Surpriseingly Good Slow Cooker Pot Roast ( aka Mississippi Pot Roast)

[gwpercle]

I say surprisingly because when I read the recipe I didn't think much of it. Most crock pot pot roast are pretty ordinary and Ho-Hum in flavor. This one surprised me with the deep rich flavor and awesome gravy. There's a little New Orleans tavern that has the best roast beef I have ever put in my mouth...Parkway Bakery and Tavern, been around since 1911, baking bread , roasting beef and making po-boys . I have their recipe but it is not easy to prepare. This one cooks while you're at work.
I have never had anything come out of a crock pot that came close to Parkway's ....Except this one!
I followed the recipe to the letter and was blown away with the great flavor...better than Parkway's....No , not better , but near about as good and a lot easier .

Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
1 - 3 lb. Chuck Roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt Free Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 - pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1 - pkg. dry Lipton onion soup mix
1 - stick (1/2 cup) butter, unsalted
8 to 12 Peperoncini peppers (they come in a jar)
4 - whole cloves garlic - peeled

Instructions:
1. Heat up a large heavy skillet on high.
2. Add oil to hot skillet.
3. You want it really hot so as to brow the meat quickly.
4. Take a paper towel and dry both sides of the roast.
5. Season with salt and pepper or your favorite Cajun spice .
6. Once the skillet is nice and hot, add the roast.
7. Allow to brown about 2 to 3 minutes, do not lift, use tongs to peek.
8. When well browned, use tongs & spatula , to flip over. Brown that side 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Transfer roast to slow cooker. Deglaze bottom of pan with about 1/3 cup cold water, to get all the pan goodness, boil for 1 to 2 minutes to concentrate flavor.
10. Sprinkle packets of ranch dressing and onion soup mix over roast.
11. Top with 1 stick butter (just set on top of roast) toss in , over and around pepperoncini peppers and whole cloves of garlic.
12. Cover , cook on low 8 hours.
13. Remove Roast when done , it will be falling apart tender , and pour drippings into a fat separator and defat the gravy (important) use as is or as a base with dark roux to make a rich brown gravy for rice and gravy. Au Jus is great for sandwiches / po-boys.
14. Remove any fat from roast and place meat in a dish with the Au Jus .

Warning, this recipe contains over 1 Tablespoon of salt in it , those on salt restricted diets should avoid this salt bomb.!

Just try it once but only if you can have salt !
Gary

[MaryB]

My all time favorite chuck roast is stuffed with scallion and garlic cloves. Cut slits in the roast and stuff in the onion and garlic, season with S&P, and red pepper, brown on both sides(don't worry if you lose some garlic or onion) then slow cook via method of choice. Makes super gravy from the drippings!

[gwpercle]

My all time favorite chuck roast is stuffed with scallion and garlic cloves. Cut slits in the roast and stuff in the onion and garlic, season with S&P, and red pepper, brown on both sides(don't worry if you lose some garlic or onion) then slow cook via method of choice. Makes super gravy from the drippings!

That is usually how I do them also, slits , push some seasonings in along with the green onion and garlic, (that's how Parkway does them also). And I usually cook a large roast , like a standing rump roast cooked in the oven , but this 3 lb. chuck roast looks like a thick steak rather than a large roast and just laying the garlic and peperoncini peppers on top of the meat did just fine...surprisingly !
Gary

[308Jeff]

I've done the Mississippi thing. It's pretty tasty.

[gwpercle]

I was trying to find out how it got the Mississippi name thing...didn't find out but did discover you can use a 3 lb. pork roast, or 3 lbs. of chicken...using same basic recipe . You don't have to brown the chicken and 3 lbs. of frozen chicken breast ( we always have these handy) won't be over cooked in 8 hours. I'm going to try the Mississippi Chicken.

Gary

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

That recipe is a salt bomb...and a stick of butter? That's a lot more fat than is needed for a 3 lb roast.

