I had another beef roast in the freezer.  The first thing I thought was “Oh no, not again.”  It seems we have a beef roast lately at least once a week and I was running out of ideas of what to do with it to make into a different meal for my family.

Well, back to my good old friend Pinterest.   I found a recipe for Slow Cooker German-Style Roast Beef from Recipe.com that sounded different from anything I had done with a beef roast before.  I also loved that it was made in my slow cooker.  Of course I changed it to fit my families tastes and my cooking style.  Remember to do this for you and your family too.

Verdict:

Though my family definitely turned up their noses when they found out there was diced dill pickles and brown mustard in the gravy by the end of the meal there was just enough leftovers for one lunch the next day and a chunk to create something else small with.

The outside of the roast was flavorful and the inside was moist and tender.  The gravy we made to go with it was best over the meat.  We served it with mashed potatoes with melted butter over them and carrots.  My daughter thought I should make German potato salad next time I make this dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lb. beef roast
• 16 oz. baby carrots
• 1 large onion, cut into eighths
• 3/4 cup dill pickles, diced (I used Klaussen Dill Pickles)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/3 cup brown mustard such as Gulden’s
• black pepper
• 10 whole cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 TBSP corn starch
• 1/2 cup beef broth, for gravy

Directions:

1. Spray the inside of your large slow cooker with non-stick spray.
2. Add carrots and onions to the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Lay beef roast over the top of the carrots and onions.  Try to keep it from touching the sides if possible.
4. Mix beef broth, pepper and dill pickles in a small bowl.  Pour the mixture over the top of the roast.
5. Spread the mustard over the roast in a nice thin layer.
6. Drop cloves and bay leaves into the mixture around the roast.  Remember the count of your bay leaves and cloves so that you may remove them all BEFORE serving!
7. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until roast is completely cooked through.
8. Remove roast from slow cooker and set aside.
9. Removed carrots, onions, bay leaves and cloves with a slotted spoon.  Throw away bay leaves and cloves.  Put carrots and onions aside to serve with roast.
10. Mix corn starch and cold beef broth together until smooth.  Turn slow cooker on high and slowly mix the slurry into the juices.  Stir until completely mixed and heated through.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
11. Serve with gravy over the meat if desired.