Friday, June 22, 2012

Mississippi Roast

I have a confession to make, I've never been much a crock pot fan.  Gasp!  I know.  I love the whole "roll up your sleeves and get dirty in the kitchen" aspect of cooking dinner.  Also, 90% of meals I've had out of a crock pot taste like nothing.  By nothing I mean it just tastes like mush, all the flavors combining into one non-existent flavor rather than having layers of differing yumminess.  Don't get me wrong, I love slow cooking things, but over all I've never been a gung ho crock pot slow cooker person.  My husband is from the mid-west and was raised on a crock pot.  My mother in law has some recipes that I've tried and thought were good.  One Mexican chicken thing I'll more than likely share on here at some point because it's pretty darn tasty.

Somehow my children's lives have taken over my schedule. How did that happen? I mean, they're only 3 and 4 for cryin' out loud. The Nugget still naps from 1:30-4 every afternoon and the Munchkin is required to have "quiet time" during that period as well.  So I usually start dinner about the time they wake up while they run in the yard, play together, fight, cry, whatever.  Ha!  Honestly, I spend about 15% of the time cooking and 85% of the time refereeing those two.  Which is why I have to start cooking so early in the evening.  Anyhoo... Because of the naps our "activity hours" are somewhat limited.  The Munhckin's ballet class was every Monday from 5:30-6:15 during the school year.  Home by 6:30 if we're lucky... dinner?  Yeah, right.  Now it's summer and we're spending out mornings at the pool.  In order to enjoy the pool the kids have to know how to swim, right? So now we're into swim lessons 2 nights a week, 5-5:30.  Twenty minutes to get home.  How can I possibly avoid a fast food drive through, start dinner and actually feed this crew before everyone (me and Hubs included) completely loses it from hunger? Crock pot.  Yes, I said it. 

Once again, I'll refer back to Pinterest.  Don't judge, it's a mild obsession for me.  Seriously, so many crock pot recipes to be found on there.  Including these geniuses who plan a whole month of freezer meals to be thrown into the crock pot or oven on a whim.  Say what?  It's true.  But that's not what I'm talking about today.  Today is about a roast.  A Mississippi roast.  Never heard of it? Neither had I.  But boy and I glad I stumbled upon it!! We've all had a pot roast at some point.  Dry onion soup mix, some water, some veggies, and some meat.  Tasty.  Nope.  Never again in this house.  Mississippi roast is the only one I'll ever serve again.  Flavor? Check.  Crunchy cooked outside? Check.  Fall apart tender inside? Check.  Healthy?  Ehhh... I'll worry about that later.  That stick of butter makes me nervous but it's not the end of the world.  So here it is, my pretties...



Grab your crock pot and throw in a roast.  I used a chuck roast because, I really don't know the difference and it was on sale at my grocery store.  This is about 4lbs.


Sprinkle on a packet of Ranch dressing dry mix.  The original recipe I found called for the dressing mix but I had the dip mix so I used it. How different can they be?  Maybe the dip has more cornstarch to thicken it up a bit more.


Then sprinkle on a packet of gravy mix.  I fudged it for convenience's sake again here.  The recipe called for an Au Jus mix but I had chicken gravy in my pantry.  I'm not a fan of spending an extra $2 if I've got a close substitute.


Ok friends... Now the yummy part.  Plop on a stick of butter and surround that puppy with some pepperoncini peppers right out of the jar. 


Looks good already, doesn't it? Pop the lid on and let it go on low for 8-10 hours.  No liquid necessary.  Come to think of it, that may be my problem with the crock pot in general... add too much liquid and the meat just boils.  No texture, no yummy brown bits.  You can see below (from the 2 bites that were leftover since my family got to eating before I could take a picture of the finished product) the brown goodness on top.  That is flavor right there, boys and girls!  Serve this up with some roasted broccoli and mashed potatoes and I guarantee you will have some happy tummies.


All kidding aside, we're gooing to have days that are packed to the gills.  And I know, as the littles get older the days will get fuller and I'll hit a period where cooking at "dinner" time will be nothing more than a day dream while sitting at a stop light between drop-offs.  Thank heavens for the crock pot for days like that. 