I'm sure it's tasty, but it sure isn't healthy.
That's my 2¢


edited: So just for the heck of it, I looked up the sodium content of a packet of Ranch dressing mix (2160) and Lipton Onion soup mix (2.0 oz dry weight) sodium is 4880 and one stick of salted Butter has 720 mg of Sodium. So that's about 8000 mgs of sodium for that 3 lb roast...WOW


...

[Fishman]

JonB = PartyPooper

[charlie3tuna]

That recipe is a salt bomb...and a stick of butter? That's a lot more fat than is needed for a 3 lb roast.

I'm sure it's tasty, but it sure isn't healthy.
That's my 2¢


edited: So just for the heck of it, I looked up the sodium content of a packet of Ranch dressing mix (2160) and Lipton Onion soup mix (2.0 oz dry weight) sodium is 4880 and one stick of salted Butter has 720 mg of Sodium. So that's about 8000 mgs of sodium for that 3 lb roast...WOW


...

8,000mg of salt is 8.0 grams which is 1.44 teaspoons. I'm wondering if that's enough for a three pound roast....charlie

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

8,000mg of salt is 8.0 grams which is 1.44 teaspoons. I'm wondering if that's enough for a three pound roast....charlie
nice try...

One level teaspoon of salt contains approximately 2,400 mg of sodium.
so this 8000 mgs of sodium in seasoning mixes and butter is equivalent to just over 1 tablespoon of granulated table salt...lets call it a rounded tablespoon.

Now, is that too much salt on a 3 lb roast for the average American Palate ? probably not, but it is surely too much for those of us with the typical older American Health Problems.

I'm not preaching here and I not telling anyone to 'not' partake in this salt bomb recipe, but I am shouting out to those who would normally avoid high sodium foods for health reasons, who may not know there is a ton of salt in those types of seasoning mixes.

btw, the recipe I recall hearing about, included a can of Coca-cola...the sugar/sweetness would help balance all that salt, besides the acid working on the meat as a tenderizer.

[MaryB]

After spending 4 hours insulating the ceiling on my brew shed yesterday salt sounds good! Been craving it today which is telling me I am salt deficient after pouring sweat for 4 hours yesterday. Soon as I got my head above the ceiling joists the temp went to 110 degrees...

[gwpercle]

JonB = PartyPooper
Us Cajuns don't know doodley-squat about healthy cooking, but we do know how to pass a good time ! [smilie=p:

Party on Fishman !
Gary

I added a Salt Bomb warning to the recipe and changed the butter to unsalted butter, omitted the salt and called for salt free seasoning
Gary

[308Jeff]

I added a Salt Bomb warning to the recipe and changed the butter to unsalted butter.
Gary

Great. Now I gotta add more salt.

[gwpercle]

Great. Now I gotta add more salt.

I can't win [smilie=b:

Gary

[MaryB]

I admit it, I am a saltaholic! Certain foods are better salty! Like cold leftover meatloaf.

[gwpercle]

I admit it, I am a saltaholic! Certain foods are better salty! Like cold leftover meatloaf.
Me Too !
My favorite is a next day meatloaf sandwich , on white bread with mayo ! It's always better the next day .

[MaryB]

Got it right but no mayo! Ketchup!

[gwpercle]

Got it right but no mayo! Ketchup!
Yes , you are right....I got to thinking about it and I do top off the meat loaf with extra ketchup, but I also have to have a little mayo on at least one slice of bread.....I'm both a saltaholic and a mynezaholic (mynez is how some folks from around New Orleans pronounce mayonnaise). I picked it up from my wife. I have a major mayo addiction !
My daughter got the mayo addiction from me...we like to eat our French fries with a mix of catsup and mayo, I'll eat them with straight mayo .
Gary

[Grmps]

After spending 4 hours insulating the ceiling on my brew shed yesterday salt sounds good! Been craving it today which is telling me I am salt deficient after pouring sweat for 4 hours yesterday. Soon as I got my head above the ceiling joists the temp went to 110 degrees...

