heat, until hot but not smoking. Salt and pepper your chuck roast well, it’s a large piece of meat, don’t be shy about salting it. Set aside.
Cut onions in half and carefully place cut side down in hot oil, brown for 1-2 minutes per side, remove to plate.
While pot still hot, toss in cut carrots (2 inches or so) and stir around hot pan until lightly browned, about a minute. Remove to plate.
Turn up the heat a bit, so that the pan is screaming hot, but still not smoking. Carefully, using tongs add your meat to the pot, searing well on each side for about 1-2 minutes per side. Once all sides are seared, remove to plate.
Next keeping the temp up on the pot, deglaze your pan by pouring in 1 cup of wine or broth, using a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pan releasing the flavor in the brown bits.
Return meat to the pot, tucking in the carrots, potatoes and onions all around. Pour in additional beef broth until about halfway up the side of the meat. Add sprigs (or dried) of rosemary, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf tucking around the veggies and meat.
Cover and don’t peek, cook for 3 hours (for a smaller roast) and 4-6 hours for a larger roast. If necessary, check the liquid levels about hour 4 or 6 if cooking longer adding a cup or so of additional broth.
Baked Potatoes:
Increase oven heat to 350° F.
Using a fork, prick the potatoes a few times on each side to create a heat vent.
Coat each potato with canola oil and salt and bake for 1 hour. Potatoes should be fork-tender when done.
Using a sharp knife, slice the top off (horizontally) of each potato.
Using a spoon, remove the center of the potato and place into a large mixing bowl. Be very careful not to tear the potato skin. Lay the hollowed-out potato shells on a baking sheet.
To the bowl of potatoes, add the reserved gravy, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and salt and mash together until creamy.
Fill the hollowed-out potato skins with the filling, and create a well in the filling. Fill and top with shredded pot roast and gravy. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potato is warmed through.