Mississippi Roast

1 chuck roast (4-5lbs)
1 packet ranch dressing/dip mix
1 packet gravy mix (chicken/brown/au jus)
1 stick butter
5-10 pepperoncini peppers

Put roast in crock pot.  Sprinkle ranch mix and gravy mix on top.  Add butter and place the peppers around it on top of the meat.  Cook on low 8-10 hours.

88 comments:

  1. I made this pot roast the other day and it was fantastic! TFS!
    I referred to your blog for the recipe. Here's my blog if you would like to take a look

    Pam
    @ www.pjstreasures.blogspot.com

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    1. When I first found the recipe called for five Pats of butter and that's what I use a whole stick I just can't imagine

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  2. I have just put this in my crockpot and I am super excited! I will check in when its done cooking!

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  3. LOVED IT!!! The flavor was great and the little nip of the tongue from the peppers just pushed it over the edge! Even my kids who do not like spicy things loved this! Thanks so much for sharing!!

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  4. It's in my crock pot this morning. I cut the recipe in half because my family is two + a 3 yr old. But I'm so excited to try this

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  5. I've made this 3 times now. My husband, who tires of my trying new recipes and wants "normal" food, love it! The last time I made it I forgot to put the stick of butter in and it was still delicious. May leave it out from now on.

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    1. So happy to see this post. I am at work and just realized I forgot to put the butter in and was freaking out worried I ruined a good roast! LOL

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    2. Chuck roast has plenty of fat and doesn't need butter.

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    3. When I first seen this recipe called for five pass of butter and that's more than enough I think you'd be happy with that

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  6. Ok - i've made this 4 times --- no need for the butter. Seriously. Just the meat, seasoning, banana peppers....no extra fat. There's enough in there from the meat itself. So delicious and so easy. Thanks for the recipe -- it's a keeper. But for real - the butter is completely unnecessary (and I'm not saying this from a health perspective, just an overall flavor perspective.

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  7. This looks fab. Can't wait to try it:)

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  8. I am attracted to this because I do not like crock pot food...so I am going to trust you and try it tonight on the family...will keep ya all posted...I really do want to find a good crock pot dish to make my life a little easy.....

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  9. This is on our dinner table at least every 2 weeks now! My husband and 4 year old son LOVE IT! It's so delicious and blows every other roast out of the water!

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  10. Can you cook this on high for 4-6hours?

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  11. I approached this suspiciously, as I was adding the ingredients I wondered how this could be good.... it was delicious! Thank you for sharing. Now the only thing I wonder is how someone came up with this the first time....

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  12. Can not wait to try this! I'm cooking it tonight for supper!

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  13. Husband just assembled this and is anxious to taste it! Having potatoes and green beans with it for dinner! Cant wait to taste this!

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    1. I'm making this again tonight, Mom. Used banana peppers instead of pepperoncini's because, believe it or not, we are out. I sear my roast and deglaze my pan with red wine and pour that over the roast then add the mixes and butter/peppers. Smells great already!!!

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  14. I'm so glad so many of you have been enjoying this!!

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  15. I am trying this today.I will report back later.

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  17. I'm making turkey and roast for Thanksgiving and I'm gonna try this recipe and come back with my comment on how I like it etc :)

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  18. I made this today and it turned out GREAT and EXACTLY how the photo look!!!

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  19. Replies
    1. I make mine over carrots and potatoes like a classic roast. I add a little water to be safe for the veggies.

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  20. Made this last night and it was delicious. Served over roasted red potatoes.

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  21. Made today for the first time. Soooooo good. My husband was blown away.
    Looked like a hot mess but insanely good.

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  22. Making this yet again for the third time. This is by far one of our favorite dinners, top of the list! Yum!!

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  23. Have this in the crock pot right now...will be having it for dinner tonight! Everyone says it's delicious, so I am excited to try it!!!

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  24. How about something other than the peppers? Sun dried tomatoes or pitted Kalamata olives??

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  25. It's like a magic trick. The meat came out so moist. Nice bonus potpourri in the house.

