sunday dinner feast

As the tenth of eleven children Sunday dinners at my parent's house is pretty crazy. It's one thing I really miss about living in Arizona. Sunday dinner always consists of pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, a salad and homemade rolls. I can rarely justify trying to replicate the whole meal for just the two of us so we invited some friends over for dinner last night as an excuse (and because we enjoy their company). I didn't really make my parent's meal but it was kind of close. I do my pot roast quite differently than my mom and dad but it's really good. I also made biscuits instead of rolls purely because I didn't have time to let them rise after church. So, here's my Sunday Dinner feast.

Pot Roast

2 1/2 - 3 pounds beef chuck roast (fresh or frozen - I buy a large roast from Costco and split it into smaller cuts and freeze it)
4 medium carrots
4 medium white potatoes
1 large sweet onion
4 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
1 chicken bouillon cube

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Pat beef with paper towels and season all sides generously with salt and pepper. Sear beef in the saute pan until a nice crust forms (about 3 minutes on each side). Place beef in crock pot. Don't drain the drippings.

Add carrots, onions, potatoes and garlic to the pan and saute for about 3 minutes. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with juices) and stir to combine. Arrange vegetables over the beef in the crock pot and pour in the beef broth with the bouillon cube dissolved.

Cook on low for 6 -8 hours.

Pot Roast Gravy

Pot Roast drippings/liquid
2 Tablespoons butter, cold
2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 - 2 teaspoons cold water

Pour all the liquid out of the crock pot into a small or medium sauce pan. Let simmer over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Mix butter and flour together in a small bowl and mash together with a fork until well combined (kind of like a buttery paste). Slowly whisk in the mixture into the liquid until starting to thicken and combined. I like my gravy pretty thick so I usually add the cornstarch as an added thickening agent. Just combine the cornstarch with cold water until dissolved and stir into the gravy, whisking until smooth. Season with freshly ground black pepper (I don't normally need anymore salt).

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 1/4 teaspoons (or 1 package) dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (approximately 110 degrees - should be warm not hot)
5 cups flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, cold and cut into 1/2 Tablespoon chunks
2 cups buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in warm water until bloomed (about 10 minutes). Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until little pea-sized balls form. Mix buttermilk with the yeast mixture. Stir into dry mixture, working in only until moistened. Put in a large, plastic container and cover. Refrigerate for at least an hour (I didn't do this but I suspect if I had these would have been even better. You can also store the dough in the fridge for up to one week). Carefully roll out on a well-floured surface 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.