Crock Pot Roast Beef or Venison

Description: Oh-So-Tender Roast with a delicious broth mixture that can be served "au jus" or thickened for a luscious, hearty gravy. Add carrots and potatoes (optional), and you have a one-dish meal that cooks unattended. The sliced roast makes tasty Roast Beef au Jus Sandwiches. For a second meal, make stew or soup from the leftover roast, carrots, potatoes, and gravy...perhaps adding a little wine or water if needed to get the perfect consistency.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs lean beef roast or 3 lbs venison roast
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can 94% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup cabernet sauvignon wine or 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons very low-sodium beef bouillon granules
• 3 fresh garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon liquid hot pepper sauce or 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 6 large potatoes, quartered (optional)
• 8 carrots, peeled and cut into 4 inch long pieces (optional)
• 3 -4 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
• 1/4 cup water (optional)

Steps:

1. In crock pot, add soup, wine, bouillon granules, garlic, onion, mushrooms, hot sauce, and seasonings.
2. Stir to mix well.
3. Add roast.
4. Turn crock pot on high and cook 4-6 hours or until meat is just tender.
5. Serve with optional gravy, carrots and potatoes or cooked noodles or rice.
6. OPTIONAL POTATOES AND CARROTS: In pot of water, boil potatoes and carrots about 15 minutes until almost done, but still very firm.
7. Drain; add veggies to crock pot.
8. Cook an additional 1-2 hours until roast and veggies are very tender.
9. OPTIONAL THICKENED GRAVY: Remove veggies and roast from crock pot and place in covered dish to keep them warm while you make the gravy.
10. Make a slurry by mixing cornstarch and water until no lumps remain. (Using cold water a little at a time will help you avoid lumps.).
11. Use Method 1 OR 2 to thicken the gravy.
12. Gravy Method 1: With crock pot on High, bring broth to a boil.
13. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir to mix.
14. Cover and bring liquid back to boil and boil until thickened, about 1 minute.
15. Gravy Method 2: Pour broth mixture from crock pot into a saucepan.
16. Bring broth to boil and stir in cornstarch slurry.
17. Return to boil, boiling about 1 minute until broth mixture is thickened.