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!

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    2. Hi Ya'll! I'm going to try this with a venison roast tomorrow, I am a wee bit concerned about the fat content of the roast however... any thoughts on if I should add liquid to this one?

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  26. Would it still be good if I leave out the peppers?

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    1. The peppers make it so good..it's not spicy. I don't like spicy food. They give it a really good flavor.

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    2. I think the peppers add a nice vinegar-y flavor. they're not spicy like jalapeños... you could use Banana Peppers so it could be a little milder.

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  27. I made this a month or so ago and it was wonderful. The peppers were perfect...no hotness, just a background flavor! Everyone loved it including the picky grandchildren. I'm making it again for a combined birthday dinner this weekend. So easy! Thanks!

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    2. So glad everyone enjoyed it! I've got picky ones in my house too and know how hard it can be to please everyone!

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  28. I am planning on making this weekend- Just a bit concerned about it being too salty- has anyone found it to be overly salty?

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    1. I think the butter really mellows out the salty-ness. Since posting this originally I've started making a ranch dressing mix from scratch- that definitely has less sodium and fewer preservative. I'll post that recipe soon!

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  29. I've made this several times but always paid the extra 60 cents for Au Jus mix instead of brown gravy mix. Just popped the lid on the crock pot with brown gravy mix for the first time... here's hoping it's just as good!

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  30. Since originally posting this recipe I have found and started using a scratch made ranch mix- that has dramatically cut down the sodium content. I will post that recipe soon!

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  31. adding potataoes with the roast?? thoughts?

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  32. Excellent my family loved it. Easy to prepare and after the 8 hours cook time it basically shredded itself. Don't be a skeptic go for it, no regrets!

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  33. I made this tonight and let me just say........oh my goodness.....delicious! I didn't change anything.

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  34. I made this today and, though really tasty, I wish it were less salty. Any ideas for making it so?

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    1. Since you're using two packets of seasoning both the ranch and whatever gravy mix you used, there isn't really a way of minimizing the salt except don't salt the meat before you put it in the pot or try to find a no salted added gravy mix

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    2. Thanks. The NYTimes did an article and a recipe for the roast using actual ingredients instead of packet ingredients. I'll try that next time to see what difference there is. If it's not up to snuff, I'll use half packets and see what that does. My mom (who I cook for) is a 97 year old stroke survivor who battles high blood pressure. I really try to cut down on the sodium in her diet.

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    3. I meant to link the NYTimes article. Here it is.

      http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017937-mississippi-roast

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  35. I'm using this recipe with a 5 pound pork roast and no butter I used French onion soup mix for the seasoning along with the ranch dress. The roast was partly frozen so I'm concerned that it won't be done in time for dinner. I'll let you know how it worked out

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    1. PS about a week ago I made this with skinless frozen chicken breast I cooked it for an hour and a half on high in the pot and then put it under the oven broiler to finish it so I could get some brown on it and it was really good with mashed potatoes on the side the gravy was one of the best I've had

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    2. Because the chicken had no skin I'm sorry I forgot to mention that I mix the butter with the ranch dressing and then slathered it over the chicken and then on top of that I put chicken gravy mix

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  36. I don't have the peppers so I'm subbing bell peppers, hope it works!
    I also used beefy onion soup in lieu of the au jus. I'll comment later how it turned out. Fingers crossed!

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  37. How many people did your 4 lb roast feed? Thanks!

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  38. You said you didn't like the roast with onion soup mix on it. I use the soup mix and a can of mushroom soup. It's delicious, even makes a great gravy.

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  39. I like to add potatoes. Just wash 3-4 medium potatoes,quarter them, and toss alongside the roast. Delicious!

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  40. We've now made this with beef, chicken (sooo juicy), and tonight we're about to try pork. So excited! So delicious.

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  41. When you shred the beef after cooking do you chop the peppers and add them to the shredded beef or just toss them after cooking?

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  42. Shred the meat, pile into a hoagie roll with provolone cheese. Wrap in foil & heat up in 350 degree oven. Serve with the peppers....so good!

