Slow Cooker Hungarian Pot Roast

This isn’t the normal way I make pot roast but something about this recipe caught my eye. Slow cooker recipes are especially attractive because you can set it and forget it. This recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen turned out to be so wonderful, the meat was extremely fork tender and the sauce was delicious when I reduced it – then when I added the sour cream it gave the sauce a richness that sent it over the top.

Crockpot Recipe for Hungarian Pot Roast with Sour Cream and Paprika Gravy
(Makes 6-8 servings, recipes created by Kalyn)
2 tsp. + 1 T olive oil
Beef Chuck shoulder roast, boneless. The roast I purchased was 2.30 lbs and it was $7.54
Steak seasoning (about 1 T) to rub on roast before browning
2 T flour to rub on the roast before browning
3 large yellow onions, cut into slices at least 1/2 inch thick
2 T Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red and yellow bell peppers
2 bay leaves
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice (I like petite dice for this)
2 cups beef broth
black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups light sour cream

I started by trimming the fat from around roast.

Then using my tried and true Saltgrass steak seasoning I give the roast a nice rub-a-dub-dub. When I do my regular roast I usually use salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.

Next pat with flour, this will help seal in the seasoning and give the roast a nice crust when it browns.

Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in heavy frying pan, add roast and brown well on all sides.

(Don't rush this step, it may take 15-20 minutes to get the roast nicely browned.)

When roast is well-browned on all sides, place in crockpot.

While roast browns, peel onions and cut into slices at least 1/2 inch thick.

Heat additional 1 T olive oil in pan, then add onions and paprika and saute onions until lightly browned, turning often to brown all the onion slices.

I mixed the 2 T Spanish paprika and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika.

This smells wonderful and I can't wait to see what brilliant colors it gives the onions.

I dump all the spices on the onions and start to stir as they brown.

These are nice and brown and sticky with seasoning.

Drain jar of roasted red peppers, then cut into lengthwise slices about 1/2 inch thick.

Put onions in crockpot on top of and around the roast.

Add 2 cups beef stock to frying pan to deglaze, scraping off with your spoon any browned bits on the bottom of the pan (no picture), then add to crockpot.

Put sliced peppers and canned tomatoes into crockpot, seasoning with black pepper and add bay leaves.

Cook on high for about 4 hours or low for 8 hours, until roast feels tender when pierced with a fork. Note that crockpots differ in the way they cook. Hopefully you know if you have one of those super hot crockpots and it cooks fast or vice versa. I personally want to cook this on low for eight hours.

I do all my prep the night before, and in the morning (before my shower) set the crock pot on low for the day. When I got home from work…. Oh my gosh the house smells good and the poor poor dogs have been cooped up smelling this wonderful meat cook for the past eight hours. That’s just mean.

I used my strainer to seperate the meat and veggies from the sauce.

This is falling apart as I move it from the crockpot to a plate to rest.

Then add it back to the crockpot.

Remove the two bay leaves.

Turn heat up and boil the juice down. I should have let it boil longer and get thicker, but I didn't wait long enough. No harm though!

When liquid has reduced by about half, whisk in sour cream. Pour sour cream gravy back over meat and vegetables in crockpot and cook about 20-30 minutes more, or until heated through.

I’m serving mine over egg noodles because Jim just loves egg noodles. I'm very happy with the way this meal turned out, thanks Kalyn! Next time I would add a handfull or two of carrots and let it all stew together. If you liked mushrooms, they would taste good here too.

Biscuits and Gravy

When there is time on the weekend to fix a hearty breakfast, I really enjoy waking up and making something really yummy. Biscuits and Gravy are one of Jim's favorite cowboy breakfasts and being from the south, I hope to one day perfect a 100% homemade version. The absolute truth is that gravy has always been a challenge for me. It probably is just a mental block, but I literally get nervous hands and doubt myself when I start to make this. Maybe its because my mom makes the best homemade gravy I've ever had and I worry I won't be able to make gravy as good as she does.


I've never attempted homemade biscuits, but I'm not intimidated by it. It's the GRAVY I tell you, that stumps me. So for this particular breakfast, I used canned biscuits and concentrated on making the best homemade gravy I could possibly create.


I began by using Jimmy Dean's HOT breakfast sausage and put patties on a hot skillet to brown until done.



To prepare for the gravy I mashed up salt and black pepper (lots of it) so when I needed it I could grab and throw a dash in at a time until I get the seasoning right.
I pulled all the ingredients out in front of me (Milk, flour, salt, pepper) and then gave myself a good talking to. "Mandy, you can do this...it's only gravy...and if it turns out awful, we have enough milk and flour to start over again."


Using the grease left in my skillet (about 2 T) I turned the stove to medium low and sprinkled a tablespoon at a time of the flour over the hot grease. I have a flat wisk that I used to move the flour around and realized I needed about two tablespoons of flour for my two tablespoons of grease. This is the hard part for me...how long do you let the flour brown? While I consistantly whisked the flour and grease together it started to crumble and then turn a dark brown. You don't want it to burn though. When you think it's about right (and this is the part that you only know from experience) you pour in a cup of milk and whisk whisk whisk. If it's too thick you add more milk. I added two and a half cups of milk. Don't stop whisking, add pinches of your salt and pepper until you get the right flavor. I probably used an entire tablespoon of salt and pepper. All of this probably took me five minutes to do. Then turn your heat down and let it barely simmer, stirring occasionally for 10-20 minutes. Taste taste taste as you go.


I baked the biscuits according to the package directions and then split them open on a plate.
Top with some sausage patties.
Then finally smoother with your amazing homemade gravy!
This was SO (unhealthy) GREAT!