Italian (Slow Cooker) Pot Roast

This wonderful recipe is from a school friend of mine. It is a Shredded Italian Beef (or Italian Pot Roast) given to me by John Armato. A recipe handed down to him from Lenore Messina to Millie Armato to John Armato…Enjoy!

3 – 4 lb. rump roast, trimmed of all visible fat
2 pkgs. Good Seasoning Italian dressing mix-1 “zesty” and 1 regular
1 16 oz. jar pepperoncini peppers, undrained
1 beef bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups boiling water
1 large yellow sweet or Vidalia onion, sliced
6 medium russet or Yukon potatoes, peeled and chunked
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into discs or use 1/2 c. baby carrots
1-1/2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1-1/2 c. red wine (optional)
1-1/2 c. canned green beans, drained (optional)
1 cup sliced fresh button mushrooms (optional)

Put all ingredients in CrockPot (Slow Cooker) in order listed, except for (optional|) green beans and mushrooms.

Cover and cook on high for approximately 8 hours or low for approx. 14 hours.

Add optional green beans and sliced mushrooms the last 2 hours of cooking.*

After the slow cooking, the meat will fall apart at the touch of a fork, while shredding or slicing easily. Serve on Italian rolls with a side of the broth for dipping a la a French Dip, or simply pile on a plate for forkfuls of goodness.

Note from John: This is the basic recipe. Variations are endless. I’ve added onions, fresh garlic, carrots, mushrooms and small Yukon gold potatoes with great success. Add those or similarly hearty veggies from the start. *More delicate veggies such as (optional) green beans may be best added part way through the cooking to keep them from becoming too “mushy”.

Also, a cup or so of red wine gives the broth an even richer flavor.

The pepperoncini peppers and zesty dressing mix give the roast a spicy edge. Go easy on the peppers/juice or try 2 regular dressing packets instead of 1 zesty and 1 regular to make it milder.

This is a fantastically simple recipe and absolutely delicious. The interplay of the pepperoncini’s vinegary bite and the spices in the dressing mixes keep the flavor alive and tingling on your tongue well after each bite.

Many thanks to Lenore (now “Aunt CrockPot” to me) for the recipe, and mom for giving me it’s first taste.

​Karen’s Note:  This is definitely comfort food all the way and though it isn’t low in fats, sodium or carbohydrates, I believe this to be a good food if portioned correctly into regular sized portions and not eaten all at once. Make it over the weekend and enjoy reheating and serving it right out of the fridge the following week. Thank you, John, for such a wonderful family recipe!

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