Ah, Fall…crockpot time is here again!  Here is a recipe for a crockpot roast I made this week.  The recipe called for a beef roast, but I mistakenly took a pork roast out to thaw and that worked great.  I put everything together in the crockpot the night before and popped it in the warmer in the morning.  When I got home from work the house smelled wonderful and all I had to do was make some mashed potatoes, peas and the gravy.  I actually have been making the instant mashed potatoes lately and they aren’t half bad…and so quick! 

Recipe

1 beef pot roast or pork loin roast, about 3 to 4 pounds
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
6 whole cloves
3 med. apples, cored and quartered (leave skin on)
1 sm. onion, sliced
1/2 c. apple juice or cider
3 tbsp. flour
3 tbsp. water

Trim all excess fat from roast. Lightly rub top of meat with vegetable oil. Sprinkle meat with the salt, pepper and ginger. Insert the whole cloves in meat. Place apples and onions in the bottom of the Crock Pot and put the roast on top of the apples and onions.  Pour in the apple juice. Cover and cook on a LOW for 9 to 12 hours, until tender. Remove the roast and apples to a warm platter when fully cooked. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH. Make a smooth paste with the flour and water and stir the paste into the liquid. Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and cook until thickened. It wasn’t happening quick enough for me, so I poured it all in a pan and heated it up faster on the stovetop.  Pour gravy over roast when serving. Makes about 6 to 8 good sized servings.

You could also add a splash of vinegar to the gravy, but I’m not sure my kids would appreciate that part of their German heritage yet. 😉