I've worked outside most of my life. In the summer, what I found works best for me was: I would mix frozen concentrated pink lemonade and water according to the instructions, then I would add 75% of the Gatorade powder recommended to add to water to the lemonaide.
You get a bunch of goodies that help your body through the heat

[MaryB]

I can't stand the taste of Gatorade BLECH

[CHeatermk3]

When you perspire and lose electrolytes, sodium salt is not what your body needs. Far be it from me to tell anyone else what to do; if your heart is healthy your body can deal with the sodium.

However after 31 years working in the high heat envirnment of a papermill and rotating shiftwork to boot, mine is not. I put myself in the ER after ignoring my doctor's salt warnings...a person would be far better off eating a few slices of Watermelon than indulging in a salt binge.

The bosses in the old days would pass out salt tablets; there was a dispenser on the wall next to the water cooler on the job (they also handed out dexedrine tabs or "crosstops" on graveyard shift).
You can purchase healthy electrolyte powders to mix with water too this one is sodium free and tastes OK--I hate Gatorade too plus it's loaded with sugar...Here:

https://www.puritan.com/sports-and-diet-043/electro-mix-lemon-lime-033564

8,000 mg sodium in a 3-pound roast is 1300mg per 8-oz serving of roast, assuming you use the drippings for gravy. Tasty but definately not something a person with CHF could handle.

[MaryB]

I have no issues with salt, in fact I am often low on it. One of my meds strips a lot out of my body. Heart is healthy other than an occasional long QT...

[rockrat]

Tried it with chicken tonight. Was a bit salty, couldn't find the salt-free cajun seasoning. also, should have added about a cup and a half of water to it too, barely any "au jus"

[gwpercle]

Tried it with chicken tonight. Was a bit salty, couldn't find the salt-free cajun seasoning. also, should have added about a cup and a half of water to it too, barely any "au jus"

Thanks for posting , I'm set to try the chicken thing and will add some liquid to it . Plan to serve the gravy over rice , that should help with the "salt" and since I'm a saltaholic , I like salty tasting things. I lick the rim of my Margarita glass !
Did you use unsalted butter ?

For salt free cajun/creole seasoning mix up :
3 Tab. Paprika
2 Tab. garlic powder
2 Tab. onion powder
1 Tab. dried basil
1 Tab. dried oregan
1 Tab. cayenne (red) pepper
1 Tab. black pepper
1 Tab. white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried mustard (powder)
store in an air tight container, leave out anything you don't like.
Totaly salt free.
Gary

[anothernewb]

Been making a variation on that recipe for 17 years now. can't remember where I first learned it from though. but shared it many times and seen it called many things over the years.

roast
packet of ranch dressing
packet of french onion soup
1/2 packet au jus mix
pepperocini peppers
stick of butter

One of the family favorites that always gets requested wen we all get together.

[buckwheatpaul]

Got it right but no mayo! Ketchup!

I prefer both....ketchup and Mayo on my meat loaf sandwich!

[richhodg66]

How does this do with venison? I have a roast in the freezer I've been wanting to try something with.

[Bob in St. Louis]

That's a good sounding recipe. I bought myself a brand new dutch oven and this sounds like a good way to break it in.
Although, I might have to drop some new tators in there too.

[Char-Gar]

This whole "Mississippi" roast thing is a hoot. Some woman from Mississippi cooked a roast low and slow and made a video of it and that is how it got started.

Now hear this: Every woman or man in the South has been cooking this way since the mind of man rememberth not. It is not unique to Mississippi. You cook a roast either beef or pork low and slow until it falls apart.

