Dinner
$1.94per plate
Prep
10 min
Slow Cooker · Mississippi Pot Roast
Mississippi Pot Roast
Mississippi pot roast is the famous five-ingredient dinner that turns a cheap chuck roast into fall-apart, savory beef in a rich, tangy gravy, no browning or fuss required. You drop the roast in the slow cooker with a packet of ranch, a packet of au jus, a handful of pepperoncini, and a stick of butter, and eight hours later it shreds with a fork. One roast feeds eight for about two dollars sixty a plate over mashed potatoes or rice. It joins our other cheap pot roast dinners and hands-off slow cooker beef; for another comfort-food classic, try our salisbury steak, price up front. At 2g of carbs a serving the roast itself leads our low-carb dinners.
$2.61per plate
Estimated recipe total
$20.88 · serves 8
Cook
8 hr
Total
8 hr 25 min
Serves
8
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/mississippi-pot-roast
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Two forks for shredding
Variations
- Strain the cooking liquid and thicken it with a cornstarch slurry for a thicker gravy.
- Skip the packets and use dried ranch-style herbs plus beef bouillon and cornstarch instead.
- Use 6 pepperoncini for a gentler tang or 10 to 12 for more kick.
- Swap in a rump roast or bottom round; avoid lean cuts, which dry out over a long cook.
1 How to make it
1
Add everything to the slow cooker
Place the chuck roast in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning and au jus seasoning evenly over the top, set the stick of butter on the roast, scatter the pepperoncini around it, and pour in the 1/4 cup of pepperoncini brine. Do not add any water or broth: the roast and butter release plenty of moisture as they cook, and the pepperoncini brine plus the two seasoning packets are what make the concentrated gravy. Extra liquid only waters that flavor down and turns it into stew.
2
Cook low and slow
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for about 5). Chuck roast is a tough, well-marbled cut full of connective tissue, and it needs that long, gentle heat to break the collagen down into gelatin, which is what makes it turn tender and shreddable. A shorter, hotter cook leaves it chewy, so give it the full time and do not lift the lid.
3
Rest the roast
When it is fork-tender, lift the roast onto a cutting board or plate and let it rest 10 to 15 minutes. Resting lets the juices settle back into the meat and lets it cool just enough to handle, so you keep more of the moisture instead of losing it the moment you pull it apart.
4
Skim, then shred
Spoon the excess fat off the top of the cooking liquid, tilting the pot so it pools; a chuck roast plus a stick of butter renders a lot of fat, and skimming it is what keeps the finished dish rich instead of greasy. Shred the beef with two forks, discarding any big pieces of fat, then stir the shredded meat back into the skimmed juices and pepperoncini so it soaks up the gravy.
5
Serve
Serve the shredded beef and its gravy hot over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles, or pile it onto rolls for sandwiches. Spoon a little extra gravy and a few pepperoncini over the top.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Thicker gravy. For a thick gravy instead of a thin au jus, strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan, whisk in a slurry of 2 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp cold water, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens. Figured separately.
- No seasoning packets. To skip the packets, make your own: 1 tbsp dried ranch-style herbs (dill, parsley, garlic and onion powder) plus 1 tbsp beef bouillon and 1 tsp cornstarch stand in for the ranch and au jus. Cheaper and skips the additives, though the packets are the classic version.
- Adjust the heat. Pepperoncini are mild; use 6 for a gentler tang or 10 to 12 for more kick. Banana peppers work in a pinch.
- Other braising cuts. Boneless chuck is ideal for shredding, but a rump roast or bottom round also work. Avoid lean cuts, which dry out over a long cook.
3 Budget tips
- A chuck roast is one of the cheapest beef cuts, and stretched over mashed potatoes or rice it feeds eight for about two dollars sixty a plate.
- Two seasoning packets and a jar of pepperoncini do all the work, so there is no long ingredient list to buy.
- Buy the roast when chuck is on sale and freeze it; the recipe is exactly the same from frozen-then-thawed meat.
- The leftovers shred into sandwiches, tacos, or rice bowls, so one roast easily covers two meals.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate the shredded beef in its gravy, covered, for up to 4 days. Keeping it in the juices is what stops it from drying out.
Freezer
Freeze the shredded beef in its gravy for up to 3 months; it freezes exceptionally well. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently.
Reheating
Reheat in a covered pan over low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or broth if the gravy has thickened, until hot through.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
380
Protein
30g
Fat
28g
Carbs
2g
Estimates per serving of beef and gravy, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
Why don't you add any water or broth?
You do not need it. The chuck roast and the stick of butter release plenty of liquid as they cook, and the pepperoncini brine plus the ranch and au jus packets concentrate into the gravy. Adding water or broth just dilutes that flavor and turns the dish into a thin stew.
How do I keep Mississippi pot roast from being greasy?
A chuck roast plus a whole stick of butter renders a lot of fat. Before you shred, spoon the excess fat off the top of the cooking liquid, and discard the big fat pieces as you pull the meat apart. That keeps the dish rich and beefy instead of greasy.
Can I cook it faster on HIGH?
You can cook it on HIGH for about 5 hours, but LOW for 8 hours gives the most tender, shreddable result. Chuck roast needs the long, gentle heat to break its connective tissue down; rushing it leaves the meat chewy.
How is $2.61 a plate figured?
About $20.88 for a 3-pound roast and its seasonings, eight servings, so roughly $2.61 each. Beef makes it pricier than most of our dinners, but a cheap chuck roast stretched over mashed potatoes or rice still feeds a family affordably.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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- 7-quart slow cooker. A large slow cooker batch-cooks cheap cuts, beans, and soups hands-off, so leftovers stretch across the week. Best for pot roast, chili, bean soups, and set-it-and-forget-it dinners.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
- Measuring cups and spoons set. A basic set of measuring cups and spoons keeps amounts consistent, which keeps budget recipes reliable. Best for rice, liquids, and any recipe where the ratio matters.
This recipe also belongs to our Easy Family Dinner Recipes collection and our American Comfort Classics collection.
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