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  43. This is seriously my favorite recipe. The only thing I do differently is that I use deli sliced pepperoncinis instead of whole ones, and I pour a bit of the juice in with it. So, so good. I even have my mom hooked on this recipe.

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  44. This is seriously my favorite recipe. The only thing I do differently is that I use deli sliced pepperoncinis instead of whole ones, and I pour a bit of the juice in with it. So, so good. I even have my mom hooked on this recipe.

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  45. This was so delicious - I loved it and I am not a big fan of roasts

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  46. Just FYI, your recipe and photo have been posted on 77Easy Recipes blog without giving you credit.... I posted the link beack to your blog on her facebook page. http://77easyrecipes.com/mississippi-roast-2/

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  47. I have done the recipe with a chunk of boneless pork sirloin roast. Found it on a terrific sale for $.99 a pound. It tasted good. Beef is my first choice but it worked well with pork too.

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  48. This is good with dill dip mix instead of ranch and au jus instead of gravy mix...one of the girls at work accidentally bought the dill dip instead of ranch dip mix and said it was even better than the regular way of making it. We all loved it and it was a huge hit!

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  49. Oh and I failed to mention that I forgot to pick up au jus mix so I hope the chicken gravy mix will taste just as great. I would've used beef gravy mix but I was out of that as well.

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  50. I can only find PICKLED pepperoncini peppers....Is this what you use? Have this in my monthly menu and I'm excited to try, but want to make sure I have the right flavors!

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  51. Made this today... never got any juice and it's black. My husband is reporting as he gets home before me. I'm sad! I did everything as directed. No clue what went wrong!

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  52. I make this all the time. Usually have to double recipe! I also make it with chicken.one of my families favorites!

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  53. Thanks for your recipe! I laugh when I read comments to this recipe, wherever it is posted, when people say "you don't need Butter" or "there is too much salt so I didn't add the au jus" or "I added this instead". It is fine to do that but they didn't make a Mississippi Roast!

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    1. I agree 100%. It just makes me a little angry that they do this to a recipe. Why not say you did or didn't like the recipe? We're talking about Mississippi Roast here!

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  54. I have made this many times. It's basic deliciousness! My family LOVES this and of my God the smell in the house. I was very busy today and only cooked it for the 4 hours on high and still loved it I will continue to make it the way the author said. Also I agree about the homemade ranch. It's a very good substitute for the expensive stuff. I did not have the DIY ranch today but will have it ready for the next Mississippi Roast!

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    1. You can do this in an instant pot & it’s done in an hour and a half! Same as if you let it slow cook all day!

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  55. I have made this many times. It's basic deliciousness! My family LOVES this and of my God the smell in the house. I was very busy today and only cooked it for the 4 hours on high and still loved it I will continue to make it the way the author said. Also I agree about the homemade ranch. It's a very good substitute for the expensive stuff. I did not have the DIY ranch today but will have it ready for the next Mississippi Roast!

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  56. I make this at least 2 to 3 times a week! ❤️ Only I use my instant pot. Chunk up the roast, throw in the rest & set on manual for 90 minutes! Serve with mashed potatoes (6 minutes in instant pot) & Hawaiian rolls... Heavenly!!

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  57. Does anyone know if you need to sear the meat before putting in the crockpot?

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  58. I never have, this is the best roast ever!

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  59. I've made this a few times and it is always a crowd favorite. I paid it with mashed potatoes and sweet corn.

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  60. Curious to see who uses brown gravy versus who uses the au jus sauce mix? Who preferred which one over the other? And go!

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  61. Curious to see who uses brown gravy versus who uses the au jus sauce mix? Who preferred which one over the other? And go!

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    1. I don't care for the brown gravy mix as much, prefer the au jus mix more. I've also used onion soup mix in a pinch before and that's very tasty as well.

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  62. Fantastic..I served it on warm tortillas with sour cream drizzled over and slices of avocado and tomato on the side..Yum!!!!

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  63. I love this recipe have make this quit few times. I have read few comments about using entire stick butter it actually makes roast moist and falls apart when done. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!

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