There are a jillion ways to do it. It can be cooked in a Dutch Oven on an open fire, in the range oven or in a slow cooker. Here is how we do it;

1. Flour and brown the roast in hot oil or grease.
2. You can either cook it in the browning pot or transfer it to a slow cooker.
3. Take some Onion soup or Onion gravy mix about two packages mixed with water.
4. Pour this over the roast and add water until the liquid is about half way up the roast.

If put in an oven cook at 350 for about four hours, then turn down to 275, add onions, potatoes, carrots, corn ears or whatever and cook for about another two or three hours. You can't over cook this thing. You might want to check every few house to see if you need to add some more liquid. Cook it until you can stick a fork in it, shake the fork and the meat falls apart. Oh yes, put the lid on the pot the entire time.

If you put it in a slow cooker, cook on high until you go to bed and turn it down to low and let it cook all night long. In the morning turn it up to high until about noon and then back to low until supper time. Add the veggies about noon on the day you will eat the thing.

This is just basic Southern cooking friends. I have eaten some decent Yankee food, but they sure don't know how to cook meat proper until it falls apart. We all learn these things from watching our mothers and grandmother in the kitchen. As a child, with no TV to watch, I sat in the kitchen and watched my grandmother cook. As I got older she had me help her. Nobody ever taught me to cook, I just caught it as a part of childhood.

When I cook a roast I do it in the oven in a cast iron pot. When the Beloved Redhead does it, she uses a slow cooker. It all turns out the same.

We have some a dear friend from Minnesota who comes down here for the winters. She is 77 years old and one day she called and asked how long to boil potatoes. She was asking how many minutes. My wife turned to me and asked how long do we boil potatoes. Neither one of us knew the time. The answer is, until you stick a fork in them and they are done.

Down here in Texas, we may not eat healthy, but we cook some darn good groceries.

BTW: The liquid in the bottom of the pan we pour over the meat is called "pot liquor", by old time Southern cooks. None of this Frog lingo for us.

[Char-Gar]

How does this do with venison? I have a roast in the freezer I've been wanting to try something with.

Cook any red meat low and slow until it falls apart.

[Bob in St. Louis]

"Liquid gold" is what we call it.
And as far as cooking goes, I'm with Char-gar!

[gwpercle]

How does this do with venison? I have a roast in the freezer I've been wanting to try something with.

Should be a winner, add 1/2 cup of water because venison is so much leaner than beef.
Or better yet...wrap that venison roast in bacon ! Yeah ...that's the ticket !

[MaryB]

Venison is going to need some fat or it will dry out. Bacon works well, I cut slits into the venison then use a Popsicle stick to stuff bacon slices into it. Or use a larding needle if you own one(I don't... hmm a kitchen gadget I need to replace, I broke my old one)

[Bob in St. Louis]

Or, you can use an injection needle with bacon fat.
I mean.... just since we're talking about eating healthy and all. ;)

[gwpercle]

It's 100% all natural , it can't be too bad for you.
Around here we fry pork fat in pork fat, salt it a little and call it a snack ! Cracklins R Good !

[gwpercle]

We got 4 huge chicken breast with the bones in and skin on at the store yesterday , in the morning I'm going to put them in the crock ala Mississippi style with a little extra liquid and see what develops ,
Stay tuned for Mississippi Crock Pot Chicken report !
Gary

[Bob in St. Louis]

Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
1 - 3 lb. Chuck Roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt Free Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 - pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1 - pkg. dry Lipton onion soup mix
1 - stick (1/2 cup) butter, unsalted
8 to 12 Peperoncini peppers (they come in a jar)
4 - whole cloves garlic - peeled

I made this recipe (verbatim) this past weekend. The only major change was that I used a 'camp' dutch oven outside instead of a crock pot. Oh.. I put in carrots and tators too.

As usual, I salted the meat like I normally would. But then I used salted butter and salted everything else. Gotta say, I'm middle-aged and salt intake hasn't gotten on my radar yet. But wow, this was salty! So yea, I have to agree that it should be tamed down as far as that's concerned. But it's a great recipe and will be doing it again.
Thank you!

