What's for Dinner Tonight? - Bavarian Pot Roast

As the cooler weather approaches in New England, I am looking for new comfort food recipes for our dinners. Of course I have my traditional ones that are used every winter, but it's nice to prepare something different. This comes from Taste of Home magazine and was submitted by Susan Robertson from Ohio. We love German food so I decided to give this pot roast a try. The recipe says to prepare in a Dutch oven, but I used my slow cooker and cooked it for 6-8 hours. It was delicious and definitely will be added to my recipe collection.

Bavarian Pot Roast

1 boneless beef chuck pot roast (about 3 pounds)

2 tablespoons oil (I used safflower)

1-1/4 cups water (for slow cooker use 1/2 to 1 cup less water)

3/4 cup beer or beef broth

1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Cornstarch and water, optional

1. In a Dutch oven, brown roast in hot oil. Continue in Dutch oven, or place meat in slow cooker. Combine water, beer, tomato sauce, onion, sugar, vinegar, salt, cinnamon, bay leaf, pepper and ginger. Pour over meat and bring to a boil (if leaving in Dutch oven). Cover and simmer until meat is tender; 2-1/2-3 hours in Dutch oven, 6-8 hours in slow cooker.

2. Remove meat. Discard bay leaf. If desired, thicken juices with cornstarch and water.

Serve with mashed potatoes.