Description
A tender, slow-cooked chuck roast with ranch dressing mix, au jus gravy mix, butter, and pepperoncini peppers. This ‘dump and go’ recipe requires only 10 minutes of prep time and delivers rich, savory comfort food perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 pounds chuck roast
- 1 packet (1 ounce) dry ranch dressing mix
- 1 packet (1 ounce) dry au jus gravy mix
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 jar (12-15 peppers) pepperoncini peppers, drained with juice reserved
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup beef broth (optional)
- 1.5 pounds red potatoes, halved (optional)
- 4 large carrots, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Trim any large chunks of hard fat from the chuck roast and pat dry.
- Place the roast in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix, au jus gravy mix, and minced garlic evenly over the top of the roast.
- Place the stick of butter on top of the roast.
- Arrange the drained pepperoncini peppers around the roast and pour the reserved pepperoncini juice over everything.
- If using, add potatoes and carrots now. If using beef broth, pour it around the sides.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the meat is fork-tender.
- Remove the meat to a cutting board and shred using two forks, discarding large pieces of fat.
- Pour cooking juices into a measuring cup, let fat rise, and skim off excess if desired.
- Return defatted juices to the slow cooker, stir in shredded meat.
- If gravy is too thin, simmer uncovered on LOW for 30 minutes or thicken with a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp cold water) and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, rice, or crusty bread.
Notes
Do not skip the pepperoncini juice as the acidity balances the richness. For best texture, cook on LOW for 8 hours to break down collagen. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat with a splash of broth to prevent drying out.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 900
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 35
Keywords: slow cooker, crockpot, pot roast, chuck roast, easy dinner, comfort food, pepperoncini, ranch dressing mix, au jus, meal prep