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/20431579_202839496915175_769552284924485826_n.jpg? oh=378c877129d762c2222e12347a5139c0&oe=59FCA526

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/20374463_202839486915176_9023714739285657628_n.jpg ?oh=b1dd05a6dbf0a033ede0258dba001f83&oe=59F777B6

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/20525502_202839476915177_1968459761959537982_n.jpg ?oh=4d50f656e6ce93e9b17678481d3e487a&oe=5A350995

[gwpercle]

Mississippi Crock Pot Chicken:
The roast was good so we tried the basic recipe with chicken, this is what I used:

4 huge chicken breast (the 4 weighed 4.83 lbs.) bone in and skin on.
garlic powder
1 pkg. dry Au Jus gravy mix
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1 pkg. dry Liption Onion Soup mix
4 teaspoons Kary's Dry Roux (optional: roux simply thickens and flavors the gravy )
1 can Campbell's condensed Beefy Mushroom soup
1 stick unsalted butter
6 Peperoncini Peppers (optional: I liked them in the roast so used them)

1.) Rinsed , patted dry and lightly seasoned the breast with garlic powder. Placed two breast in the bottom of the crock pot (that's how big they were) and sprinkled 1/2 of the gravy mix, ranch dressing mix , onion soup and dry roux on them. Add the other two breast and sprinkle with the remaining gravy, ranch dressing, onion soup mix and dry roux.
2.) Shake Beefy Mushroom soup up well and pour around chicken into bottom of crock pot. Top chicken with stick of unsalted butter and scatter the peperoncini peppers around.
3) Cover and put on low 6-8 hours, chicken will be very tender.
When done gently remove chicken to a platter and pour gravy into a separator to remove excess grease.
We cooked white rice to go with the gravy .

This recipe was even better than the roast.... but I enjoy chicken and gravy.
Sorry no photo's ...just try it, if you are not on a sodium restricted diet.
I didn't find it too salty, maybe the unsalted butter, no added salt and serving with plain white rice helped...it tasted great to me!

Gary

[Mtnfolk75]

I just put 4 Red Pepper Seasoned Chicken Quarters and Two Breast, all with Skin on & on the Bone, into the Crockpot using gwpercl's above listed recipe. Didn't have any Kary's Dry Roux or Beefy Mushroom Soup, so subbed in Cream of Chicken ..... We will see how it goes & report back later :drinks:

[Mtnfolk75]

The results were OUTSTANDING, I paired the Crockpot Chicken with xringshooters Smashed Tators and a Green Salad ..... Live is GOOD on the Mountain :drinks:

[gwpercle]

The results were OUTSTANDING, I paired the Crockpot Chicken with xringshooters Smashed Tators and a Green Salad ..... Live is GOOD on the Mountain :drinks:

My chicken came out outstanding also. It was better the next night when we made sandwiches !
Used some fresh French bread , poured a little gravy on the shredded chicken and as I was eating I thought...."this is one of the best po-boys I have ever eaten" . I made another the next night and it was just as enjoyable. I like the chicken better than the roast.
Wife wants me to do a Pork Roast next !
Gary

[gwpercle]

The results were OUTSTANDING, I paired the Crockpot Chicken with xringshooters Smashed Tators and a Green Salad ..... Live is GOOD on the Mountain :drinks:

My chicken came out outstanding also. It was better the next night when we made sandwiches !
Used some fresh French bread , poured a little gravy on the shredded chicken and as I was eating I thought...."this is one of the best po-boys I have ever eaten" . I made another the next night and it was just as enjoyable. That gravy is awesome !!! I like the chicken better than the roast.
Wife wants me to do a Pork Roast next !
Gary

[308Jeff]

Y'all got my mouth watering.

[Iowa Fox]

Got it right but no mayo! Ketchup!

Home made Ketchup on mine.